School rule goes viral, sparks debate

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- One strict rule at a high school has gone viral and sparked debate. Catholic High School for Boys posted a sign on Facebook six days ago, and it has now been shared more than 110,000 times.

The message tells parents to turn around at the front door if they're bringing something for their sons.

"If you are dropping off your son's forgotten lunch, books, homework, equipment, etc., please turn around and exit the building. Your son will learn to problem-solve."

The school's principal Steve Straessle defended the rule.

Straessle said, "It's simply to help boys avoid the default switch of calling mom and dad when things don't go right to bail them out."

Parents sounded off on Facebook, "Give kids a break!"

While others wrote, "You learn by taking responsibility, not by escaping it."

Straessle said the whole goal is to instill responsibility.

"It makes me think for myself and not rely on other people to do things for me. And if I make a mistake, I need to learn from it and try to fix it," said Wingfield.

KARK reports that the most common theme surfacing on Facebook is concern kids who forget their lunch are going to starve at school, but the principal said that won't happen. No one will starve because they know how to problem solve.