Chris Weller writes at Business Insider:

Members of the royal family aren't often told what they can and can't do. But just a few days into his first year of school, 4-year-old Prince George already faces a mandate: No best friends allowed.

Thomas's Battersea, the school George attends, bans kids from having best friends, Marie Claire reports. Instead, teachers encourage all students to form bonds with one another to avoid creating feelings of exclusions among those without best friends.

"The trend of banning best friends has been growing for several years, and it's spread beyond European borders to American schools as well," Weller continues. "Some psychologists and parents argue kids become more well-adjusted when they have larger friend groups and can avoid negative feelings associated with feeling left out."

According to Weller, "Critics . . .  say the approach robs kids of the chance to form valuable coping skills. By grappling with mild social exclusion when they're young, kids will emerge as more capable, resilient adults, these advocates argue."

Comment: I wonder how Thomas's Battersea school (which highly recommends itself) feels about the concept of "better" and "best" schools. Perhaps societies should adopt a core value of that does away with any kind of school evaluation, lest students feel "left out" for not being able to attend schools that qualify as better or best, and lest parents' feelings are hurt in cases where their kids are excluded from such schools.

One could argue that if the concept of best friends is harmful, then equally so must be the concept of best schools, and, really, "best" anything. Just give every school a trophy for having walls and no grades (A+ signifying the "very best"). "Best" is so yesterday.

Another question: Is being educated better than not being educated? Is it "best" to be ignorant? Apparently yes, in some circles, as long as you feel good about it, and your support group agrees.

Sounds a bit cultish, though, doesn't it? "Ooh, we love you! Now Believe."

This is a boon for gender fanatics. Who cares if teacher-activists in non-best schools with no best friends declare there are 7,986 genders and counting? Wouldn't want anyone to feel left out and under-liberated. Long live the anti-binary binary.

Read more at Business Insider.