What about curiosity?

My friend has been looking at schools for her little girl. Of all the things that were a worry about the school; testing in the first week of school to see the academic level of the FOUR year olds, curriculum guidelines, homework, target outcomes set the same for all the children because 'boys are often behind girls in their emotional development so we start them all focussing on emotional awareness regardless of their identified weaknesses' the most worrying for me was 'we have a no hands up policy in this school'. 

Pardon?

'We discourage question asking.'

Pardon?

So essentially they have a traffic light card system. If the child understands the material they put a green card on the table, if they're not too sure the orange one and if they really don't get it then the red one. The teacher then targets questions at the children who were unsure. 

There is no opportunity to or encouragement made for the children to ask questions and explore the subject for themselves. 

This horrifies me. Children are inquisitive and curious and want to know the why's and how's of things. If they can't ask questions this wonderful nature is quashed. So later how will they have the thirst for knowledge to further their education. If its suppressed and drummed out of them now how will they ever want to know more. 

It's such a Draconian system and such a travesty to the free thinking spirit of children.