Some Tasmanian schools have resorted to massages to calm crazed students.

The Massage In Schools program is being rolled out across several test sites. The program will see 4 to 12-year-old pupils give their fully-clothed classroom peers 10 to 15 minute daily back, head, arm and hand massages.

The only fully qualified Australian trainer of the massage program, Anne Elston, said there was growing interest from schools and teachers around the state to try the program, with one Queenstown school considering rolling it out across all its primary classes from next term.

Ms Elston says the program can be very beneficial, claiming “it calms them [students] down and also helps with their concentration... there's research in the UK that shows that it improves learning and has also helped to reduce bullying.''

Beside the social and emotional benefits, students are allegedly taught to be respectful of others, as well as empathy by doing something for someone else. With several schools imposing strict “no-touching” policies, Ms Elston says it is important for kids to learn to interact, “a no touching policy doesn't work... it's not right to teach kids not to touch people,'' she said.