Pupils at Burlington Junior School in Bridlington, East Yorks, have been asked to adopt the new hand signal to create a more relaxed classroom.
The children - aged eight and nine - have now been told to get the teachers attention by giving a thumbs up while cupping their hand.
But parents at the 360-pupil school have blasted the decision as "daft" after it was introduced at the beginning of this school year and say the clidren look like The Fonz, from the television comedy Happy Days.
Dad-of-three Dave Campleman, 44, who has two children at the school, said: "I thought it was a joke at first. It's daft. I can't see the logic in it.
"Fair enough if it was across the board, but I've not heard of any other schools doing it.
The driving instructor added: "I think it's a bit pointless, it's not benefiting their education - they could focus on other things.
"Kids are used to putting their hands up, it is natural for them. Being told to do something different just confuses them.
"I am just bemused by it. I think they should go back to the old way of putting your hand up in class."
And teachers at the pupil school have even taken to putting up signs to discourage kids from raising their hand.
In one poster campaign plastered on the walls of classrooms, a thick red cross can be seen through an image of a raised arm to discourage children from using the old method.
Next to it is an image of a pupil doing a thumbs up aimed at helping pupils get to grips with the change.
Another parent, who has a son in the class but didn't want to be named, said: "It is going to make the class look like they are all imitating the Fonz from Happy Days.
"On a serious note when these kids go up to secondary school next year they could be a laughing stock because all the other children will be putting up their hands.
"I think there should have been more consultation from the school with the parents over this and perhaps a trial first before an outright ban.
"I can't really see it making the classroom more relaxed - they are young, excitable kids and putting up your thumb instead of your arm isn't going to change that."
But despite criticism, headteacher Cheryle Adams claims her innovative approach to learning is paying dividends.
She said: "It seems to be something all the children have accepted.
"It is to stop the pupils waving arms about, which can be distracting. It has calmed the pupils down.
"Staff have noticed a positive difference in the amount of people answering questions.
"I don't think this approach to answering questions is a big deal. There is also no issue of children at the back of the classroom being missed or ignored."
The school, which has a history of strange learning initiatives having previously introduced a lollipop style system to replace raising arms, now plans to roll out the changes into its infant school - for children aged just four and five.
Adams explained: "At a training day we discussed all sorts of ideas as we have found some children put their hands up, while others won't, even if they know the answers.
"Some children put their hands up at every opportunity.
"We have looked at different options. This included a lollipop stick method in which children write their names on the sticks. We pick one out and the pupil whose stick is chosen answers the question.
"With this technique we found everybody would listen in case their name was called out.
"All these ideas help make the classroom environment calmer as well as encouraging the quieter pupils to share their ideas."
