HEATWAVE & UNIFORMS - Should they be made to wear it all?

[MumofSilver]

My DS has just informed me that he has been instructed he 'might' be allowed to take off his blazer in the heat wave whilst in class. But their ties must be kept on at all times and blazers worn for transit between classes.....

Having lived in a hot climate, schools had air con classrooms & kids were in shorts and t-shirts; office workers open necked shirts etc. Team that with they are used to the heat and we in the UK are not.

I'm all for a good school image, upholding standards etc, but surely child welfare, comfort and common sense should prevail here rather than that? Surely the schools should be allowing them to remove ties & blazers? Thoughts anybody?

[Heels99]

It's called summer, it's not a heatwave its the correct weather for this tiMe of year.

I agree with you re the Blazers ties etc. call the HT

[mummytime]

None of the local schools here insist on ties and blazers in heatwaves. Actually over the last 4 years, all have adopted the wearing of a summer uniform of House T-shirt which can be worn without a blazer, and is worn (if wanted) from summer half-term except Prize giving.

Before that in extreme heat some looked scruffy as they were allowed to wear PE kit.

[meditrina]

Putting blazers on between classes reduces the chances that they'll be lost or just left inconveniently behind. And as a blazer with lots of pockets becomes a kind of school life support system (wearable pencil case, with phones, lunch card, cash, bus passes etc, ours even has a homework planner designed to fit in a pocket) this matters. The minute or few it takes to walk between classes really isn't going to cause an over-heating problem in UK.

[FernGullysWoollyPully]

I'm not surprised that they don't consider comfort tbh.

When I was in high school, we were made to wear shirts and ties all the time. The school was one of the better schools in town, if that makes a difference. Our ties had to be to the top, buttons done up, shirt sleeves down. There was no movement on it. Flaunting the rules meant lines and if you argued, detention. When my year group got to year 10, so 14/15 the school finally made a polo shirt. And the whole school body rejoiced!

I think schools should consider relaxing the rules for high schools in summer. They have summer uniform in primary so why not in high school.

[Essexmum69]

My local secondary school has the most ridiculous summer uniform I have ever come across: the pupils are allowed to swap their WHITE shirts (with clip on tie) for a BLACK polo shirt. Where were the physics teachers when that idea was suggested?

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Ds1 spent three years at a selective grammar school, with a strict uniform, and the boys had to ask permission of the class teacher to take off their blazers - and some of them used to refuse, despite being in shirt sleeves and open collars themselves.

[PourquoiTuGachesTaVie]

My school tie never made any difference to how hot I was. A short sleeved shirt and tie was fine.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Thanks goodness ds's secondary school has a summer uniform, if he had to wear a blazer he'd be having nose bleeds every five minutes! His middle school used to inform the children when it was hot enough to take off their jumpers

[OpalQuartz]

At the senior school my dd will go to they have a polo shirt in the summer term thankfully. In autumn and spring term they have to wear jumper and blazer over a revere collar shirt, so I'm hoping we don't have a hot September!

There's a tie at her primary school from year one, which they've been told they don't need to wear for the rest of the week.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

classrooms.get hot and stuffy.

I remember the days when kids would literally drop like flies. I will be contesting any nonsense blazers rules on medical grounds for dd if she goes to a secondary that enforces jumpers or blazers at all times.

It's really unfair I think. How can they concentrate if they are sweating in polyester blazers.

ties should be removed if need be too.

[rainbowjoy]

At my ds secondary they were allowed Blazers and ties off yesterday, head puts a notice up. Boys will never wear short sleeved shirts though but roll up their long sleeved ones! Sports day today so went in t shirt, shorts and P20!

[Gileswithachainsaw]

All these "notices" would anger me beyond belief. who are they to decide when it's hit enough. Kids will all feel heat differently. so some will be sweltering far sooner than others.

It's nothing more than a power trip

[RiverTam]

Can someone explain to me about Blazers, I have never understood what they are for. At my school (private) there was a blazer but no-one ever wore it, you just wore your own coat which went in the cloakroom at the start of the day. You certainly never wore anything over a jumper during the day itself. Why would you? I don't wear a coat or jacket at work.

I remember watching Grange Hill and always being baffled at the fuss over Blazers.

[RiverTam]

Agree, giles, the more I read about uniform the more I thank god DD is in a non-uniform school (though she's in primary). A series of arbitrary petty rules that, afaik, have zero bearing on outcome.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

What's worse is round here alot of uniforms seem to keep changing. so they insist on all this regulation stuff which of course costs hundreds then change it so more expense.

blazers don't look that smart if I'm honest. they often look faded and ill fitting and all that polyester must be torturous for the kids.

I'd have a drs note down the school before you could say "detention"

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I suspect that blazers are part of the whole 'smart uniform leads to higher standards of behaviour and learning' thing, RiverTam.

But when we moved up to Scotland, ds1 and ds2 moved from selective grammars, with blazers, to a school where they had the option of blazers, but could also wear a fleece or sweatshirt, or a cardigan or zipped jumper, or a v-necked jumper - as long as there was no hood, and the tie was visible, that was fine - and I didn't see any deterioration in either their behaviour or their academic achievement.

And I thought it was a far more sensible policy - ds1's school blazer had been dry-clean only, which was stupid, for an item of clothing for an 11-year-old - and ds2's blazer, whilst washable, was eye-wateringly expensive, as I found out when dh sponged off some custard ds2 had spilt on it, then tried to iron it dry, and burnt a big iron mark into the front. So ds2 needed a new blazer, less than one term into senior school, and just before christmas - at the never-to-be-forgotten price of £45!!

Whereas I could get black fleeces for next to nothing in ASDA or primark, and they washed up a treat if they got dirty. Far, far more practical!

[iseenodust]

DS said last night they had been allowed to leave blazers off all day, tie off & top shirt button undone. Very sensible approach.

[RiverTam]

The sensible approach would be for people to be able to wear what they feel most comfortable in for the conditions. I expect to be able to go this as an adult and I struggle to understand why children can't do the same. I would be very unimpressed if I had to wait for permission to remove my cardie ffs.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

agreed river

unless they are a police officer or fire fighter where they have to wear protective clothing it's nothing short of barbaric to have kids sat there dripping with sweat while teacher wears a skirt and t shirt. I won't be standing fir this permission stuff. If dd needs to take off her jumper she sodding well will

[Icimoi]

Blazers are ridiculous garments for schools anyway, much too stiff and hot - even in the winter, unless the school has inadequate hearing. It is utterly ludicrous to make children wear them at all in this weather. Far too many schools waste ridiculous amounts of time on uniform policies and enforcing them: if they spent the same time on teaching children it would be much more productive. Some schools try to make out that there's a correlation between strict uniform rules and good results, but the statistics definitely prove them wrong.

[Whoregasm]

At DD's school it has to be very hot for them to be allowed to remove blazers. Luckily word came down from the HT this week that blazers do not have to be worn at the moment. However, shirt sleeves are not allowed to be rolled up and tights need to still be worn.

Thankfully they don't wear ties anyway, just rever collar shirts. Poor DD is still suffering in the heat though. She's been getting home and going straight in the shower every day this week.

[MrsUltracrepidarian]

I work in a school where blazers normally must be worn, and always in transit (inner city comp).
This week I have been recommending DC take off their blazers in my class - some have still chosen to keep them on .
What does puzzle me is how many come to school without a water bottle.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Why do they decide these stupid rules mrs ?

what good does it Do anyone. Di any of the other teachers do what you do and suggest they take them off?

what happens if medically they need to be able to take them.off whenever

[MrsUltracrepidarian]

I think most teachers do this.
I go by the rule I was given when DS1 was born and I was worried about how many layers to put on him, and was told to think about how many layers I was wearing So would never expect a child to wear more than I am, and assume they can work out for themselves if they are cold even tho' this did mean DS1 aged 7 tobogganing in only his thermals
In normal conditions the uniform rule is good, because it is impartial, applies to all. This heat is extreme and impairs learning, and as learning is the only reason we are there, I will do what I can to mitigate the effects.

[Tanaqui]

Most schools with blazers wear them instead of jumpers I think- jumpers only appear when it's freezing. Second the pp who said blazer pockets are the life support system, especially for boys who are all very cavalier with their bags- everything important is in the blazer!