To tell the school my child will NOT go to detention..

@Drfosters

Tucking in a shirt is not going to lead to health issues.

Its not even dressed like being in an office, all but the most serious of office roles allow some deviance from shirt, tie and trousers, and the vast majority which do still require that are in areas which have decent air con.

I would be questioning why the teacher was such an arse about it. Why be so strict in enforcing stupid rules when it is so hot.

And neither were you!

What was absolutely ludicrous was insisting that children wore their usual school uniform on a scorching hot day, whilst the female staff was free to waft around in summer frocks.

This made me genuinely laugh . Thank you .

Those of us in the UK all experienced the extreme weather yesterday though .

You seem to be saying as a teacher you have no autonomy to apply your common sense to relax uniform rules when students are physically suffering in front of you in a classroom because of blanket ‘management’ rules .
This system needs addressing to give teachers increased power to adapt if temperatures are abnormal . A human being can’t work effectively when physically uncomfortable.

Several pps have said up thread that they left teaching because of petty uniform rules .
I really feel we need to reflect on our obsession with school uniforms in England & ask ourselves why ( for example ) Belgium has far better educational outcomes and pupil/ student happiness whilst in school across the board without requiring them to wear it .

Only secondary schools, in my experience. But yes, it's totally ridiculous.

I teach Year 6, and every year the Heads of Year 7 at the local secondary schools come to meet the kids who are going to their school and tell them a bit about it. The first year I taught Year 6, one of these HoY7 told the kids that they'd need to ask for permission to take their blazers off in lessons. I burst out laughing, assuming he was having them on. He wasn't.

but its not just a daft rule. You are making out like it’s just her being a bit defiant and wearing earrings when she was told not to. It is one that could have serious health consequences. People go to hospital with heatstroke ( I know as it’s happened to me and it’s not much fun).

I think it sets a bad precedent to undermine the school on this. You can take up disagreeing with policy separately. The issue is being expected to comply with it and twice doing what you would prefer. Its hardly an outrageous act of defiance but if you choose to take the risk sometimes there is a consequence. And sometimes you have to take that (very mild and inconsequential) consequence on the chin. Its not a bad lesson for your daughter to learn. Or even to learn that sometimes rules seem to be daft or make no sense but we still have to rub along

This

I think both you and your daughter sound like absolutely lovely , thoughtful and sensible human beings .
She merely tried to keep herself cool whilst clad in totally unsuitable clothing imposed on her by adults who should have far more common sense and empathy. Anyone normal would find it hard to speak with perfect ‘tone ‘ in those circumstances. A good teacher should be able to recognise and acknowledge that a student is really suffering rather than issuing punishment.

I do hope she manages to be comfortable today .
Wishing you both all the very best .

Thing is - none of us were there. It sounds so reasonable on paper - untucked shirt to keep cool, forget it’s untucked and then say oh I’m sorry I forgot. This might be how it happened. Or it could be very different. Anyone who works in a high school knows how perfectly reasonable conversations end up with a lot of back chat and attitude that could have been avoided.
I would also like to add that as a teacher I have no say in the dress code, the behaviour policy or the holiday fines. That’s on management.

she broke the rules. She chose not to talk about it or to seek help before she broke the rules. She had a choice

So basically you have to get to the stage where you are ready to collapse rather than take action to prevent that? Are you really advocating that? I’m genuinely shocked by these replies.

And she was unique in the class for choosing to do so. If she felt she was going to faint she should have spoken to the teacher and gone to the nurse

Do you mean which jobs require a dress code to be followed? Almost every job.

Absolutely not true at all. I follow rules and I am none of those things. Your sweeping generalisation of people who follow the rules is completely wrong.

Well if you had read the whole quote it was an in response to another poster and an example I gave. That’s what it has to do about.

Lots of schools have banned skirts.

They can't ban skirts it discriminates against some religious groups where women do not wear trousers.

The uniform must not favour one sex or the other, which this could.

Give some examples of employment where the ridiculous rules of secondary school are relevant?

The trousers thing alone would stop me sending her in. I cannot bear trousers. I think I've worn them less than ten times as an adult. My school has a trousers options back in the 70s and my mum was so upset when I cried after the first day and begged for something else. I had to wear them for the first half term until she sourced me a second hand skirt.

I agree the uniform rule is ridiculous but she was told to tuck her shirt in and she immediately untucked it when the teacher wasn’t looking and then answered back.

Take a stand regarding uniform by all means but your dd should do the detention

I have never worked anywhere where I would be expected to wear shirt, tie and trousers, and nowhere where anyone is expected to dress like that in a boiling hot day. I’m wearing a floating dress and crocs to go into the office today. Blokes will be in short sleeved shirt or T shirts, trousers if they want but tailored or chino shorts are fine, too.

Not all employers are that stupid. Sorry that yours is. Maybe you should “answer back” about such dumb rules?

The difference being your students are acclimatised to those conditions, so of course can manage better. I can cope with 30 degree weather reasonably well, living in the south of England we are starting to get used to this weather. My family living in Australia would think nothing of these temperatures. My other family members who live in the north of scotland would find it quite unbearable - they, however, can cope with constant wind, rain and cold temperatures very well.