Asking permission to remove school blazer - why?

[MyMushroomsInATimeSlip]

DS had started secondary school this week and now has to ask permission to remove his blazer when he's hot.

Have great respect for teachers as it's not a job I could ever do and generally back up school rules. However I genuinely cannot understand the reason for this one. Can someone enlighten me?

@maddy68

To instill manners

Please can you elaborate? I really cannot see the link. Do you think that in countries where uniforms and blazers are not compulsory, young people inevitably turn into barbarians?

IMO all these bizarre rules achieve is:
A. Wasting everyone's time. And remember time is money.
B. Fostering rebellion and an automatic questioning of authority in kids. Which is not necessarily a bad thing I guess.

Same at my kids school.
It's ridiculous.

Someone told me in my teacher training meeting that strict rules are used when the kids have really challenging behaviour. Therefore the children with behaviour issues are to busy fighting over the rules about blazers, hair styles and what colour pen to use instead of challenging more understandable rules like, not being late to lesson or destroying school property. Because a challenging, strong-willed child will always want to battle against the grown-ups in charge.

So maybe there is an element of that.

My overriding memory of my first ever French class is the horror of having to ask this in French :o

It's weird though isn't it? I'd never really thought about it before but how odd. I have the feeling it was only enforced in Y7 maybe Y8. At upper ends of the school the rule was we had to wear them to enter and exit the school (on the way etc) to "uphold the school image" but could take them off in classrooms. And when it was really hot we were allowed to not wear them. Girls also had the option of a summer blouse without tie (this made the boys bitterly jealous - their summer shirt was short sleeved but required a tie!)

I keep on checking this thread in the hope that someone knows the reason.

@BananaPB

I think it’s a grass roots thing! Go hard on the minor things and the bigger things follow.

So the schools I’ve worked in with the strictest uniform policy are those who are really struggling with managing behaviour.

It’s such nonsense. It makes schools look really stupid too.

@Tinabn

Could be part of a general risk assessment, if you have to evacuate the room 25-30 blazers add to trip hazards. They are also frequently left behind, just as frequently unnamed and a bugger to reunite with the correct owner.

Utter bollocks. They just put them on the back of their chairs.

I suppose if you have a sensible teacher, they can turn a blind eye to rules like this that make no sense, after all, a student who is too hot is not in a good place to learn.

In may and June when it’s was baking my dd’s secondary school only allowed them NOT to wear their blazers for 2 days when the temp was over 30!!! The kids sweated , bloody ridiculous

Could be part of a general risk assessment, if you have to evacuate the room 25-30 blazers add to trip hazards.

I didn’t need a coat at all today. It was 26 degrees. Maybe on hot days they should just leave it at home? Or maybe they need to have a jumper instead, that can be easily stored in their bags?

You should be allowed to keep yourself cool on a hot day. It’s a basic human need. Like going to the toilet and drinking water.

DS has to ask, or the teacher will just say at the start of the lesson if it's hot. They are never refused so I don't see the point. They have to wear them walking between classes, I guess that means they are never left behind in classrooms.

I was at school in the 90's and we could only take our blazer off if it had been declared a 'blazerless day' for the whole school. Batshit, but we never thought to question it. Maybe that was what they were trying to instill - never question the powers that be.

We have this rule but also with jumpers! Erm, teachers, any of you wearing a jumper and blazer in this heat? Absolutely no common sense applied whatsoever.

when i was at school, only fifth formers were allowed to wear blazers about the school and during lessons. it was a perk of seniority.
though they didn't have to. had choice.
everyone else had to leave them in cloakrooms, so only worn travelling to/ from school, or during official outings.
i think this modern idea should be challenged, perhaps on welfare/ health&safety grounds, or possibly human rights.

Like a PP, today DS did in fact have to ask in French in his first French class. Apparently everyone in the class had to ask separately in French and it took 30 minutes before everyone had their blazers off . Hope that phrase comes in handy when they next visit France...

DS says some teachers were fine and just told them at the start if the class to take them off if they wanted.

My friend taught in a boys school and said in the summer when they came into the classroom and took off their blazers it stunk!

I'm one of those people who is always cold. I'm currently sitting in my garden in a t shirt and I'm still plenty warm enough.

I can't imagine how uncomfortable being in a hot classroom in a blazer is.

Ours have to officially all permission to take their blazers off and I often forget at this time of year that new classes don't know that I have a blanket policy of "yes of course take your blazer off".

I have no answer to why they are supposed to ask before taking it off. It's barmy to me, but I don't know any teacher in my school who would ever say no.

@MrsWooster

Watching with interest: ds started today and asked to remove his blazer and was told no, despite 27 degree heat and the fact that it’s their induction day and the rest of the school aren’t even in.

I told a student today to take off his blazer if he wanted to (he didn't though!) as he was the only one wearing one. But yes - our school rule is that they have to ask first - but I have never said no!

I am a secondary teacher and I have never understood this rule. I always say to my class in their first lesson that if they are hot they can remove their blazer, it is not worth interrupting the lesson to ask!

I never knew about this, so I asked my dc. He says it depend on the teacher. Some teacher he needs to ask for permission. Some don't.

It's really silly, imo. I'm foreign, and my country has strict uniform rules. But nothing about when to wear or take off. You can even go to school without blazer if it's hot. You are not allowed to wear something which doesn't meet uniform regulation, but you can certainly take it off according to weather.

Another thing I never knew about England and find it very weird through foreign person's eye.

Just why?

It's constant control. Just email school or tell your children to take the blazer off. The whole rigid rule thing with uniform needs an overhaul completely. I agree with uniform but these people take it to another level. They love rules and have zero common sense.

The children become subdued with all this bullshit inflicted on them. Perhaps it's time to give them their spirit back and say no to bollocks.

It's a silly rule, I teach and at the beginning of each year I tell my classes that they have blanket permission to remove their blazers in my class if they want to. I don't want or need constant interruptions and I certainly wouldn't ever say no.

It was 34 degrees in my classroom this afternoon and I had to force (sorry persuade) my class to take their blazers off. I was sweating and could stand seeing them in their blazers. Some kept them on. They’re a difficult bunch.

Just to add, I find it odd that those that want to take their blazers off in class ask tbh. They always do. I answer ‘of course you can’. I also tell them to drink water.
I wish I had air con.