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?

This is a good part of the reason why DD16 has left school and decided on going to a more relaxed college instead. She hated the strict and pointless uniform rules and so did I.

[quote toomuchlaundry]@godmum56 I wonder if they were like the blazers we had at school, very thick material, not like the thin machine washable ones most schools have nowadays[/quote]
yes they were, not amazingly thick but wool flannel liked with a silky lining

At my secondary school we were never allowed to take them off and would have to wear them on the way to and from school
And if we were found to not be wearing full uniform till we got home , we would get detention

• and they were thick heavy blazers too

With a shirt and a tie !

I think it's ridiculous that things are still like this.

I remember when I was at secondary school, we were allowed to take our blazers off, but the school much preferred us not to. I remember when they suggested that we wore them in the corridors going between lessons so we were in keeping with the uniform policy, then we were allowed to take them off when we were inside the classroom, but we had to put them back on again before we left to go to the next lesson.

The other things were we had to wear them during assembly regardless of the weather. And the thing they made the most fuss over was that every student had their blazer on to enter the school and to leave the school, more to go in. They wouldn't let you in if you didn't have it on. You could take it off once you were inside, but they made anyone not already doing so put their blazer on to walk through the door, then if they wanted they could then take it off again. And we had to have them on to enter the exam hall for every exam, and ideally to leave it as well.

I hated my blazer so I only wore it when I had no choice. Every day I'd put it on, walk through the door, then take it straight off. Same for assembly and exams. Was the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. They said it was about representing the school in a positive manner. I never understood the point of it at all, I just thought it's a door, I'm sure the door won't be offended by me not wearing my blazer to walk through it.

Teacher here who also thinks it's crazy. Also tells kids to take them off without asking in my class. I am also completely disinterested in problem shoes, nails, nose piercings, hair...I am there to teach the kids, in my view. However, one year, the school actually monitored which teachers gave out the least uniform 15 min detentions! I still didn't bother...I'm still there

Why do people mind that they have to ask? My son came back from school yesterday saying he had to do this and I just said oh really, rather than go mad with rage and rant about it.

@Fizbosshoes

Funnily enough while the schools publish their uniforms on websites, it is not neccessarily clear whether they make sensible allowances in hot (or cold) weather. And as *@Totallydefeated* says many many people (unless opting for private school) dont get a choice of school.

Exactly. I would expect a uniform policy to cover the type and colour of clothes allowed, any banned items, eg branded, trainers, hair colour, piercings etc but surely it does not give a list and say that all items are compulsory at all times?

Same for my eldest - they also have to be in full uniform in and out of the school unless permission is given! He has a 2 mile walk there, and a 2 mile walk back. Shirt, tie, thick wool jumper, heavy school bag and pe kit. It hasn't bothered him so far, but even in 27 degrees today they only declared it an official summer day in the afternoon (and he still didn't take off his jumper)! He has a full bottle of water for each walk and sticks to the shade. Stupid, stupid rule

Is this school or military training? I suppose if you need to prepare for a situation where stopping to take your coat off might get you shot it would be reasonable, but otherwise, what is wrong with a person wearing a weather appropriate amount of clothing. So shirt sleeves in high summer, jumpers and blazers only if its cooler. You're still wearing the uniform after all.

What do they do in wet weather? Blazers aren't waterproof. Can they wear a coat instead, is there a uniform coat, or do they just get wet and cold and then you have to dry the blazer for the next day?

But I don't understand this blind following of rules that serve no purpose and make no sense. Where does this rule come from and who's ever going to know if it's not enforced?

My employer does it. We're public sector but very niche and our operations are mostly commercial. We still have to follow certain public sector rules and systems, but no-one outside our immediate department ever looks/checks so we're basically spending time keeping various records and undertaking a load of irrelevant mandatory training for no reason at all, except that 'it's what we're told to do' and there's a vague fear of 'an audit' that in reality never happens.

Asking to remove blazers was something I had to do when I was at school. It's definitely not a new thing, but I do agree it's ridiculous.
The only thing I remember from my french class is how to say "please can I remove my jacket?"!

It was a stupid, pointless, disruptive rule when I was at school.
It was still a stupid, pointless, disruptive rule when I was teaching. I always gave blanket permission to remove them at the start of the lesson. Who wants to be disturbed up to 30 times by individual requests to remove an uncomfortable garment?

Fortunately while my school had formal uniform it was before the era when to survive into management, a prediliction towards being a tin-pot dictator was advantageous, and I managed the majority of the blazer years lugging the stupid thing around, screwed up in thd end of my Head bag with little bother. I have always found formal jackets that otherwise fit to be too tight in the shoulders to be able to comfortably move to perform actions such as writing.
People learn when they are comfortable.

@flashpaper

Asking to remove blazers was something I had to do when I was at school. It's definitely not a new thing, but I do agree it's ridiculous. The only thing I remember from my french class is how to say "please can I remove my jacket?"!

Est-ce je peux en-lever ma veste?

This was also a thing when I went to school. On hot days the headmaster had been known to wait in the street a few min walk away from school in case anyone had the nerve to take their blazer off on the way home!

It’s to turn out blindly obedient little workers isn’t it? Most important lesson they want to teach is ‘know your place’. I would be so angry with this rule, luckily never heard of it where I live.

I suppose it's meant to help children respect their uniform and that they can't modify it whenever they like without asking.

Not sure how I feel about it but I can kind of see the point. We had to ask back when I was at school and I never found it particularly taxing. In heatwaves teachers would often just tell us we didn't need to wear them or there would be a blanket pause on that rule.

@Darkchocolateandcoffee

Why do people mind that they have to ask? My son came back from school yesterday saying he had to do this and I just said oh really, rather than go mad with rage and rant about it.

Because it’s not a case of asking once in the morning and then blazer off. It has to be worn on the journey to school, for assembly then to the first lesson before you can ask that teacher to remove it. It then has to go back on at the end of the lesson for the walk to the next classroom and queuing outside in the sun before you can be seated and ask the next teacher to remove it. That was what my DD found difficult anyway. DS’s school are far more relaxed. His form tutor suggested they all those who were still wearing them put their blazers in their bags and there they stayed until he got home.

07:16onelittlefrog

I suppose it's meant to help children respect their uniform and that they can't modify it whenever they like without asking.

Taking a blazer off isn't 'modifying' their uniform?

@VashtaNerada

That’s ridiculous, I teach Year 2 and if a child asks to take their jumper off the response is “of course, you don’t have to ask!” Why should older children be any different? I bet the teachers hate that stupid rule too.

A lot of secondary kids don't like wearing blazers. They're a little different to primary school jumpers - more restrictive, less comfortable.

If they didn't have to ask to take them off, they might just never wear them/ bring them to school at all.

I don't know if I agree with the whole concept of uniform at all, but if a school has a uniform policy which requires blazers I can kind of see why they would do this.

It's silly in hot weather though - when it's 25 degrees+ they should just tell all kids they don't need to bring their blazers to school until it's cooler.

Is it because it could be used as an excuse to faff around and procrastinate 🤷‍♀️?
I also think it’s absolutely ridiculous We had the same rules at our secondary school. Nothing like the real world..

I feel sorry for these kids. My son only left school two years ago but he never had this. No blazers at his school and in the summer he could just wear his polo shirt (branded or non branded) and some shorts. They took a fairly relaxed approach to uniform so it seemed.

I think all the uniform rules are crazy, DS's blazer is made of recycled fucking plastic bottles, yea like that is breathable

At his Primary we had a really condescending letter about the importance of smart uniform preparing them for the world of work and how they need to be smart etc

I so wanted to reply ... well they could be teachers

Disclaimer most of the teachers at DS's school looked like they had been dragged through a hedge and that's before we start on the one with too tight leggings showing off her crotch

It's control. It's the constant subliminal messaging that you will do as you are told etc. Well, I hope kids do the sensible thing and take it off if it's hot.

My dd started secondary a few days ago. In the line a couple boys took their blazer of and the head of year started shouting at them " how dare you embarrss me infront of all year 7s" for a start why shoutvatva year 7 on their first day. Also kids have been able to remove their jumper or what ever since they were 3/4 years old now they suddenly need to ask and often get told no

My school had this rule too and that was 20 years ago. I still don’t know the reason behind it. Didn’t realise it was still a thing- seems ridiculous and archaic

Glad they don’t have blazers at my child’s high school.

When I was at school we'd have had a ball with this nonsense.

"Miss, can I take my blazer off?"
Two minutes later, another kid .... "Miss, can I take my blazer off? "
Two minutes later... "Miss..?"

Repeat x30 kids.
Bell rings for end of lesson, nothing has been done due to constant interruptions.
Kids file out of class, putting blazers back on as they go.

Next class..Off we go again.... "Miss..?"

Blazer policy swiftly revoked!!!