Kids asked to stand for headteacher

[Worcswarrior]

So dd has just started high school. There is an expectation that the students stand up when the headteacher enters the assembly hall. Is this not a bit draconian in 2024?

Everyone should respect everyone equally, no matter their position/job. Are the children expected to stand for the caretaker? I expect not.

Same. I can’t see the problem.

Yabu.

Really can’t see the problem with this.

No it’s respectful.
Blimey, the poor little souls, having to wrench themselves to standing position every day 🙄

We always had rules about running in the corridors and making too much noise - that is reasonable.

What is unreasonable are things like instant detention for forgetting a pen or being sent to isolation for wearing the wrong socks, and the whole zero tolerance culture, expecting teenagers to be a problem, and treating them as if they are inmates and generally hateful and to have their spirits squashed not encouraged. Plus all the pressure and claptrap that is spouted to them from the word go, that if they do not get 8 GCSEs at grade 9-7 they have failed in life and will be homeless under a bridge. And that is not an exaggeration.

Plus overcrowded schools where corridors are obviously noisy and crowded to start with and just an appallingly negative and aggressive environment to attempt to learn anything. Even some primary schools are becoming like this now with ridiculous behaviour charts. Generally though DDs primary school was delightful. Then we are forced to practically throw them to the wolves at secondary level.

Seriously? Will it kill them?

My youngest DC had to do it every time a teacher walked in a room - just as I had to

Don't see the problem

The solution is simple - if you don't like the school rules/policy/procedure - homeschool. You have a choice. Unlike those poor ickle children having to go to school every day and stand up for people learning all those awful manners.

I was referring to what OP said. 🙂

I don't actually disagree with you at all tbh. I think a lot of schools are truly horrible right now and it's an extremely worrying situation. I'm just saying this particular thing is not awful for the children. There is a happy medium between draconian power plays and prison-like settings and not expecting anything at all from children, ever.

Big subject though and of course all kinds of nuance - it's a shit show atm as far as I'm concerned, for many complex reasons.

If you were in an office and the company CEO came in, which wasn't a daily or hourly occurrence, I assume you'd stand up to greet them?

Don't have an issue with it at school.

At work, no I don't stand if the CEO walks in the room. If he happens to walk past me, I'll ask him if he's alright, but that's all.

Opposing view?

I agreed with the OP

We had to stand if any member of class entered a room.

Normal comprehensive.

Not normal at all IME. I've never known anyone stand for a CEO either, or anyone in work for that matter unless you're greeting them, and I've worked in some very corporate /official type environments

I think its weird tbh too op and all a bit Michaela Schoolish but meh. If my DC mentioned it I'd agree it's strange kids but just go along with it 🤷‍♀️

Oh gosh, please don't ask him if he's alright! It's so woolly. What sort of response do you want? When someone says that to me I'm tempted to either say "No, I'm half left" (thanks, Mum) or start telling them about my ingrowing toenail. Say "Hello", or "Good morning".

I agree with that .

And the same with workplaces.

The best schools and workplaces are where everyone is treated with respect.

Having recently interviewed school leavers I was surprised by the amount of them who didn’t stand to greet me if they were already seated and looked bewildered when I offered my hand to shake. I’m therefore supportive of schools teaching these expectations, even if they are becoming a bit ‘old fashioned’.

Which is why we greet them with a Good Morning and stand to welcome them into the lesson. There needs to be a culture of respect, which includes everyone.

Not sure what the problem is respect and manners are a good thing.

That's great Isolde!

It shows respect, I still call my old deputy head Sir whenever I see him.

What a weird thing to be bothered about! Course they should stand up, what on earth is the issue? Perhaps you think they should be all sat there looking at their phones with headphones on??

Our kids school does the same. My old school in the 90s didn’t, we still respected our Headteacher.

I’m in two minds.

I think it is a bizarre British ritual that harkens back to class structure and teaching the peasants their place.

In primary school assembly we had to sit cross legged with our finger on our lips to let the Head know we'd noticed them and were ready to listen. In secondary school it was stand up in silence and wait to be told to sit down. This is standard crowd control as much as it is a show of respect.

All fine by me. People have to know they should tune their behaviour according to the setting, and you've got to learn it somewhere.

We were expected to stand for visitors. The lab techs, caretakers, cleaners etc weren't visitors but were treated with more respect than the teachers.

We were expected to stand for the head but not the deputy heads. The head rarely taught a class while the deputy heads did teach classes.

Though we did get the head teaching us some study skills for 2 hours a week for 2 terms one year. In that class we didn't have to stand.