Wear wellies to school to support farmers?

[GrumpyDullard]

My DC's school sent out a message this afternoon to say all kids should wear wellies to school tomorrow to support British farmers. I googled it and found out it's a campaign to oppose the removal of the inheritance tax exemption from agricultural land.
We're a rural community so a lot of parents will support the campaign, which is fair enough, but it seems wrong to force everyone's kids to take part in a protest against the government without even explaining what it's about. I'm afraid my DC will stand out if they're not in wellies, but I don't want to take part in this.

While I actually broadly support Farmers I would not allow my child to be part of a political protest

I don't see the point personally...will anyone actually know why they are doing it? And its hardly going to make a difference is it?

Why do schools do such last minute requests? Living in the country there’s the assumption that all kids will have wellies but there’s always some who have grown out of them and haven’t got round to replacing them yet. And are they even allowed to do political things?

Then flex your backbone OP, and dont be a sheep.

Ffs if school is open tomorrow mine will need to go in wellies due to the snow

Ridiculous

Weird that they’re saying all kids should rather than kids can if they want to! Your kids won’t be the only ones not in wellies, if that’s what they’d rather.

That’s unbelievable that schools would do that! It’s a very political point and they shouldn’t be telling kids to do it when they don’t understand that 🙄

It will be bloody uncontrollable for them to wear wellies all day, even if a protest at school was a sensible thing. Did they do something to support the doctor’s strikes, or train drivers, or nurses etc etc. How stupid!

Or child poverty? Or education cuts? Or SEN?

State schools are meant to be politically neutral. There should be no promotion of politics if either side. Against teaching standards. They are supposed to be impartial.

I think that's a bit daft - far more effective to stand outside your house at 8:00 p.m. on a Thursday and clap or bang a horseshoe with a wooden spoon.

I agree, this is too political for school.

Fucking hell I’ve heard it all now. What a load of bollocks.

Hell would freeze over before I would let my children support a bunch of wealthy landowners masquerading as farmers to avoid their fair share of tax. The absolute shame of it 😡

That’s ridiculous. I would ignore it.

I'm glad others agree it's wrong.
I've re-read the email and it says "We're inviting all children..." so it's an invite rather than a demand. But there's nothing to explain that's it actually part of this national campaign.
Another mum has just messaged me to say she's not sending her kid in wellies, so at least I know my DC won't be alone.

Uproar on our local Facebook group that our school has not asked children to take part in this. Saying the school doesn’t support local farmers and anyone who doesn’t send their children to school in wellies does not support local farmers and shame on them. It’s so unfair. We can support local farmers without supporting the fact that they can no longer continue to benefit from a massive tax loophole.

We are rural and have farming family background. I agree, you cannot possibly be expected to support every bloody cause. We send food to the foodbank at Harvest Festival. Back in the day it used to go to elderly neighbours. A tin of peaches does the job if you can't afford owt else.

Thankfully our school has been great with these things in recent years. No Christmas jumper day (just Christmas accessory day, so wear a bit of tinsel or whatever) and also no uniform day for Children in Need rather than Spotty stuff or Pudsey ears etc.

Our school is in a relatively affluent area. However, as a member of the PTA I'm aware of the fact that we raised a grand total of £90 for Children in Need this year from a school of 400 pupils, so either folk still can't afford these constant asks, or they are just too busy and fatigued to remember what 'special' day it is.

And if you don't own any wellies are people going to read that as a signal that you do support it regardless what your viewpoint actually is?

Also, dd's wellies are always muddy (sort of the point of them), so the school carpets are going to be horrible afterwards.

You have to fight your way past regiments of Range Rovers to get to the school gates at pick up and drop off. It's a very well off area and very cliquey. I've lived here for years but will always be an outsider, a liberal leftie from the city, so I often keep my opinions to myself, to avoid causing problems for my kids.
But I've emailed the headteacher to complain now. So there!

Well done OP. I'm not easily outraged, but I am a bit about this.

@GiveMeVodkaPlease Thanks.

I've searched "wear wellies to school" on Facebook and there are loads of schools taking part. Some are even asking parents for a contribution to the campaign! I suppose at least they're being honest that it is part of a political campaign, unlike our school.