Crazy school rules you remember when you were at school

[Notyouthful]

At my high school, they decided to do a one way system to go around the school to lessons. For 2 months, I was on crutches and three times a week, I had lessons which were in neighbouring blocks, but in the opposite direction to the one way system. I was made to go around the whole school. Surely they could make an exception for myself and a friend (carrying bag) to go the quickest route? Never been on crutches before and since - I got tired very quickly.

When it was PE when in crutches and for another month after that and if was outside. I was made to sit on a wall, not allowed to sit on a chair. I was bored out of my mind. Once a week, the lesson was the last one of the day. My parents took me home. Much to dismay of the teachers. Well I wasn't learning anything freezing to death.

Same school. They made a block of loos for each school year. I was having extremely heavy periods - that heavy that I had to change between lessons. Some lessons changeovers were opposite side of the school to the toilets for my school year. Having to follow the one way system (see above) too. I was always late for lessons. It was embarrassing.

Another school year, I had PE on my final lesson of the week. We were expected to get changed to go home/board school bus. At the time, I was living 10 mins walk from the school. What was the point in getting changed for 10-15 mins then getting changed again? Mobile changing rooms backed onto the main road and there was a hedge with a gap which could squeeze through.

We had to have a red pen to underline dates, titles and page numbers if doing exercises from Maths or French books for example.

Another school year, I had PE on my final lesson of the week. We were expected to get changed to go home/board school bus. At the time, I was living 10 mins walk from the school. What was the point in getting changed for 10-15 mins then getting changed again? Mobile changing rooms backed onto the main road and there was a hedge with a gap which could squeeze through.

We had this rule. Only they couldn't decide so one year the rule was enforced then it wasn't and they kept flip flopping.

They also had the rule that you had to change on the break before pe. But then they realised someone would need to supervise the changing rooms and also you didn't know whether it was gun kit or hockey kit and wasted most of break finding out

Our year was always the guinea pigs for trying out new rules. Like we were the year that they always moved the goalposts on

At boarding school so lots of rules, some that I remember:

you had to fill at least 1/3-1/2 your plate with fruit, veg or salad at each meal before you added anything else to it.

you had to "bagsy" a slot for a bath and put your name on the house rota at the beginning of the week .
15 mins max. Showers were limited to 5 minutes per person inc hair washing.

you were allowed one small basket to keep your toiletries in your dorm.

If You took your own bed sheets to school they were not allowed to be white because they were the scratchy ones that the school provided for those who did not bring their own bed linen.

Lots of younger girls were voluntary dogs bodies to older girls . The school were quite happy with this arrangement at the time.

No talking in 10 minutes before lights out.

Instant after school detention if you had your top button undone even outside school on the way home.

Wool blazer had to be worn every day, regardless of the heat and in the winter nothing could be worn over or instead of.

We had to ask to take out jumpers off

At another school, we had the one way system too

Not being allowed to take off your school blazer regardless of how hot it was outside.

@Gall10 were we at the same girls grammar?

No make up. Not like we were tarting about as this was a girls grammar school in the 70's. As a ginger with blond eyelashes I defied this rule every day from the third year onwards just so I could look something like normal.
I do recall one day being dragged to the toilets to wash my mascara off trying desperately not to lose the packet of fags and box of matches that were tucked into my waistband.

No black socks or black/non-white bras allowed. Too alluring, apparently.

God yes, they made girls at our school wipe their face with a tissue and if any makeup residue was found it was detention.
Such an unbalanced power trip when you think about it. A grown man making an insecure 15 year old wash her face in a room full of classmates!

Every so often our skirts were measured, they must only be 3inches above the knee!

I remember the term before we went up from the Infants to the next door Junior School, we visited the Junior School and had a talk in the school hall from the Junior School Headmaster. This was in 1978 and most of his talk was about things that would result in us getting the slipper, such as running in the corridor. Nice welcome for 7 year olds. 😁

Same - wonder if it was the same school! Thankfully they got rid of them when I was going into 4th year.

Pupils were forbidden from eating on our way to or from school in uniform!

I had been a diabetic on insulin for 2 years by the time I started there, but naturally I knew they could not enforce this archaic rule for treating hypoglycaemia and was never an issue.

They were very particular about the schools' reputation, and when on my way home, and whilst walking down the High Street, I saw a girl from our school walking about with a very large police cone on her head, with a ver serious look on her face which I found totally hilarious!

No shiny patent shoes . They might show the reflection of your knickers and cause some unsuspecting innocent man to have indecent thoughts. The shiny shoe wearing girl was the sinner for leading the poor man astray. Ahh the good old 1960s convent school education 😠

I was beginning to think that I was going mad or was misrembering things so I googled the walk we did with school when we were in the summer term of our first year at high school (Not lived in UK for 25 years so I don't understand Year 7 etc) I was 12.

https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/walking/routes-and-maps/ullswater-way#:~:text=The%20Ullswater%20Way%20is%20a,the%20whole%20of%20Ullswater%20lake

We did the Ullswater way. 20 miles! Uphill and downhill. I did it all on a Mars bar and can only remember the sight of of the kid in front on me's boots.

I think it might have been even longer what with the up and down to the youth hostile. (Spelling intended.) Surely that's too much for a 12 year old?

No wonder I was so tired. Also, that was just the highlight of the wonderful experience. That was Day Two. We'd also yomped all over the place on Day One. Day Three, I cheated and just walked down the hill into the village instead of doing the Blair Witch Project, "Let's all lose the chidren in the woods with only a Silva compass and a badly photocopied map." orienteering exercise.

I am deliberately capitalising the letters because it was Boot Camp and every day counts in a survival situation.

Any one of us could have been trapped under a rock and had to cut our own arms off to free ourselves with the broken zip of our rucksacks like that poor man in America. And yes, we had to carry rucksacks.

It wouldn't be allowed today.

I think the one way system which my school and couple of PP's schools did was to prevent fights, being attacked by bullies.

No it just pissed us off. Think they did the lessons tables based on having to go around at least half way the school to the next lesson. Don't remember going from Design to Science - that was next to each other in the right way. It was Science to Design.

Because the boys probably wank

1971 - 78, boarding school no running on the red corridor amongst many others but they would then be too lax about some things. Weird and rather all fur coat and no knickers!

I was forced to do the bleep test for longer than I could do even I am asthmatic. For those who don't remember or never heard of it. We had a tape played and had to run between two points before the bleep was heard. The gap between bleeps shortened as test went on.

Cue me having my first asthma attack and paramedics attending. I was not the only one that week. I think the ambulance was called twice more that week. Every class that week did the bleep test, regardless of the school year you were in.

The water bottle is to stop the Stanley Cup nonsense and to stop kids bringing in drinks that aren't water because you can't see the liquid inside.

I do the bleep test once, couldn't see the point of it as I couldn't win, bor cared what my "score" could be... so i walked so slowly I missed the first bleep and then sat out.

@KnopkaPixie Love your humor and writing style!

My primary school banned any kind of hair dressing role play as a group of kids took it too far and gave each other very bad haircuts.

As an adjunct to the bleep test we also had the "Skinfold test." being pinched with a pair of pliers to see how much fat we had under the skin.
The shortest, skinniest boy in our year came out with the worst result. Then he grew about six inches in so many months.

That's science for you.

We weren't allowed to run in the playground at my primary school.

But how did you play British Bulldogs?