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.

@Gall10 @KnopkaPixie
Raise your navy/green knickers for grey ones

Girls boarding school in the 90s. The student leadership petitioned for the right to wear Birkenstocks as official school footwear and won. The stipulation was that we had to wear them with school issued white socks. They were comfortable and we DGAF how we looked, so totally rocked my Birkenstocks with my white socks and my school uniform everyday thereafter.

Where to start?

We had to kneel on the floor in the hall. If your skirt didn’t touch the floor, you were sent home to change. It had to be a regulation school skirt, no trousers.

Had to stand when an adult entered the room, and remain standing in silence until they gave you permission to sit down.

Had to walk down the corridors in single file, again in silence.

Had to have school regulation everything - every uniform item (including socks), school apron, school bag and PE bag, school scarf, even a school cookery basket (which we were forced to have).

All our school books (exercise and text books) had to be ‘backed’. Usually in wallpaper but sometimes in an emergency cover of ‘Smash Hits’.

To be fair, it worked. We never had any discipline problems in our school. You’d get detention for any infringement on the above so nobody dared do anything worse.

Until I was in the 4th year, the registers were listed in DOB order. I was the oldest pupil in my class. One class, there were only 5 boys v 27 girls. Myself and the four next oldest girls were boy/girl/boy/girl

Then when the registers were done in alphabetical order, being a W, I sat next to girls! Think there were 8 boys then.

I would have got my parents to write a letter to excuse me that week or hopefully if final lesson of the day, make some excuse such as dental appointment and leave early!

That is discrimination against those with asthma and other conditions which affect the ability to run for 12 minutes. I am fit in other areas but not my lungs

when were in last year of primary and were practising for our 11 plus each week we would sit a practice paper then every Monday we would sit according to our results so top table with about ten on from top to bottom middle table the same and bottom table not only were they called these humiliating names but each and every Monday when previous week's test results came out you would have to move according to your result you might only be move two spaces up or down but everything had to come out of your desk and be moved along cue at least an hour of chaos every week while everyone moved and the humiliation for those at the bottom of the class. this was in the early 80s

on a similar theme there would be tests st the end of every year in juniors and the teachers would call out who was first second etc right down to who was 30th ie last how humiliating you stood up when she called your name how humiliating again this was in the late 70s early 80s so every kid knew exactly where everyone had come in the yearly tests

Not allowed to wear coats indoors.

Not allowed to have your backpack on your shoulders.

So literally walking round with armfuls of stuff, especially on PE days. Sixth form prefects would pull your heavy bags off your shoulders.

Awful. Especially hard for an already anxious 11 year old.

Another in senior school we have three bands according to ability Blue top green middle red bottom we had one teacher who used to make us recite brilliant blues grotty greens and rubbishy reds how awful imagine that today

I was an early developer and had a woman's body and periods by 12. My bottle green gym knickers, even in the biggest size would pinch the tops of my thighs till sore and bleeding. Add in the massive mattress pads when on periods and the new spider pubes poking out i had no idea to deal with and you can imagine how much I loved pe.

Part Michelin man, part gruffalo, chafing and sore being forced to climb ropes and ladders while trying to look attractive to the lads.

That was nothing but a humiliation ritual.

I sometimes wonder if most PE teachers were trying to put as many people off the subject as possible. Cross country was the worst for most of the girls, but there was the main course and a short course which could be walked, which, as a lifelong asthmatic, l was allowed to do each time. The problem was that cross country days were always ad hoc and dependent on the weather. Not whether it was a dry day - the very opposite. They were always done in the wet, muddy winter months and often in sleet because it was too dangerous to do hockey or netball, but it would have been totally wimpish to do PE indoors. Strangely enough, many girls claimed that they needed to join me on the short course. One or two girls suddenly had colds or headaches but, of course, the vast majority made the excuse that they had their periods. I think some girls had their periods every time we had cross country.

We used to have a supply teacher who would not allow you to rest your head on your hands, or have elbows on the table.

The worst was a PE teacher who would make us line up for the shower naked (we had to put towel on a hook). She kept a register of our periods (could be excused from showering), but she would ask for proof we were still on if it was twice in one week. We had to show her a bloody pad. This was in the 90s. I really hope this sort of stuff is not acceptable now.

Still get flashbacks to “cross country”. It’s like it was designed to be cruel.

• done in the worst weather months Nov and feb/ always horribly muddy so your shoes and legs caked in mud/followed by grim showers where you had to be naked in front of everyone else whilst being shouted at by a games teacher.

You were allowed to sit out if you had your period. I started really early but had told no one so never dared announce I was on and sit out. Remember the stress of being on my period trying to hide it.

Remember absolutely dreading it. Only years 7 and 8 did it I reckon because older kids would rebel and would refuse to do it.

At assemblies and school concerts we were required to provide a round of applause on occasion, but we were only allowed to use two fingers of one hand to clap into the palm of the other. It was the quietest clapping you ever heard.

I recently heard a primary school head give the mother of all tellings-off to one particular form for not clapping in assemblies!