I love a good illogical school rule!

[TheNightingalesStarling]

The email has come out. They don't need to wear blazers today due to weather.. on buses, in corridors, in lessons etc

However... they must carry it at all times. No leaving it home or in their lockers!

I know it doubles as a pencil case for many of them but would the world implode if they safely left them at home?

Absolutely
At my school we were allowed to wear a cardigan rather than a jumper in 6th form! Tan tights instead of fawn socks.

Skirt, blouse, jumper, summer dress, blazer, gabardine raincoat.

The summer dress from a length of fabric - pattern of choice.

Everyone knew who was well off. Girls with dressmaker made dresses were distinct from home-made. Sensible shoes came from Russel & Bromley, Dolcis or Freeman Hardy and Willis.

I also find it incredibly frustrating when children are held to a higher standard than the adults teaching them.

I don't particularly care what the staff are wearing but it does feel odd that the person in short sleeves, open neck, no jacket, is depriving a child of their education by putting them in internal exclusion for not obeying the blazer, top button/tie rule.

It's wrong for staff to be put in that position.

I've never worn a uniform for either primary or secondary... it was quite normal not to wear uniform when I was at school. Can't understand why it's so important these days!

We had a summer and winter uniform for both boys and girls but blazers had to be worn when travelling to and from school, regardless of the temperature. Our blazers weren’t the washable, lightweight variety available these days, they were wool mix fabric - very hot and dry clean only!
I must admit, I think a uniform is representative of a school but there does seem to be some crazy rules at some schools. I just hope the staff are well versed in what to do if pupils start collapsing from heat stroke.

My favourite is days where they wear a strange combo of uniform on top or bottom with sport/home clothes then carry not worn uniform in a bag that no teacher has time or cares for them to change into after the activity. Primary.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous that some schools mentioned on here won't let the students decide when to wear a jumper or blazer or not. It's just not on. Everyone feels heat and cold differently so it should be up to the individual to decide when they take a jumper off in hot weather or put it back on or wear it with a blazer if they feel cold.
None of this shite makes any difference to their learning and in fact making kids where jumpers or blazers when they feel too hot is just going to make them tetchy and unable to concentrate.

I also find it incredibly frustrating when children are held to a higher standard than the adults teaching them.

Why ? It's a definite preparation for real life.

I can only assume stupidity or insanity, or a deliberate desire to teach kids that authority figures are stupid and petty, and that they should break the rules (laws) at all times to be stupid and petty back in response.

I hope it is stupidity or insanity, because if they are doing it to create natural rebels they are psychopathic

I realised the other day how controlling this is. I remember hearing it when I was at school. People say it about unhealthy governments too...

My sons school have said they can wear PE shorts (but not PE top, still must wear shirt and tie.) they did away with school branded PE shorts last year so now the boys are walking around in smart shirts and tie and Nike sports shorts and look ridiculous. They’re allowed to wear trainers too all year as long as they’re black so they look like they’ve got half changed for PE and then gone about their day. I think either let them wear PE kit or stipulate smart school shorts.

Picked non uniform schools because this is absolutely ridiculous

Omg is this primary or secondary

But she's right...

I remember in Covid times our school did away with uniforms. It was so much nicer as the children could wear comfy weather appropriate clothing.

I used to be more supportive of the fashion parade argument. I still see some merit but don't see why the "equalising" uniforms have to be so cumbersome and unpleasant.

Why do children have to look 'smart'? Notwithstanding that poorly-fitted polyester clothing, 1in long fat knot ties and school shirts/pleated skirts that aren't designed to fit female bodies can look scruffier than, say, a properly fitting pair of jeans and sweatshirt?

Sixth where they mandate what they fondly believe office workers wear. The fact that office workers haven't dressed like that since the 1980s doesn't register neither does the fact that collared blouses can be rarer than hens teeth if not the right time of year or if currently in vogue. Non matching skirts and jackets not allowed either.

Why have the second part at all?

Pupils don't have to wear blazers as it's warm. That's it.

Or better still leave it up to pupils to choose whether they wear a blazer at any time when they are in school depending on how hot or cold they feel themselves.

Or better still don't have blazers as no-one wears a blazer in real life.

Better still have a uniform which is comfortable and designer around active wear so kids can run about in it and don't have to get changed for PE.

Better still don't have a uniform like schools in 99% of the world.

What are schools preparing you, only a career in the military or NHS? Hardly anyone wears a uniform at work.

Hardly anyone even wears a tie.

Modern schools: preparing you for life. Life in the 1950s.

I remember being at sixth form college with no uniform and in the height of grunge. How gloriously scruffy we were. While getting excellent A-Levels and being well prepared for university.

Just for interest we let our students (large state secondary) ‘choose’ their own uniform with a democratic vote involving the whole school. I can’t remember what choices or restrictions they were given tbh but what I do recall very clearly was that they decided heavily in favour of a blazer for both girls and boys. As the students had chosen the uniform, we had very few issues implementing it. Prior to that, we had been through years of them wearing a sweatshirt which the students generally hated.

If schools insist on keeping uniforms then there should be national rules that they all have to follow:

No blazers - they're pointless and useless in winter.

No ties - they are a patriarchal throwback that have no place in the modern world.

Only jumpers to have logos. No ridiculously priced skirts, trousers, PE tops etc with logos.

Jumpers can be removed by the pupil at any time. Teachers aren't forced to wear jumpers on boiling hot days so why is it ok for kids? You have PHSE lessons about bodily autonomy and then conflicting nonsense like that.

PE kits consist of shorts and t shirts. No expensive rugby tops or pointless long socks. And no fecking gym knickers.

I guarantee that if these rules were in place, schools would see no drop in exam results, because, you know, a blazer and a tie does not make one suddenly good at maths.

I really hate daft school rules. My daughter's school is quite strict but they are allowing pe kit to be worn this work instead of the normal school uniform. Anything that keeps the students feeling more comfortable can only help their learning.

Ha! Same here. I was a proper goth at my sixth form college. There wasn't any uniform there, and none of these daft rules about "office style wear". Got straight A's and went off to University. Went straight into work after graduation and have never been unemployed.

The idea that clothes can have such an impact is ridiculous!

As someone from a country where uniforms have never been the norm - they don't exist - I disagree.

Uniforms are much cheaper, easier to wash and sort and no battles about 'what to wear'.

I agree totally ridiculous. Thankfully my children’s school see sense and usually say they can wear their PE kit on hots days - no blazers in sight. Why can’t all schools be this sensible.