Most ridiculous rule when you were at school

[Anotherrungup]

I was born in the 70s. Boys weren’t allowed to wear long trousers until they were in junior school! Thermal comfort was a privilege reserved for older children! At senior school it was ‘proving’ to the teacher that you’d had a shower after games - creepy as fuck.

@Topseyt123I wonder if the teachers who regularly said “there’s no such word as can’t” saw the irony when they frequently also reeled off the things you couldn’t do as they were against rules.

Making sure uniform was appropriate for a funeral highlights that when there is a logical or understandable reason, children (and adults) will generally follow rules. The disproportionate amount of time and effort policing petty and nonsensical rules do schools no favours.

What was it about PE teachers? Why were so many so awful? I hope it’s changed now.

When I was in the 6th form, in December our head made a new rule that nobody was allowed to give Christmas presents to any other pupil. She said this was because it could put a strain on less well off families.

The school was not in a deprived area, and in any case any presents we’d been giving had all been very small and cheap.

Outcome was, we all bought more little presents than we would have anyway, even if it was just a packet of Polos, just to make our point.

The head was (inevitably!) ‘deeply disappointed!’ and everyone who had disobeyed her rule was to go to her room to confess.

There was a queue a mile long! And the whole thing made front page news in the local paper! 😂😂

I was in the Upper 6th then, so never did find out whether she tried the same again the following year. I would guess not…

We only had cold ones. Well, they were cold until the last 2 of 3 got in, at which point, they'd gone abruptly to superheated steam!

Prefects enforced the rules. Eyes everywhere.
Uniform was mandatory, having to wait until told to remove jumpers, long grey socks in first two years, then long white socks. No tights (well, it was mostly stockings then) until 1972. Skirt length was monitored by having to kneel on the floor, with no more than two inches between floor and hem. No make up, even in 6th form.
But 99% of girls went onto university, college for vocational subjects, the civil service, or banks or the like. We learnt that life had rules and sticking to them was a part of future success.

I feel bad for you. That's a lot!

I went to a secondary school after the one I spoke of that had no uniform and most people seemed to go on to become very successful indeed. So I don't really see the idea that '(unnecessary) rules should be followed' makes someone have a decent career.

I mean some jobs require uniform for safety reasons but most professional careers you just wear normal clothes nowadays? Unless you're a lawyer in court or maybe a banker in a suit.

Yes, I’d agree that times have changed but presentation in the workplace still has a power. Think of the women you’ve worked with that went places through their own efforts - I bet they all looked the part. I used to work with mostly military men and I exercised that power daily, whilst they were there in their combat pyjamas.

Girls were not allowed to whistle as it made Our Lady cry. Catholic primary in 1960’s Scotland.

Brilliant!! 🤣

I guess the industries I've worked in have been casual dress. So I never really noticed what they wore! People only really got suited and booted to see clients which wasn't that often.

Yes we had games teachers checking you'd had a shower and that was in the late 1980s.

I was incredulous about that at the time. Also that while in the top two/three years of primary school when teachers had been mindful of girls growing up fast, and we could wear shorts, tracksuit bottoms, whatever, for PE.

Then at secondary school, suddenly finding myself with a more womanly figure making me look several years older while definitely being 12 in my head, and starting my periods, then having to wear what amounted to big pants and a tiny t-shirt for games. Thanks for that.

The most unfair rule to me was entire class detentions. I never remotely contributed to whatever had gone on.

I got caught smoking at the rear of the lacrosse pitches and was given detention for every break and all apart from 15 minutes of lunch being sent to sit in the library. To this day I see this as when I started to fully read and enjoy.

We had to wear our very distinctive corduroy berets when travelling to and fro from school. You'd get told on if you were seen without it.
It was a tradition after one's last day to walk down to the town pier (not far from school) and chuck it off the end into the sea 😁.

Whole class punishments! This still happens! As well as being unfair and an indication of poor teaching style, it completely negates the message about not giving in to peer pressure!

I agree with the developing bodies comment too - some primary schools seem much more sensible around this than secondary schools.

Ah, whole class detentions... I had one and didn't go. I was late in, after the dentist and didn't know about it till later on. We always had after school detentions the next day.

Mrs. Harris grabbed me the morning after and shouted at me and told me I had to do 2. I told her the first was unfair, but she wouldn't budge and neither would I.

I got sent to the deputy head and put on a report card, despite him more or less agreeing with it. I threw it in the bin and my mother was called in.

I stood outside the office, as they had a blazing row and then it went quiet for a bit. Mam came out and said, "Don't you DARE go to that detention!" I didn't and nothing happened, although Mrs. Harris (not the deputy head) then went on to make my life difficult at every opportunity.