To think that forciing children to wear thick blazers/jumpers...

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...in hot weather is a breach of human rights?

Why do schools have the right to tell our children to be uncomfortable at school?

Im waiting for the first parent who goes to the papers after their DC gets heat stroke.

I wouldn't blame them either

I don't even see why it's necessary to maintain the fiction that students don't come from different backgrounds by way of uniforms (not that this works anyway as some will have far shabbier uniforms than others). So some families have more money than others? Get over it. I am speaking as someone whose children go to an American high school, wear no uniform, and hob nob with many students whose parents could be described as mega rich and many whose parents could be described as very poor. Students are well able to accept that there are people both better off and less well off then them and still get on with socialising and working together. I do not understand why it is necessary to create and maintain the fiction that income disparity doesn't exist. Ironically, when students are allowed to wear whatever they like, nobody really notices what anyone else is wearing. Nobody dresses to try to knock others over with awe at the price tag.

I hated this when my DS's were at school! I had a run-in with one of the Assistant Heads when the stupid rule was introduced. I said that it was ridiculous that the kids weren't allowed to regulate their own body temperatures (it's not a formal dinner, forces etc). She mumbled something about how they needed to look smart. I asked if members of staff felt hot did they phone the Head to ask permission to take off their jackets or jumpers? She looked at me as if I was stupid and exclaimed "Of course not!" I replied that it was exactly the same thing!
We spend 7 years in primary school teaching children to be independent and making decisions for themselves and secondary schools throw them right back into dependency! Bonkers!

In my no uniform sixth form no one took much notice of anyone else's clothes as far as I remember and we dressed casually and inexpensively. If anyone had suddenly come in wearing expensive designer labels I think that would have been more likely to raise an eyebrow than anyone looking poor.

DD2, DS have no problem with their school uniforms, they never complain about wearing them DD2 actually enjoys wearing her blazer!.

DD2 Saw the uniforms of St Aiden's and Sommerville House and declared she quite liked them! ( she likes the formality of the uniforms) . I think she probably thinks its likes Hogwarts there. I read the Boarders handbook at Sommerville House , it said 'all pupils must wear dresses or school uniform and appropriate shoes when dining' . A far cry from my experiences at secondary school in the 1980s, where uniform meant you had a garment or a piece of cloth on your body, ( any colour will do) .The boys used their tie to strangle anybody they hated. On one occasion i saw them try to garotte the head of year 11.

My DS1 has never complained about his school uniform.

I am the one that worries he is too hot/cold.

Oooh, Lynette your DS is well 'ard!

Maybe teachers or parents with dc at schools that impose ridiculous uniform requirements should talk to the HSE and see if they can provide any help or guidelines that you can then go to the head teacher and governors with...

I know lots of people moan about the HSE but lots of the more extreme stuff that is done in their name isn't actually sanctioned or even agreed with by them.

One of the areas that they do have recommendations and regulations for though - in workplaces, rather than schools per se but it would be interesting to see schools try to argue that there are good reasons for going against sensible recommendations! - is for thermal comfort. The actual temperature in an environment is only one of the factors that goes to determine a person's thermal comfort; clothing is another that has a big effect. Linked to these is Heat Stress - which is what happens when the body’s means of controlling its internal temperature
starts to fail - and students fainting or feeling ill because they are too hot because they have not been allowed to modify their uniform appropriately (ie by taking off their blazer or jumper) are good examples of this.

These two are a good place to start looking at information:
www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/thermal/index.htm
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg451.htm

Wey hey! Cheer! Hurray! OP what good what sense you speaketh

Each school should have a light weight, comfortable summer option as part of their uniform. It is not healthy to get all over heated and feel so miserable. Amy, this would be the sensible policy of course, just like our school has a winter PE kit.

I don't see the point in blazers full stop, esp when trying to get a raincoat or winter coat on over the top. Children can look perfectly smart without them, waste of money IMO.

My son gets prickly heat if the temp gets to 20 degrees so jumpers and blazers just get me angry!

My son's school didn't have this rule, thankfully. They woreshort sleeve shirts, no jumper and a light weight blazer, which they were allowed to take off in lessons.
I agree, it's stupid to make children wear blazers in hot weather.
And to the poster up thread who said Britain isn't hot enough for this to be an issue, that's rubbish.Most British people are acclimatised to colder weather ,hence we feel the heat more. Lots of us don't wear coats except when it's really cold (I'm one of them ), for that reason.

School starts on Thursday. Temperature forecasted around 23 degrees and the school has let us know that all students must be in full uniform so that they can be sure all the students have the full uniform. Friday is picture day, so another excuse to make them keep everything on. Full uniform includes a woolen jumper and a blazer, so even though it will not be super hot out, I expect the students to be hot wearing their full uniforms.

I don't see the need for a blazer for second. Totally inadequate for pissing down rain and/or cold weather so kids still need to wear a proper coat over a sodding blazer and a sweater.

Get rid of them and let them take off sweaters in the hot weather. If they're are tied round the waist they won't lose them either.

Well, I don't disagree with any of this, but if spent today in a baking hot classroom and told the kids several times they were welcome to remove their blazers and jumpers.

They didn't. They complained about how hot they were but wouldn't remove the clothing; some removed the blazer but they also have a sort of knitted vest and hardly anyone took it off.

Madness!

Hello all .., I amjust wanting to let you know I have set up a petition for the government to review the rights children do or don't have whilst in school.

The more I have read into this it appears that whilst at school our children are not covered by any rights what so ever and must obide by school rules whether we see them as acceptable or not. Schools can lay down all their rules and are not governed by anyone particularly if the are Academy's or private schools.

As there are many of you in here that feel their child's school are not always being appropriate with their rules, could I please ask you to sign this petition. We need a lot of votes for this to be discussed in parliament so please could I also ask you to share.

Thank you.

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/72783

petition signed. i think we need different uniforms for our children anyway.
and all those who get exzema or prickly heat will have to learn to live with it.
i also don't like how they say "express yourself" but won't allow different coloured hair, piercings etc when many of our teachers had them.

"It does not get hot enough in the UK for wearing a blazer to really be an issue"
er yeh it really does....

REALLY?!? This is a wind up right? You really, truly believe that with all the issues and problems in the country and Worldwide, this warrants a petition of government?! FFS!

calm down war fuck sake haha

Yes waroftheroses I do. There is no where else you can go to if schools have made these rules. Especially Academies or Private schools.

We fought for employment rights, so why shouldn't we fight for our children's wellbeing?

There are many many schools that do not allow children to remove items of clothing to cool down. Why?? Because that rule has always been in place. ...but it doesn't mean it's right, or the best for our children. In fact it's quite the opposite as it causes migraines eczema lethargy sluggishness to name but a few. Is that going our children the best chance ??

Don't get me wrong, in no way do I think school children should be allowed to simply do as they like and wear what they like. I'm mearly asking that schools have their authority removed to insist children wear their full uniform when they are feeling too uncomfortable.

I am absolutely flabberghasted that children have to ask permission to remove blazers/sweaters!

In DD1's school, sweaters underneath blazers are optional (Y to the PP who said that girls never remove them, even in the height of summer...) but blazers may be removed in class as long as they are replaced upon leaving.

In DD2's (super super controlling) school where they are almost obsessive about uniform, the (in their case) all singing, all dancing high-technology fleece (allegedly) jumper again, may be removed in lessons. Without asking.

What concerns me is winter - plain white t-shirts are permitted under blouses, but in DD1's case, there is no room in her locker for a topcoat (she takes gloves at this time of year) and in DD2's school there are no lockers, and due to the all singing, all dancing high-technology nature of the fleece, topcoats are very strongly discouraged. Showerproof pacamacs which fit into the school bags in cases of exceptional rain are permitted, but DD2 doesn't want. She takes a scarf and gloves in cold weather too, and I've persuaded her to have a very small folding umbrella. Did you see the rain yesterday? Even high-technology fleeces can't cope.

Basically, neither takes a topcoat - which horrifies my mum!

This really bugs me!!a child having a tongue stud that you can barely see (obviously secondary school kids I hope no one would get a primary school child's tongue pierced?!) doesn't affect how they or anyone else learn. Being baking hot and uncomfortable would possibly affect how well they concentrate