To think this head teacher has lost the plot?

[pointythings]

link here

I read this today and was just . In what world does this make any sense? By all means let's have rules about walking in an orderly manner between classes and enforce them, but this smacks of the Ministry of Silly Walks to me. I don't understand how anyone could think this was a good idea.

I honestly don't get what the problem is.

It's utterly stupid, that's what the problem is.

My daughter would fall a lot.

She has hyper mobility, irritable hip and one of her feet turns slightly inwards due to one of her leg bones slightly turning inwards (consultant thinks this will change as she grows) she falls a hell of a lot if her hands where behind her back she wouldn't stand a chance of saving her face hitting the floor.

Seems like a stupid idea, hands by your side fine but grasped together behind your back is just stupid.

Our recently introduced university walk inspires children to be the best they can be

This is a really ridiculous justification.

I am not sure that I understand the reaction on here.

For starters, it is no less efficient to walk this way than swinging arms so no "Peter Principal". And lining children up to move between classrooms is common practice where I am.

I suspect it has been instilled because there is evidence to suggest it improves behaviour and hence learning in the classroom. I think this because there is evidence that school uniform regulations being tightly enforced improves school performance.

Maybe correlation / causation issue of course (with the uniform), but there is also the Rudolph Giuliani model. Serious crime fell dramatically in New York when police started picking up people for small infractions, such as travelling with a train ticket and so forth.

Food for thought....

I assume the teachers will be leading by example. I'd love to see her demonstrate the ( her) correct way to hold your hands when walking to a crowd of pupils and teachers.

I think the parents should call Amnesty International.

Seriously, some of you need to get a grip. It's just children being asked to walk in a calm and orderly manner between classes. Makes sense when there's going to be dozens of them moving around narrow corridors at the same time. I can't believe this is in a newspaper.

Obviously, if a child has mobility or balance problems that's a separate issue that needs to be discussed privately with the headmistress.

utterly ridiculous rule, assuming this is just a bog standard primary school and not some vair posh finishing school for young laydees where deportment is taught

primary school kids can't help but hop and skip, hold hands and link arms as they go about the school - generally with a little bit of happy chatter or humming - all signs of being happy.
As long as they are not running dangerously all over, barging into each other and into glass display cabinets or sharp corners, then common sense should apply.

let children be children, not bloomin robots!

Ha! Our head teacher insists that parents abide by school rules too.

Even after school concerts, she quite often imperiously commands parents to "sit down" and "stand back" in a loud obnoxious military voice. Pretty unbelievable until you're at the receiving end of it, then you realise how power's completely gone to her head. She's soooooo rude.

These parents have it lucky - these rules are applicable only to the kids!

"It's just children being asked to walk in a calm and orderly manner between classes."

No it isn't. That would be instructions to walk in a calm and orderly fashion (an uphill task I agree).

This is instructions to adopt a particular pose, and that pose only, when walking.

It's utterly ridiculous.

Eh? If the kids walk facing forwards without talking job done.

Getting them to walk with their hands behinds their backs isn't the way to achieve this.

I bet this HT is just generally unliked by the parents, which is why they are kicking off.

It's just so ridiculously pointless. Exerting power for the sake of it.

I've said this before and I'll no doubt say it again in the future - even a little power is too much for some people.

The children at our primary school are not allowed to walk around with their hands in their pockets incase they fall over and their hands aren't their to protect them. Its utter bollocks and unsafe. I am very supportive of schools but this stupid.

So is "university walk" a recognized thing or is it an expression that the head made up to make this rule more palatable (as in "walk this way and you, too, may one day go to university.")

Seriously, some of you need to get a grip. It's just children being asked to walk in a calm and orderly manner between classes

But that isn't the issue. I haven't seen one person objecting to that. The point is that children won't learn by virtue of being made to walk in this artificial, awkward manner all the time. No-one in RL spends all their time walking like this; when they go to secondary school it will be impossible because of what they will have to carry. Surely it would be infinitely better for them to learn to walk in a calm and ordinary manner whilst walking naturally?

This is amazing - we used to do this. At primary - over 50 years ago.

because there is evidence to suggest it improves behaviour and hence learning in the classroom

What on earth makes you think there is an evidence base for anything we are doing in schools these days?

Maursh if it is no less efficient a way to walk than swinging the arms, why do we not see the majority of people walking like this in the streets? Swinging the arms is natural and aids balance.

There is no evidence that strict enforcement of uniform improves school performance. If there were, every country in the world would have strict uniform rules, including those which currently have no uniform at all and do better than the UK.

It's authoritarian crap. It speaks to me of a weak teacher who can't maintain good order in school without being excessive about it. And in London, changing schools is very, very difficult so parents are stuck with this.

Seems like she's on a power trip, and using children to abuse that power. WTF does that have to do with teaching children. On s positive though. It must be an absolutely outstanding school. If that's all the HT has to worry about. How the children walk, or if it's not. I hope she's as dsmn well concerned about their education safety and well-being.
You need your hands to balance when you're walking. Having their hands behind their backs some of them are bound to go flying, right on their faces.

This hype about minor issues are one of the reasons why we have so many teaching jobs open and lots of primary schools can't find head teachers.

This is a minor school rule. As long as its not corporal punishment/something major, parents (and papers) need to understand the issues they cause by intervening/complaining about minor rules. Plus the negative culture that ensues.

A heads role is stressful enough without The Guardian (and parents) having an opinion. I think the best thing to do is butt out.

Do the children care and is it going to affect their overall education? Not really.
Do teachers get demoralised and ground down about minor complaints and lack for appreciation for their work and leave the profession? Yes.

An amazing friend, who works way harder than her pay cheque would imply, is a head of a primary in a very deprived area. She says she doesn't know what will happen on Monday mornings (last week a parent o/d'ed at the weekend and she had to oversee the placement of 2 half siblings). She says 80% of her time is spent sorting out problems with parents some incredibly minor. She's amazing, but stressed, you can see why she is looking to leave the profession.

Important stuff? Spending cuts. Fluidity of Curriculum. Lack of funding for special needs, teacher retention, training new teachers.

A culture of being grateful to heads and teachers, for the work they do with our children, ignoring the small stuff would help retention. If there a culture of working with them, support and respect, they might stay.

Shame on the Guardian, for the tabloid coverage.

It is a load of old nonsense. But I bet it disguises a much bigger problem.

When I taught Infants, I used to play a game if we had to line up for a longish period of time (e.g. waiting to go into assembly or the dinner hall). We would all stand to attention with our hands behind our back and then copy the leader (hands by your side, on head etc). The children did enjoy standing with their hands behind their backs. But it was a game to fill the time without being noisy.

I wouldn't have expected the to walk like it. It is far more sensible for children to walk with their hands at their sides (and not in trouser pockets - sideways glance to ds). This is so that if they trip, they can put their hands out to steady themselves.

Thus current case sounds like a head teacher who has thought of a quick fix for a very real problem. But its poorly thought through.

One way to encourage a culture of appreciation is for schools not to have ridiculous rules.

"This hype about minor issues are one of the reasons why we have so many teaching jobs open and lots of primary schools can't find head teachers."

No it isn't, this is taking the piss out of one petty rule (a rule which schools in general don't have - indeed this school might be unique in having).

The reasons schools have staffing problems is down to much more serious issues than whether it is laughable for a head to decree exactly where hands be placed in corridors.

A culture of being grateful to heads and teachers, for the work they do with our children, ignoring the small stuff would help retention. If there a culture of working with them, support and respect, they might stay.

I agree and, at least from personal experience, know it to be true.