Enforced wearing of blazer (wool) in hot weather

[Sweatingcobbles]

I know in the grand scheme of things this week it isn't a massive crisis but aibu to think it's stupid that in 29 degree weather today school refused to let the children take their fairly thick wool blazer off.
They said it is to maintain smartness and an office like uniform.
I'd rather kids could concentrate on learning and exams rather than feeling sick or ill.
Ironically I was in the office today with sandals and a short sleeve top.

• unless they were a PE teacher or off timetable doing extra curricular. I wore shorts and t shirt one day to work. We were doing a sports event in the afternoon.

I wore shorts and t shirt one day to work. We were doing a sports event in the afternoon.

I think that's fine.

Exactly.

So it's always worth taking at face value these woefully 'shocking' claims.

I've had parents have a go at my shoe choice because apparently i was wearing flip flops and that's not fair when the kids have to wear sensible school shoes.

I was actually wearing a smart pair of sandals with an office dress. Not that my attire had anything to do with the nosey parent. She clearly felt like she needed to try and screen points.

Score points even.

morningrunner

We may have to agree to disagree. 'Causing a spectacle' to me suggests shouting, which would, I think, reasonably, cause me alarm. So if you are familiar with public order offences, you should know it would be reasonable for me to make a police complaint. Even if the police did nothing, it sends a message to that parent: I am not putting up with this behaviour.

MaisyPops

I have had parents shouting at me for very similar reasons. They don't understand the rationale for something so they come in 'all guns blazing'.

I have quite a few rules in my classroom which, on the surface of things, seem quite petty but when you think about them, have good reasons behind them. I'm sure you are the same. Don't eat and drink other than water. Tuck your shirt in. Don't fiddle with the blinds. Don't rock on your chair. Don't call out. Don't use your phone. Etc. Some parents think one or more of those rules are stupid. But they are not the ones fixing (or paying for) the broken blinds - that is the caretaking staff and the school. They are not the ones picking up strewn, crushed crisps - that would be the cleaners. They are not the ones buying new chairs when legs snap. Etc.

I suspect they have rules at home,, and expect those rules to be followed. But when it is a teacher, we are "power mad" of course!

I once had a parent calling me a "fucking petty bitch" because I'd sent his child out of my classroom because he had been repeatedly interrupting.

The vast majority of parents are great, though, and want to work with the school for their child.

SmileEachDay

Most do. The minority at my school is pretty significant, though. I would say 20% of them are somewhat objectionable!

SmileEachDay

And I sent a child out for the same reason, only for the parent to object on the grounds...wait for it...I hadn't let her child finish what he was saying.

trifle and smile

But surely you realise it's inhumane not to listen and if you were a better teacher then your lessons would be better and he poor child wouldn't want to talk.

Though seriously, I think before anyone comes up to school all guns blazing and being abusive and intimidating, they should have sat on reception fielding the sheet number of calls that come in for a day.

My favourite lately has been repeated messages for a colleague from a parent with the final one threatening to report her to the head for not returning the call within 4 hours. We laughed in the staff room that we bet that parent would be complaining if she walked out of her child's lesson to make a phone call. I can see it now AIBU to expect my child's teacher to actually teach.

MaisyPops

Yup. Recently, I 'failed' to return a parent call within 24 hours. Why? A 5 period day and then planning lessons for the following day, then I went home. I called her in my next free. She asked me why it had taken more than 24 hours to respond to her. I told her the above. She 'wasn't happy'. Diddums.

Why "tuck yourT shirt in" Trifle ?

Just out of interest.

Of course all the other rules make sense, but tuck your T shirt in? How does that prevent damage/ mess/ interruptions/ concentration or anything else?

They want them to wear the uniform smartly?

5moreminutes

That is a school rule. I don't have the option of not saying it. But I would say it anyway because it is observable that they behave better when they look smarter. Maybe it is psychological? I don't believe they should be forced to wear overly warm clothes but I do believe they should wear the ones they are wearing correctly.

I'm so glad my children go to non uniform schools!

Anyone whose conscious about their tummy won't want to tuck their T shirt in.

Many of the countries in Europe which do not have school uniforms have higher standards of educational achievement than the UK.

I would lay bets that the psychology behind "behaving better when they're smarter" is interwoven with the entire "challenge" that wearing a uniform sets children - its an open invitation to challenge rules and see what you can get away with. No uniform, no temptation to try to bait the teacher or show you're a non conformist or just try to make yourself less self conscious or physically uncomfortable by subverting the uniform...

who's not whose