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.

YY @JigglyTuff

No other country implodes because the students wear jeans or shorts and t-shirts.

I work in a clothes and wore Capri pants and a t-shirt yesterday, as did two of my female colleagues. Both my male colleagues wore very lightweight trousers and t-shirts. Everyone managed to do their jobs and no riots occurred!

At my secondary school in the 1990s we had blazers. The rule was we had to have them. We could take them off whenever we wanted in class or outside. I think the only enforced blazer wearing was for the school photos (done in January). Just as, as an adult, I can choose how many layers I need to be comfortable in the office

When I was at grammar school in the 50s the Summer uniform was a gingham dress and a blazer for outdoors with a straw hat. We had very strict uniform rules and from Easter to July it was dresses.

Ridiculous they're not allowed to take off unnecessary layers. In my school the uniform is T-shirt/polo shirt or hoodie. Yesterday it was 30 degrees in my classroom (no ventilation) and all the kids were moaning about the heat. Understandable, except that they were all in hoodies! I had to spend 5 minutes at the start of every lesson telling them that it is hot and that they should take off their outer layers. This concept blew their minds.

As far as I know most if not all European schools have uniform. They certainly do in Turkey.

It's moronic. There is no legitimacy at all to the arguments about uniformity, need for blanket rules or party atmospheres. It is counter productive, because nobody learns better when they are boiling hot.

I've never seen a European school with uniform in my life outside of the UK. Dress code, maybe, but they all seem to go to school in jeans and t-shirts!

Academies are trying to emulate private schools with plaid skirts/pinafores, blazers, ties and draconian rules

How bizarre. All our schools primary and secondary are now academies. Their uniforms haven't changed - its exactly as it was - blazer and tie.

It isn't difficult to dress smartly. Blazers are quite lightweight. DS and I were chatting about this and its 'a faff' to have to keep emptying pockets of coins, wallet, bus pass, library card, head phones, pens etc etc

Blazers, long black socks and a kilt here, year round. Allowed to remove blazer with teacher's permission in class but have to wear it moving around the building and travelling to and from school (fine at 8.15am, but often not by 4pm). Poor kids.
The school I work in has a more sensible policy of a hot weather directive; when the weather gets very warm they given permission to temporarily leave ties and blazers at home until further notice.
I can see why schools like blazers though - a safe, on the person, home for keys, cash and phone etc.

I used to teach in a UK secondary and so much time was wasted enforcing uniform rules. When I asked DD if the teachers at her secondary ever have to talk to pupils about unsuitable clothes she looked at me as if I'd asked her whether the teachers ever teach standing on their heads

My daughter's school has 2000 pupils aged 15 to 19 and no dress code. It's not even an issue. Students dress comfortably and appropriately for the season, and staff waste no time on policing dress rules.

We employ teachers to teach, not to act as uniform police.

Aren't they failing in their duty of care to the kids?

Heat exhaustion is a serious problem that can quickly develop expecially if kids (if they're like mine) are too distracted to drink. I'm amazed at the school's priorities.

Agree, no blazer and a polite but firm letter in their bag.

It's torture! there is no comparison to people sitting still in A/C offices than sitting with 30 other classmates in a sunny classroom and then carrying a bag full of books up 3 flights of stairs every 45 minutes...

I would be writing a strongly worded letter and suggesting I would be taking legal advice.

Flip side though And I've worked in a European non uniform school too.
Comparatively, the European students dressed sensibly whereas we have to remind 6th form students that very short crop tops and shorts aren't really school attire. Or tell the lads that we don't want to see their boxers etc.

Equally, there weren't as many behaviour issues in the European schools probably in part because their teachers don't seem to deal with half the crap of parents undermining them every 5 seconds.

There are a couple of teachers at ds's school who refuse to open windows. So blazers on, windows shut, no ac. It's like they hate children! Why would you purposely make another person feel so uncomfortable & ill.

As far as I know most if not all European schools have uniform. They certainly do in Turkey.

Only a small bit of Turkey is in Europe,

OTOH, no uniforms in France, Germany or Spain, and I would be surprised if they were a thing in Scandinavia but I don't have personal experience of schools there.

Equally, there weren't as many behaviour issues in the European schools probably in part because their teachers don't seem to deal with half the crap of parents undermining them every 5 seconds.

It's more nuanced than that. Schools in my bit of Europe (France) don't get undermined by parents as much, but then again nor do schools attempt to undermine parental authority so much.

thegreylady "as far as you know" is clearly not very far then! Turkey having school uniforms doesn't mean "most if not all" European countries have uniforms! That is total and utter fiction! In fact uniforms are rare in European schools.

@Mistigri none in Switzerland or Austria either in my experience.

I work in a professional office. We have air-conditioning. Still the women are in short sleeve dresses or blouses and the men only put their ties on for important, stuffy clients. Someone wearing a jacket and tie all day would raise eyebrows (and we would think they were visiting from our Mayfair office where they are mainly up their own backsides ).

Eldest DS is at 'posh' Mcr secondary school where they have 'summer uniform' from Easter. No tie, no jumper, short sleeved shirts if you want, blazer worn to and from school only. Yesterday told not to wear blazers as too hot and water bottles handed out at registration so they could keep hydrated. Common sense

Don't be fooled @Tootsiepops.
When we decided on our dd's high school they has a summer uniform. Which was a polo shirt with no tie.
After year 7 they did away with it but kept the winter uniform rule of jumpers and blazers must be worn at all times.
After a lot of debate it's now been relaxed to one or the other.
It's non uniform day today at her school. But she still has to wear full uniform because she has exams

Even the military, who are pretty strict when it comes to uniform, are in shirt sleeves at this time of year!

My daughters uniform is quite light compared to some of those mentioned and we got word home that the kids dont have to wear their uniforms tomorrow as they were too hot in them. My 5 year old is delighted and made me smile by saying yeay I get to wear clothes to school tomorrow :)

Or in Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxembourg.

My DDs' school has a new headteacher who is changing the uniform from polo shirts and sweatshirts to shirts, ties and blazers because it's more businesslike. Thank goodness it's only for new students starting in September onwards.
Kids will learn more if they're cool and comfortable.