There are loads of souvenirs of a child's school days that don't require naming them publicly, which does put any wearing their name publicly across one social barrier, which can and does get used to manipulate, in the wrong hands.
The same schools that do these hoodies, have given out that advice themselves,not to put your DCs names visibly about their person or bags. Especially when DC are school trips and away from home.
Individual and class photos are fine, the DC knownthe others names, and if they don't they don't need to know as they're not someone they know!
Farcebook and sm in general facilitates some of the most awful crimes, pretending strangers are 'friends' when they are complete unknown randoms. When these hoodies came in I remember being quite confused about the message the schok was trying to convey,having previously demonstrated a very clear privacy and protection policy in all its actions.
The yearbooks also contain all contact info, for instance. You don't have to provide a telephone number, and you don't have to have a hoody, but how horrible to miss out on what everyone else is having?
Thing is a long-standing issue fr anything that school offers to its pupils. The trip to China, or skiing in Austria, etc.
Only those with sufficient money can take up these trips. I'm not sure whether anything should be offered that can't be offered to all, I.e. schools fund places that can't be paid for by the family.
There is no need to have your name on the hoody. In any other circumstances DC wouldn't go out of their way to get their name put on a hoody or t'shirt, or anything.
I don't see the problem with all the names in small listed within a year number, as only those with the hoodies ca n actually see the names, so its for them, and all should be able to have their names in there.
As for taking photos of other DC, just because of 'mementos' well no, you shouldn't have that right. I think things like finishing lines of sports day races and so on should be available in pri t hard copy only from the school, to only those involved in the race for example.
When there's an person in the community you tell your DC not to talk to them, not to listen if they say your DMs in hospital I've come to pick you up, etc...but when they day their name! Just like pp said, its happening all the time. I certainly know in our anecdotal experience of school and our own experiences of the school communities ours have been involved in, of many close calls, and instances of under cover police walking with school kids on school run because of abduction attempts, and no, we don't live in a high crime area, quite the opposite. I also know of stalking between families and death threats, people having to move home to be hidden , having police protection.
It does come across a bit on this thread that these things aren't happening. That anyone that's worried is being overly precious, its a real threat to any child walking around in public spaces with their names clearly plastered across their back or chest.
I can't see the need to have your name embroidered onto jumpers or anything at school. Teachers don't.