Primary school children to wear indoor shoes?

[MyOtherCarIsAPorsche]

I've just followed a group of parents/children/dogs on the school run. I go to my daughter's house in my car and then I walk her daughter to school (with her sons in a double buggy).

I saw two children in front of us tread in the same fresh pile of dog dirt. It was in the tread of their footwear and up the sides.

I followed them all the way to school and I saw them walk into school with the mess still on their shoes. There were at least twelve dogs at the school this morning.

The last 100 yards or so of pavement before the school are covered with heaps of dog mess.

I sometimes have to walk on the road (no footpath on the other side of the road) with the double buggy as it's impossible to avoid going through it.

Children on scooters and bikes trail through it and take it in to the school playground. Children will tread in these traces and take them into the class.

Afterwards, I have to fold the double buggy and load into my car, hoping that there's no dog mess going in the car. I often wonder when I'm putting shopping bags in the boot, whether there's any traces of dog dirt from the pushchair wheels on them.

The children go into school and the first thing they do is sit on the carpet for the register. My granddaughter has told me several times that the teacher has had to ask the teaching assistant to clean someone's shoes because they can all smell dog dirt.

Obviously children put their hands on the carpet and then on lots of different resources in the class. Children do not wash their hands after sitting on the carpet. Traces of dog dirt are being spread far and wide.

Some schools have a policy of changing to indoor shoes in the cloakroom to avoid this problem.

So the AIBU is that: should all primary schools have an in door shoe policy?

I'm a retired primary school teacher - the schools I worked in had this policy.

My granddaughter has just returned to school today after being off Friday, Monday, Tuesday due to a stomach bug. It's her fourth one this academic year. The first time it happened she was in hospital for two nights and had to have ondansetron to stop the sickness. She lost a significant amount of weight and hasn't put it back on (she wasn't 'big' to begin with) and after this last bout she's looking very frail and bony. I'm beginning to think there's something deeply concerning about the state of the classroom floors that children are sat on, several times a day. I'm not convinced that every episode is viral.

Personally I wish schools would stop flipping sitting on the floor and use chairs like we expect adults to. And dispense with carpets, it’s revolting in a school context especially when they’re eating in the classroom as well.

I don’t mind the idea of indoor shoes and would provide them if asked to, but I guarantee they’d get lost, some would forget, they’d take ages to change… and my kid’s school doesn’t have cloakrooms. Or anywhere to put thirty extra pairs of shoes.

My primary school had an indoor shoes policy. We were all supposed to change into black gym shoes as soon as we came in. However, the school also had a lot of cloakroom space and benches where you could sit to change your shoes.

I suspect all the shoe changing faff morning, before and after breaks (2 playtimes and a lunchtime) and then again at home time was a total pain in the arse for the teachers and took up stupid amounts of time.

People should clean up after their dogs. Kids should check their shoes before entering the building.

Carpets in a school?? Sitting on the floor? Thankfully two things I've never come upon in schools in Ireland, of course children shouldn't be expected to sit on a potentially dirty floor, that's disgusting. Plimsolls/slippers were used indoors in the national school my son attended and still are as far as I know. I'm sorry your area has such a problem with dog poo, it's absolutely ignorant of owners to not clean up after their dogs

Carpets are grim in schools

The local nursery and school here have all wooden floors. Then just rugs that can be washed in certain areas for playing or sitting on. All children and adults wear indoor shoes in classrooms, they leave outdoor shoes outside classroom doors on rack in hallway. So wear outdoor shoes in hallway, toilets, canteen, and outdoors.

Yes, there are several solutions. Mainly involving the school/school children changing their behaviour to suit the the people who don't pick up after their dogs.

My granddaughter goes into class and sits on the carpet. That's the first thing they do. They start the day by potentially putting their hands in whatever has been traipsed onto that carpet.

It makes me 🤢

@Doggydreaming

People should clean up after their dogs. Kids should check their shoes before entering the building.

But neither happens.

I've never come across a problem with children sitting on the carpet. But I'm also not against them sitting at tables.

If you saw a child step in poo why did you not say anything? Why did you watch 2 children with poo on their shoe and up the sides go into school without informing their parent?

Also your local council need to sort out the dog poo problem. Write a letter to the council and to school.

I think it’s basic hygiene to change shoes at the door, even without dog dirt around.

At nursery (all 3) my son had to change into indoor shoes or slippers in the entrance.

I’m shocked he wears his outdoor shoes all day, even on the carpet. Kids fiddle with their shoes too! On wet days all the kids are traipsing mud indoors.

I don’t know why they don’t get them to change into slippers or indoor PE shoes in the classroom, and back into outdoor shoes at playtime/home time?

I've never understood why children would need to gather round and sit on the carpet in classrooms when they have perfectly good chairs to sit on. I used to hate it as a child. YANBU but I think having to chance shoes would take up too much time and space and would mean outdoor shoes lying all Iver the place and getting lost. The best thing to do is stop having kids sitting on the carpets.

My son has only one pair of shoes ( expensive ones that support his low muscle tone). He won't walk in slippers or pump type shoes or wellies etc. At home he doesn't wear shoes.

It also means poor families have to buy 3 pairs of shoes for school. I couldn't afford to do that and I'm not living out of food banks.

If the pavement around the school is literally covered in piles of dog mess school need to call the council Dog Warden and ask why fines aren't being imposed.

My children take their shoes off and leave them on shelves in the entrance area. Nobody wears shoes inside the school or nursery at all. It would be horrible in there if kids were traipsing in with their outdoor shoes in the winter. Mud, gravel, sand, puddles everywhere. What a lot of needless extra work for the cleaning and maintenance staff, not to mention just making it a much less pleasant environment.

YANBU, just socks should be fine or indoor shoes for those who want them.

I completely agree with those saying that changing shoes is costly/not healthy/time consuming.

It's very concerning that dog owners can inconvenience so many people in this way.

Has anyone had success in getting a reply/response from the council/dog warden with regards to the amount of dog dirt? I haven't.

It also means poor families have to buy 3 pairs of shoes for school. I couldn't afford to do that and I'm not living out of food banks

Not if they changed into their PE shoes on arrival, which are only worn in the gym.

My oldest DC looses everything. If this was a rule at his school I am sure he would be walking home in his socks at least once a week

@Woofwoofbarkbark

I've never come across a problem with children sitting on the carpet. But I'm also not against them sitting at tables.

If you saw a child step in poo why did you not say anything? Why did you watch 2 children with poo on their shoe and up the sides go into school without informing their parent?

Also your local council need to sort out the dog poo problem. Write a letter to the council and to school.

The parents knew the children had walked through dog dirt. They were trying to wipe it off on grass verges (spreading it far and wide). I could still see the dirt on their shoes when they went in.

I have brought this up with school and council several times.

Surely the answer is to train dogs to foul their own properties rather than public property where it is a serious health hazard.

@Maneandfeathers

My oldest DC looses everything. If this was a rule at his school I am sure he would be walking home in his socks at least once a week

Yes - changing shoes does cause lots of problems. From children 'hanging back' in the cloak room to avoid class, to children kicking/hiding footwear maliciously (I've seen it happen). Also, it does take a lot of time (not to mention space) for 30 plus children to be changing at the same time, several times a day.

Still more concerned about the disgusting side to it from the cleanliness/cryptosporidium point of view.

DC’s old school made them change into black plimsoles indoors and I know my primary school did too but their current school doesn’t. I think some schools avoid it because it causes mega hassle in the morning when a lot of kids walk in late as it is and with younger years the teachers have to help them change shoes which isn’t ideal.

Maybe they should stop sitting on the floor.

There isn’t a huge cost.
Plimsolls are worn indoors by most at the school here. They cost €3.50 from the school. You can apply for a free pair if needed, no questions asked.

I agree OP, or even better they should remove their outdoor shoes and remain barefoot inside

Even if everyone was picking up their dog shit, dogs still wee all over the place anyway!

I completely agree OP, although PP have good points about practicalities. I grew up being told that you don't wear shoes inside - I distinctly remember going to take my shoes off when I arrived at school on my first day of reception and being dumbfounded when I was told that you keep your shoes on in school (funny the things we remember!)

@SartresSoul

DC’s old school made them change into black plimsoles indoors and I know my primary school did too but their current school doesn’t. I think some schools avoid it because it causes mega hassle in the morning when a lot of kids walk in late as it is and with younger years the teachers have to help them change shoes which isn’t ideal.

Maybe they should stop sitting on the floor.

Yes - I agree, maybe they should.

Most primary schools (all those I've been in certainly) start the day by settling the children on the floor/carpet. Some literacy and numeracy lessons can start this way as well (it focuses the attention of the children). All primary schools sit children on the floor in for assemblies, which were held every day pre-pandemic.

A lot of children work/play on the floor in schools - inside and out. In summer I did lots of lessons outside, in the shade of a tree.

Can you imagine the amount of ....