“Miss” and “Sir” in schools

[MyCleverGrayBear]

Been to lots of secondary school open days recently. At the state secondaries the children showing parents around etc called the teachers “Sir” and “Miss”. Is that normal? I haven’t heard this IRL ever.

(To be clear, “Miss, this parent wants to know about languages at school” vs “Mrs Jones, this parent would like to see the sports centre”. But also in a couple of classrooms there were children constantly saying “Miss, look at this, Miss, I’ve out the sign up, Miss, shall I stand here” etc and it was incredibly grating.)

And why are female teachers “Miss” and make teachers “Sir”? I felt like I was in a bad 80’s Grange Hill episode and Benny Hill was about to run in and chase me 🫣

As a secondary school teacher in England I can confirm that yes, yes it is 🙈

I find it far more problematic that all female teachers are Miss [surname], even if they use Mrs or Ms. The kids genuinely don't know the difference between Miss and Mrs and their minds are entirely blown by Ms🙄 If we're going to insist on archaic, patriarchal honorifics then we need to at least make sure they're used and understood!

The governors in the schools I work with refer to teachers as Miss or Sir too.

😂😂😂 We went to look at several schools. All are contenders still.

Not normal in any school I went to. But then neither was school uniform. (Yes, UK. Yes, just normal local schools)

But I wouldn't be surprised by seeing it, as, like others, I've saw it on Grange Hill growing up.

It’s a state school-bashing thread

Is it? My experience of not using 'miss' are all from the state sector.

So it was more of a ‘what is this strange tradition I’ve never come across before in what I’ve been told are called state schools”.

I’ll ignore the “oh it’s state bashing” people. Tedious.

Clearly not all state schools conform to the sir/miss titles. The state school we like most is smaller than the independent schools we like. I just couldn’t understand why they didn’t use full names. Anyway. Thank you for all the very interesting responses!

I hate this too and the sexism winds me up.

When I was at school it was Dr/Mrs/Miss/Mr Lastname

I have taught in three cities in the UK over 30 years and yes it is the norm. Plus when I was a pupil myself!

I visit schools regularly and am known by sight, but few pupils actually have contact with me and know my name. I only wear a visitors badge so that's no help to the pupils.
Even the other teachers call me "Miss", as well as the pupils.

It's fine. Tons more important stuff to worry about!

It could be, I wasn’t sure😁

But the thread you started revealed it is widespread. No one ,except you, has said it is a state thing.

DH works in a private school. Pupils call him sir.

And mainly a state school thing. 😂😂😂

Oh yes. It’s only us working-class plebs that refer to teachers as Miss and Sir.

The usual bonkers batshit Mumsnet.

Mistress (shortened to miss) - means
Female of senior rank to myself

Sir means
Male of senior rank to myself

Where is the sexism ?

I was a primary school supply teacher for years. Sometimes I'd be called Mummy. Some children would look embarrassed when they realised. I took it as a compliment that they felt comfprtable with me.

But do they call the female teachers Miss?

Yes this is very normal when i went to secondary school and it is very normal at my Children's school too.

I was at school in the 1980s/90s and we did the same.

Yes!

Not many primary teachers escape being called mummy a few times ❤️

Is that any different to have you seen my sign Mrs Patterson, can I have a drink Mrs Patterson, can I have a biscuit Mrs Patterson.

Have you seen my sign madam, can I have a biscuit madam, can I have a drink madam. That sounds really really bad 😁

When I was at school in the 80s it was Miss and Sir, all the boys were called by their surname only, tlbut he girls were called by their given name

I hope people aren’t this chippy and rude IRL. So boring.

In all the schools I have taught at Miss and Sir are the norm. The only odd thing is that in one area, pupils said ‘Miss yes’ instead of ‘Yes Miss’ when the register was called.

Well that’s not right is it, girls should be called by their last name too 😁

Boys got the cane as well but girls only got threatened with the slipper.