“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 🫣

I went to 6 different secondary schools in the uk and not one used Sir and Miss for teachers (4 Scottish 2 English).

Neither of the two English secondaries my kids have been to so far use it either.

Exactly. The country I live in now doesn't use titles (except professional ones like doctor, but even then you don't really use them in speech). If I need to get someone's attention and I don't know their name I just say 'excuse me', or they might get the generic title of 'mate' which is starting to catch on with the people around me

You seem unreasonably angry.

I do work in within the state education system.

Some or even many teacher's being fine bring called Miss whilst their male counterparts are called Sir most definitely doesn’t mean it’s ok.

Even if I didn’t work in the sector, everyone has an interest in education because it effects the whole of society. For example, if schools are only showing posters of male scientists (as they did in my state secondary) on the school walls, it is in everyone’s interest to call out the inequity.

It's curious isn't it? If it's so "trivial" and "ok" then you wouldn't expect this level of ire.

I am not a teacher but you might want to check your grammar!

That paragraph is shocking 😂

We called all our teachers Miss and Sir when I was at secondary school (1995-2000), I assumed that was normal and still the case as my sister is a teacher and the kids all call her Miss

It's too much to expect you not to moan at normal school conventions which have been going on for many years clearly.

Yes. Let's never question anything that is a convention. That's a great way to approach life . Must do what we have always done. Always.

Do Not question convention! Always works well for women 😂

My children are in secondary school in Ireland.. it's a non denominational school called educate together they call all teachers and staff by their first names. They both went to a catholic primary school and called their teacher "teacher" in Juniors. In the senior school they had the use Miss or Sir.
It's such an outdated tradition.

There was a time that when a woman married she had to resign as a teacher, therefore there were no married female teachers so Miss was plenty, and it's stuck another 100 years.

Totally normal I left school in1978 we used sir & Miss then too

Sorry to upset you Miss!

Have you been living on mars for the last 70 years?

Well said Sir.

Better than living in a vacuum

It’s nothing Madam

It’s been miss and sir in almost every school I’ve known as a child and as an adult, and I get what you’re saying that the two words aren’t equivalent in any other context, but in school land, they totally are. “Miss” means teacher just as much as “sir” does and kids aren’t making anything of it, it’s just what you call male and female teachers when you don’t know their names or you’re too excited / impatient to use them.

Completely agree.

They’re not equivalent in a school context either unless you are just so used to it that it seems ok.

Happened in 1978 must be ok then

Yeah in 1978 we also learned sarcasm is the lowest form of wit!!

That’s an outdated view though, it’s 2024 and sarcasm is true brilliance

🤣🤣

ahh rolling out that old chestnut, a true sign of intelligent debate.