“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 🫣

Standard but unequal

Unequal respect

You must be living in a strange world indeed to believe Miss amd Sir are equal titles.

No, I happily exist in the real world of (mostly) respectful and productive relationships between young people and the adults who teach and mentor them, and have no evidence that the conventional use of particular forms of address should be of any concern, based on antiquated (and disputed) interpretation of their historical meanings.

Some teachers and head teachers disagree with you.

Strikes me that your main purpose in making this post is to enjoy expressing your astonishment at how very uncouth and backward State Schools (hold’s nose) are, compares to the totally normal manners of the nice, well-brought-up children at every school you’ve ever known… fee-paying, of course (preens).

Well congratulations. You are clearly not only much richer but also much nicer and far more respectable with higher values than the dreadful common people at these nasty backward schools that you are only now encountering for the first time.

I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself 😂

I'm support staff in a school and get referred to as "Miss" as they don't know my name and I'm fine with that.

Miss and Sir sound better that being referred to as simply Mr or Mrs

@AnnieAzul C’est La vie.

Chip on shoulder?

Alright Imelda. Bit mean and while I can’t blame anyone for not wading through all my posts, both I and my children have been to a mix of state and independent schools. All very nice they were too. And no Miss/Sir at any of them.

I think the op is proof that life on other planets does exist.

That’s hilarious. Being likened to an alien for having a slightly different experience of what to call teachers at school? Wow. 🤣🤣🤣

I think some of the teachers on here have shown themselves to be very defensive and closed minded.

There is no other country I am aware of that uses unequal titles for teachers depending on their sex.

I know it has been this way for years in the UK but it doesn’t make it right.

My grandmother & all her sisters were teachers - they were referred to as Miss Bell or Mrs. Sliver or Mrs. Wren.
Same with my mum & my aunt & my sister.
Same with my 2 nieces and nephew.
It’s always Mrs. Smith or Mr. Smith or Miss Jones.

Maybe because we’re in the States and you’re in the UK — we do the same thing only differently.

If I had a LOL button, I’d have pressed it! Haha!

Nah, I don't believe a word of it op.

Ok

Of course they do. People disagree over lots of things. Is this surprising?

I think some of the teachers on here have shown themselves to be very defensive and closed minded.

By disagreeing with you?

Oh, come on! Spanish, French, German etc all have inherently gendered language, especially for job roles! You don't think a professor is seen as the 'proper title' and the modified 'professeuse' seen as lesser? Or lehrer and lehrerin. I bet arguments about this rage on French and German Mumsnet type sites.

My lovely Spanish colleague refers to me as senora no surname when he greets me. All the students say 'si , Senor ' etc to him (his full surname is very long. He's lovely . They adore him.

Isn’t it time you just gave it up on this post, so boring now. Obviously there is a split in opinion and not everyone is going to agree with you no matter how many times you post! You asked a question and you’ve had your reply’s. Just shut it down, please!

This thread will go on forever because it’s set in an unreal world. Language is fluid meanings change - but logical argument is constant.

No by attacking, swearing at other postings and generally missing the point of the titles being unequal.

Equal titles unlike Sir amd Miss

Not surprising you me but it seems some teachers on here think they are right and anyone who disagrees should have no say because they are not teachers.