Sharing shoes at school?

[Favouritefruits]

Just for a bit of context, the primary school my eldest son attends is in a very rough area and one of the poorest towns in the uk.

I’m really unsure if I’m being unreasonable or not, please reply honestly.

Today was school picture day, children and parents are all told to dress smartly and in Correct uniform. My eldest son had his shoes taken off him and given to multiple other children to wear in different classes and different years to wear for their picture as they had trainers on not school shoes.

my son was told he had to give his shoes up and was made to sit in socks all morning and apparently got very upset at this. I feel this was really unfair as he didn’t have an option to say ‘no’ and even though it’s only small it’s kind of an abuse of power. I’ve never heard of sharing shoes and it’s really hot me in two minds. I understand they want all the children dressed correctly but to take a child’s shoes just seems a bit mental, who cares if someone is wearing trainers.

That’s not ok

Sure he did!

A verruca risk.

What the fuck? That is completely unacceptable and I say that as a teacher!

My podiatrist would be appalled by this. She always maintains that there is a danger of contracting fungal infections or warts by using hired bowling shoes or ice skates (even when socks are worn.)

But even if this wasn’t the case, say if it was a blazer he was being forced to lend, I’d still have issue with it. And what on earth will the recipient’s parents think?! Having a photo of their child in borrowed shoes.

I’d certainly complain to the school.

I actually find this hard to believe to be honest.

More risk of catching athletes foot verrucas are more of a risk when swimming

@LaineyCee I wanted to message school I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t being unreasonable and it’s not what generally happens in schools.

I've often got a clean sweatshirt from the spares box and even a clean polo once or twice but if shoes were the problem the child would simply be put in the row behind or we'd roll our eyes at the trainers and just get on with it. We'd never take a child's shoes off them! We do also have a box of spare shoes but by this time of year it's quite empty.

I really wish it wasn’t true, I was gobsmacked when my son told me

Nope, sorry, this post is not believable at all.

I'd get clarification of exactly what happened from the school.

But if his shoes were even leant to one student that's not ok. They are his shoes. If the parents even gave a shit about the school photos and the shoes their child was wearing they'd have sent them in different ones.

Or

Imagine being a parent getting a photo of your child in someone else's shoes because you couldn't afford ones like that.

that is disgusting. Shoes are not communal items. Feet can harbor all sorts of diseases.

shoes also mold to young children’s feet. Shoes are one of the few items I would never buy second-hand for this reason. They need a shoe that is only theirs and is worn in properly to support their own foot.

I'd ask school.
Hey, I just wanted to check what happened. Bob said he had to give his shoes to lots of kids in school to wear for their photos, but I wanted to check as that sounds ridiculous.

Was it individual photos or a class photo?
It's only going to be seen by that child's parent, so if they are happy sending in their child in trainers, then the school shouldn't change that. If a child spills baked beans down their jumper at lunch I can understand putting them in a clean one, but the shoe thing seems ridiculous.
If the reason they are in trainers is they can't afford school shoes (£10 from shoezone) then no way will they be spending £20+ on the 'professional' school photos.

Just to prove this actually happened as some people think this is made up this is part of the message I sent on class Dojo to his teacher.

We've borrowed blazers in the past ...at the school I work in but would NEVER do this with shoes.
As another poster said ...they could have placed those without the correct footwear where their feet were not on show !

No it was a class photo, just those new style where they take groups of three/four children and then edit them together. It wasn’t a old style where they are in rows. The shoes were given to children in rhdd we year below and the opposite class.

yabu it’s just a pair of shoes! You are talking as if his human rights have been affected.
If he got upset work on his resilience with him or use it as a discussion point together. Be thankful you are able to clothe him properly, maybe feel some sympathy for the families who can’t?!
Some children his age will have to get themselves ready for school completely alone if they are their parent’s primary carer/they are an addict/domestic abuse victim. You just don’t know. Perhaps the teachers wanted to protect the other children from feeling different through no fault of their own. I would say that is being kind, why would you criticise the school for this?

I can completely see this happening and agree it's pretty gross and also unfair to a child who won't feel able to say no. I think your message sounds really quite silly though - overly formal and very OTT when they've not been given any chance to say they take your concerns on board and afree with you. You could have got your displeasure across in half the words and would probably be taken more seriously. Schools get it wrong sometimes. Give them a chance to admit so and apologise.

It could also be that the headteacher is an idiot who insisted upon it for the image of the school if it’s to go up on the walls in a corridor.
Either way, I don’t think it is a big deal.

I can believe it!! Similarly deprived inner city primary here.

Your dojo message is also bizarre, do you want schools to have consent forms for lending uniform or something?!😂 Have you never lent anyone anything before?!

I once worked in a school where uniform had just changed so lots of kids were still in the old uniform. Someone decided to swap their clothes for the new uniform. Kids in a row having sweatshirt taken off, jumper put on, photo, jumper off and onto the next child.

Utterly pointless and quite insulting to parents who had made sure that their kids were clean and ready for photos in a uniform which was still acceptable in school.

The shoe is not going to mold into the shape of another child’s foot if it is worn for a ten minute photograph 😂🙄