AIBU Schools making pupils wear blazers and jumpers in this heat

[plomh]

Every time it’s hot during school time, you hear of schools still insisting that their pupils wear blazers or just their jumpers. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/kingswood-academy-send-home-defiant-121507.amp

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19462070.wearing-school-blazers-heatwave---readers-say/

What do schools think they are going to achieve from not relaxing the rules? Nothing. More pupils becoming ill, parents keeping their DC away.

It’s barbaric behaviour. Yet I doubt that they make the teachers, non teachers staff wear blazers and wear summer clothes with short sleeves.

All the schools in my area have said they can wear PE kit this week.

What’s the penalty ? I wouldn’t send her.

It is optional, so no expense needed if parents choose not to, but I do agree, it should be all year. I am not a huge fan of school uniforms at all, though, and think a PE type kit all year would be much better for kids.

My son’s secondary have been allowed to wear PE kit this week. Would be too much otherwise.

I agree.

Have a uniform by all means imo to keep them all the same and avoid competition over clothes etc. But keep it cheap and comfortable- like PE style clothes. Kids don’t need to be traditionally smart to learn - certainly not in primary. Have them smart in the sixth form, or yr 10 upwards, if they’re so worried about preparing for work.

Ive voted YANBU and i haven't read the thread, but i wanted to say that my DDs secondary have allowed them to ditch the blazer, shirt, tie, tights and skirt/trousers this week.

'Loose' shorts (not skin tight lycra i'm guessing) and a white polo shirt instead.

Im so grateful to them. How sensible!
We'll done DSLV 👍💐

Blazers and ties were only introduced once schools turned into academies. My schools had a period of 25 years where there was no blazers. Ties were still required the first year I started high school but dropped afterwards.

Making pupils to wear jackets, blazers and ties at any time during hot weather including between classes, before/after school which some posters have mentioned is wrong and cruel.

If I was at school during blazers wearing- my parents would have kept me away from school saying my asthma is bad

My girls school is very strict but they have allowed pe kits this week. Yes they have blazers but they can take them off. As long as they have them with them it’s ok.

I do think uniform has got stricter. I went to 2 primaries in the 80s. One traditional ties etc. Church school - they tended to be more formal. The other uniform was 'optional' & so few kids wore it I couldnt tell you what colour it was. Loads of primaries were similar.
Secondary. You wore your tie (as small as possible) & 'uniform clothes' in the school colour. In our first year class picture we look a bunch of scruffs - trying badly to do 80s fashion- not that it mattered. Sports branded & some home knitted jumpers feature. Some are sporting the slouched white socks over tights look. We all do have our ties on. I really cant remember uniform being a flash point. Vaguely remember some comments about long 'peasant' skirts i later years, but it wasnt a big deal.

My son’s primary school sent a reminder to say the weather will be hot and to dress kids appropriately

the amount of children today with jumpers and thick tights was shocking… barely any with hats.
My son has been in shorts and polo since the start of June 😂

This is the kind of rule that is just mad. You must bring an item of clothing with you that we dont expect you to wear. Okay .....

Who are these 3% who voted for YABU? Put on a blazer, tie, jumper and 100 denier tights

Literally not let them taken them off? A jumper? In this weather? Bro I’d let them stay home 😂

Meanwhile in countries all over Europe, young people are going to school in clothes suited for the weather and getting on with life. This country really needs to get over it's obsession with conformity as a solution to anything at all.

If it were my child I would keep their blazers and jumpers at home and sedn an email to make clear to the school that I was not supporting ridiculous uniform rules when the weather is hot.

I did notice that our local secondary kids were walking into school in their PE uniforms this morning. At least, some common sense - polo shirt and shorts all round.

I'm going to look out for the news reports saying how disciplined and educational standards in schools have plummeted over the summer term because pupils are not dressed as mini bank managers and being allowed to wear gasp shorts and t-shirts and double gasp trainers in lessons

Sounds like a workplace from the 1970s. I do wonder if some of these heads actually have any experience of modern workplaces outside of education. I suppose most of them have never really worked in any other sector.

I think PE kit type clothes are more appropriate as a school uniform anyway. I think the current shirts, ties, blazers harks back to a place in history that this was normal wear for adults not only in the workplace but outside it as well. Society is more casual now, more workplaces are smart casual rather than suits and ties and I don’t get why it is deemed necessary for children and teenagers to dress this way.

I agree with a uniform in terms that it’s better that there are guidelines around clothing styles, and that uniforms should be affordable to all, but why they can’t wear T shirts and tracksuits in school colours I don’t know.

Because majority of schools abroad don’t have a uniform or have school colours. The latter means that they can wear any top of certain colours as directed by the school. So they can wear clothing suitable for the weather.

UK schools on the other hand, need to understand that uniform is not making pupils behaviour better. It’s making it worse esp when forced to wear blazers in high temperatures

Today my children’s independent secondary school has announced for this, the last week of term:

D of E expedition has been cancelled
PE kit all week (including shorts and polo shirts) if the students prefer
Staff (normally jacket, shirt and tie for men) can wear what they feel most comfortable in, including shorts. Presumably they are expected to use their discretion over this.

This will still apply on Speech Day, normally the most formally-dressed day of the year.

It is crazy. I work in higher education, with full grown ups, and we got two emails about the weather warnings and recommendations to keep cool, including using office space in cool rooms that they will open for us!
They also regularly walk aroynd givinh ice lollies away. We got ice in the freezer.
How can anyone be so unrealistic? I would send my child with comfy clothes. That is it.

Andy Burnham when he becomes Prime Minister could get a lot of support if a law to stop this nonsense came in. The Met Office weather warnings and heatwave definition is an independent source of when this could apply.

The PE kit option would be enough.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c202n3ryp7xo
800+ schools closed in France due to the heat
Students do better in cooler temperatures

So why do schools insist that students wear blazers?

I'd like to see some more things added to that (aside from not having uniforms at all, which isn't going to happen, sadly):

• Compulsory provision of sew or iron on school logo patches at cost price plus a maximum of 5%
• Uniform to include tailored trousers and shorts options for both sexes
• No gendered uniform, i.e. no more trouser bans for girls in any schools
• Alternatives in natural fabrics for children with allergies, eczema and other sensitivities
• School shoe requirements to be simplified and to include trainers and winter boots
• All uniform to be available from high street suppliers - all single supplier arrangements to be banned. Infringement of this to mean instant OFSTED lowest possible rating applied.