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Original poster

Uniform rules.

96 replies

lou33 · 07/10/2004 14:34

I just wanted to get a few opinions from parents and teachers on this.

Dd1 is year 8, and the school has issued every pupil with a letter about school uniform, which I have had to sign and return, saying i have seen it.

It states that uniform has become a serious issue, with some pupils refusing to look smart and conform (I haven't seen anything too jawdropping myself, just usual older kids trying to look cool), so from last monday the head (newly appointed) has insisted (their wording) on four rules.

These are, ties to be worn at an appropriate length and done up, shirts to be tucked in, school jumpers or sweatshirts to be worn at all times inside the school unless given premission in class by a teacher to remove it, but it has top be put on at the end of the lesson to go to the next class, and no trainers except for pe, or with a medical letter from a gp. Black shoes only.

The letter then goes on to say tha tany child who does not conform will have parents contacted to be sent home to get properly dressed before they can go back into lessons, and if this is not possible, then they will be excluded from lessons, isolated for the day and supervised by a teacher.

I just think the punishment is extreme for the crime iyswim. It seems ridiculous to exclude someone for not wearing a jumper for example, and an awful lot of extra time given over to teachers who could be doing something more productive. I don't see sense in it, and to me it seems more about social control than educating pupils.

Am i missing the point?

Dd is not likely to get into trouble for any of these reasons btw, but for some reason this has been playing on my mind.

OP posts:
JoolsToo · 07/10/2004 20:21

hmb - I agree.

ScummyMummy · 07/10/2004 20:24

Almost certainly the new head making his presence felt, as you say, lou33. I don't like these zero tolerance policies very much and have seen them seriously backfire in certain schools. Holwever, I suppose heads feel that they need to stamp their authority on a new school somehow or other and this is his way.

I think frogs has good advice re writing politely if the jumper rule is applied too stringently.

Original poster
lou33 · 07/10/2004 20:25

Glad I haven't offended. I was worried I had started something that would all go horribly wrong.

Thanks everyone for every post btw.

Yes frogs, your idea does sound sensible.

Can't really believe I am sitting here at almost 38, and a mum of four discussing my year 8 daughter and school uniform policies. I've not long left school myself in my head!

And PLEASE don't alert spacemonkey to this, or she will be regaling you of how I used to bend the rules at my grammar school wrt uniform, and dd knows nothing about it, which is how I would like it to stay! I was never rude to teachers though in my defence, always did my work, and they never actually told me how I was dressing was wrong. Had I been pulled up on something I would have amended it accordingly......

OP posts:
Original poster
lou33 · 07/10/2004 20:26

Btw, am so glad there have been no nasty outbursts on this thread, can you imagine me trying to moderate myself?!

OP posts:
ScummyMummy · 07/10/2004 20:26

SPACEMONKEY! OH SPACEMONKEY! You're anecdotes on this are needed!

hmb · 07/10/2004 20:32

Noy got a split personality then???

ScummyMummy · 07/10/2004 20:32

YOUR, I mean!

Original poster
lou33 · 07/10/2004 20:35

I was asking for trouble wasnt i, expecting you lot to stay quiet?

Hmb, dh would beg to differ

OP posts:
hmb · 07/10/2004 20:35

I don't mind the kids bending the rules so much. They are teenagers, that is what they do. I just find it hard when parents undermine the school. kids who tell you that you can't dicipline them because their parents will not let them do ASDT, fo example. Or the even nicer ones who tell teachetrs that their parents will kick their heads in if they dicipline their kids. It isn't all MN out there

Original poster
lou33 · 07/10/2004 20:37

How charming. Their parents must be v proud . What is asdt?

OP posts:
hmb · 07/10/2004 20:38

Soz, after school detention.

Original poster
lou33 · 07/10/2004 20:43

see how well behaved i was / my kids are?! I had no idea!

OP posts:
hmb · 07/10/2004 20:44

Sad thing is some parents either don't care, or are proud of their kids for 'standing up for themselves.

How about this one. Child asked to remove facial piercings as against school rules (other than one pair of earings, studs male or female). Refuses, major argument, fing and blinding etc. Parent called in to discuss with V nice HOY and Head. Parent, 'Well why is she wearing make up then?', about HOY. Makes me weak it does!

Original poster
lou33 · 07/10/2004 20:47

How grim. Life as a teacher sounds utterly depressing. One of my best friends is an art teacher at a comp. She was telling me about the sexual comments she gets from some of her male students, intimidation etc, and they now have a police officer lurking about a fair bit of the time, on the premises.

OP posts:
feezy · 07/10/2004 20:51

Whats it all about though my ds 13 hato put up his hand and ask to take his blazer off. How long would that take if 30 kids did it.
He is a very good kid (prizes for French & History in y7 ) but got detention for not bringing reading book in English lesson - he used his initiative and got Maths text book out to read but still got punished . How does that encourage a kid who has never put a foot wrong !

hmb · 07/10/2004 20:52

I love the job, I honeslty do.

I'm teaching some classes tomorrow, and if my kids turn out half as nice as the kids in the class I'll be a happy woman.

I have lessons where I find it hard to take the pay, it is so much fun.

like motherhood, the best and the worst of jobs I think.

Original poster
lou33 · 07/10/2004 20:56

She does too, funnily enough. Is there a sado masochistic tendency in all teachers do you think ?

Fwiw you sound like a v dedicated teacher, and good at your job .

OP posts:
hmb · 07/10/2004 20:59

Have to join the back of the queue

Have done my lesson plans for next week, so I am feeling all nice are virtuous! and them two wonderful weeks off! See we are all a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings after all.

Original poster
lou33 · 07/10/2004 21:00

I have to go and attend to domestic duties now, but would much rather chat. Not to be alas.

Thanks for the pov's.

OP posts:
SueW · 07/10/2004 21:12

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

MeanBean · 07/10/2004 21:24

Sorry HMB, have to come back to you about your comment that was directed at me. I didn't before because I wasn't aware it was. Why did you think I thought it was silly to ban kissing in school? I think I made it quite clear that I think kissing in school is totally inappropriate and shouldn't be allowed. And also, I take exception to your implication that if I express disagreement with a rule, that means that I undermine school and teachers. I may have several opinions good, bad and indifferent about several aspects of school, but my DS has no idea that I think anything remotely different from the teachers, because I absolutely agree with you about adults presenting a united front to children. If a teacher told my child off for something which I thought she was being unfair about, I would back her all the way as far as my child was concerned; it wouldn't stop me coming on Mumsnet to have a rant about her though! I think there is a difference between expressing an opinion in a forum among adults, and how you behave "in front of the children". I'm sorry if that wasn't clear from my postings.

jasper · 07/10/2004 21:33

lou, have not read any of the replies but I see nothing wrong with the school's rules. In fact I think they are great.
I don't see anything wrong with the punishmanets which I presume are ment to be detterents.
When I think back to my school days the ones who wanted to flout uniform rules were generally the "stirrers" who were out to draw attention to themselves.

jasper · 07/10/2004 21:34

See what happens when you don't preview?

jasper · 07/10/2004 21:38

hmb said
"If you don't like school rules that much, don't send them, home ed."

Bloody well said!
( we did agree swearing was ok here, dodn't we?)

edam · 07/10/2004 21:40

One thing that always puzzles me when schools talk of sending children home ? do all these children have SAHMs? What if there isn't anyone at home? Are they left to roam the streets?
Ds too young for me to have seen any of this in action, but if someone had sent me home, I'd have gone back to an empty house.
Unless the rules have changed, schools are in loco parentis - legally responsible for the children in their care. So how can they justify sending kids outside the school grounds with no notice? Or do they call the parents to collect the child?

(PS - I did once get told off for wearing a non-uniform jumper. But was just told not to wear it again the next day. And I didn't because I knew I wouldn't get away with it. Sad because it was the same colour as uniform jumpers, just pale instead of dark. And much nicer. Clearly things have got far more complicated since then).

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