School has asked dcs to use only plain, undecorated pens, pencil cases, rulers etc. Is there any evidence that using 'fun' stationary puts kids off studying?

[comoco]

Is banning fun stationery now normal in primaries?

Feel bad for little ones not allowed fun 'character' pencil cases or rubbers etc they've been given as presents. Apparently they will now be confiscated. :(

I've never heard of this before - is there actually any evidence that kids study better with boring stationery? And won't kids get it all confused with everyone else's if it's all identically boring?

Most teachers are stationeryaholics (I think it's a job requirement) so we do understand and have sympathy for the desire to have fancy pens and equipment but we also know what a nightmare they can be in class.

Some of the biggest stationery magpies I've known over the years come from affluent homes and have pencil cases full of their own fun pens and rubbers.

I always tell my class of course you can bring in and use your own pencil case/stationery - at golden time! Avoids the entire argument.

But if teachers insist that kids do waste time faffing about with it, then I must believe them.

Yes you must. Why would they make it up?

"OK colleagues, a special staff meeting tonight. I know you're all snowed under with marking and preparation and a gazillion other things but I'm just wondering if there is anything we can think of that will spoil the children's fun. I've got time too, and fancy writing a letter for the fun of it and to waste parents' time. So. Any ideas...? Ok fancy stationery - yep - could do - is everyone sure this would have no impact on learning because remember we are using up special meeting time here for something that is NOT a problem, designed just to annoy people and spoil the children's fun. Shrugs all round? Ok, I'll draft the letter and then get the office to type it up and then distribute it to all classes and upload it on the website and email it home. We've got loads of time so there's no problem"

I can't imagine this has been studied OP. It is as minor as minor comes.

It sounds like it is taking up class teaching time.

Well, my observation from the school I work in is that kids are massively distracted by their pencil cases. They spend all their time when they should be listening/writing etc. fiddling with their novelty rubbers, bendy rulers, pencil sharpeners, etc. They are always complaining about how someone has stolen their rubber, broken their pencil etc, and don't get me started about the swapping stuff and the trouble that brings. If I was in charge then they wouldn't be allowed their own equipment at Primary school, they don't need it as we have everything they need anyway!

CauliflowerSqueeze - bit of a weird post!

I queried why the school policy had been changed as the previous policy had served all the hundreds of other children at my dcs' school just fine till now, without, apparently mass chaos.

And, indeed, hundreds of thousands of other dcs at schools round the country previously.

I would probably have been a lot more neutral about the change in policy had the school simply done what many teachers/parents here say their schools do, eg mrz, namely provide whatever stationery they want the dcs to use, themselves. Or just ask dcs to bring in a plain pen.

But no, parents at my dcs' school have been given an exhaustive list of 30 different items. All of which must be bought by the start of term and confirm precisely to specifications, eg "Solid clear protractor - not the protractor with a gap and not coloured " - yes, that specific. I have no idea what that even means, but if my dc brings the wrong one, they will be punished, so I have no choice but to spend my Christmas sourcing all of this extra stuff.

So no, I'm not thrilled. If the school wants it, they should provide it. Feel sorry for anyone with multiple dcs - that could be 90 items to source and pay for by Jan.

Just to add, until this thread, I had never heard of Smiggle - maybe it looks better in the flesh, but my main thought on looking at the website was bloody hell, expensive!! Is it widespread? - new to me.

drip.....

...feed

and much pedalling in reverse observed inOP

Pedalling in reverse? Such as...?

Don't see any dripfeeding either.

Didn't know it was a thing for schools to provide their own stationery, but now I do, it's obviously relevant. If the school is asking for one item, then you could say AIBU (not that this an AIBU thread). But they're not and not providing it either.

So I'm interested to hear from those teachers who say stationery can distract. It doesn't change the fact that generations of dcs have learnt perfectly well (no, not just me - don't think I was the only child in the country with smelly pens) with fancy stationery.

one dd writing with a pink pencil is not distracting.

Same dd showing her lovely sparkly pencil to her friend, who then rummages in her pencil case to show off her latest sparkly pencil. Cue a few minutes comparing the pictures on said pencils. Then dd remembers she has matching rubber and has a look for it.

In the meantime they are supposed to be writing....

That is the distraction.

you started with "is banning fun stationery now normal in primaries?"

and lots of people said, yes, it;s quite common

you said "Feel bad for little ones not allowed fun 'character' pencil cases or rubbers etc..."

many people including teacher said the items get stolen and distract children
then you went on about how no-one steals at your school and you weren't distracted, so we're all wrong.

now you drip-feed that your school has prescribed 30 particular items and are now trying to backpedal and making it about how unreasonable the school are being so prescriptive.

when, you actually said initially " I've never heard of this before - is there actually any evidence that kids study better with boring stationery? And won't kids get it all confused with everyone else's if it's all identically boring?"

some groups of kids are more distracted, some times a craze (liek smiggle) comes in that causes a problem.

Is this an Independent School (can't see that in previous posts, have I missed it?)
Because in Uk State school you do not have to provide anything. You can refuse. Most schools provide this stuff to primary aged kids. At KS3 (secondary) you get a stationary list. To be honest, one trip to Asda bought everything on the list.
Uk school - pen pots in the middle of every table full of pencils, rubbers and rulers.

". It doesn't change the fact that generations of dcs have learnt perfectly well (no" it's not new OP I'm very old and we weren't allowed our own pens etc in primary school (we were expected to provide all equipment for grammar school and even then it cause problems ) .
As a parent my own kid's pens and pencil cases were "borrowed" on a daily basis never to be seen again so it's definitely not new.
As a teacher every school I've taught in has provided all stationery (and I'm on second generation ) and they've always been a distraction.

Solid clear protractor ...it's best, because you can actually see the line and angle properly. My ds has both clear and coloured. Coloured ones are actually useless.
If you didn't know smiggle, maybe that's why you think school's decision was unreasonable. The shop near us, there is always crying children and gloomy parents. It wasn't bad before, but it's getting worse these days at ds' school, imagine same for others. (And personally, I love smiggle, except for price.)

It's not a new thing for it to be a distraction. Maybe the school has had a new head teacher who's experience has changed the policy?
Who cares if things were supposedly ok in the past? It's an issue now.

The school are acting on the best interests of your child by maximising learning and minimising distraction. You should support that.
You shouldn't have to provide plain stationery though, that's something worth complaining about.

All stationery at the DTs school is provided by the school. They aren't allowed to being anything in. Seems like a sensible idea to me. Kids can't fight over who has something better or feel bad if they only have the cheaper stuff.

Even when you do provide stationery there is still endless strife
the massacring of rubbers by drilling holes in them
the snapping of rulers
the sharpening of pencils down to a tiny stump
the endless pinching and hoarding
the 'accidental' ink explosions
I could write a book on it.

I thought primary schools provided equipment

I remember much enjoying my smelly pens, Abba pencilcase etc at primary AND coming top of the class

Maybe you came top of the class because all the other students were distracted by your Abba pencil case.

They do provide in ds' school, but they have option to bring their own from KS2. Actually, they do provide a list as well. But for practical reasons, like scissors need to be child safe ones etc.
And 99% of children bring their own, so class room ones are very shabby. It maybe a good ways to cut the school budget, but not so great for parents.