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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

why can't they take their blazers off

35 replies

catwoo · 05/09/2012 23:05

DD started at secondary yesterday.She said one of her teachers refused to give any of the children in her class permission to take their blazers off in class today.And it has been really warm here.

OP posts:

chocolatespiders · 05/09/2012 23:09

Same here.. very frustrating..

Nagoo · 05/09/2012 23:10

Because the teacher wants a reputation as a hard bastard.

DH doesn't smile until half term. I think they learn it in their training.

libelulle · 05/09/2012 23:25

Power trip. Why should kids have to put up with that kind of crap? From my own memory of schooldays teachers may get a superficial compliance from kids with that kind of attitude to discipline, but they won't get respect. I still think of the couple of teachers like that that I had at school with complete disdain. They had no respect for my dignity, so I repaid the favour. As opposed to the true disciplinarians, who I still remember with true regard 20 years down the line.

Original poster

catwoo · 05/09/2012 23:28

..and one girl fainted later at lunchtime.Makes you wonder if she had got overheated

OP posts:

imperialstateknickers · 05/09/2012 23:32

Permission to remove blazers has to come from head's office at ours. His PA is quite good at reminding him!

Goldidi · 05/09/2012 23:35

I have spent all day telling kids to take their blazers off as soon as they arrive in my classroom. Officially school policy is that they should take their jumpers off and put blazers back on unless they have permission to take blazers off as well.

My classroom is the hottest one I have ever been in (not helped by windows that don't open and my fan has gone missing over the summer ) so I really want the kids not to overheat as they then make my room hotter and I get hotter and sweatier. So taking blazers off is practically compulsory in my classroom.

Other teachers refuse completely to let anyone take blazers off because officially the blazer is the uniform and they don't want to ease up on any school rules until they have established authority with new classes.

armedtotheteeth · 05/09/2012 23:39

Is it an academy? Apparently at some academies even teachers have to wear a jacket at all times!

Goldidi · 05/09/2012 23:43

I would melt if I had to wear a jacket all the time!! I already feel a bit self-conscious about BO by the end of the day even though I have a shower every morning.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 05/09/2012 23:45

Glad to read this thread. Glad it's not just my son's school! No blazers, jumpers there. So all the way round the body, can't even flap it about for air.

It makes me cross. I can't concentrate if I'm too warm. How on earth is my child supposed to learn anything?

CuriousMama · 05/09/2012 23:48

DSs school allow them to take them off in class if it's warm. How on earth they're expected to concentrate in the heat wearing a blazer? I'd nod off!

randomfemale · 05/09/2012 23:50

DD1's blazer stank of BO after the first day back. Yes she bathes every day and yes she uses deo - but to have to bake in a bloody classroom all day is bloody inhuman

ALittleScatterOfRain · 06/09/2012 00:06

I don't understand it. In all my time at school a blazer was your summer coat, iyswim.

Now my school has brought in a fitted jacket type thing (all girls) that they have to wear all the time, which is a shame as it's actually a very nice blouse, soft collared and patterned that was designed to be seen!

Surely it's harder/less comfortable to write in a blazer as well? I would have hated getting so hot too.

Lolwhut · 06/09/2012 00:54

I never understand this type of pointless idiotic rule. My DC's went to a school in South Africa that had this rule, some of the classroom had unshaded windows and it can be really hot in SA. It's stupid, stupid, stupid.

Some of the female teachers wore tops with spaghetti straps so it is not as though they were suffering too.

Kez100 · 06/09/2012 06:32

We have some extremely warm rooms in our school - although air conditioning will soon be fitted - yippee! Rules Blazer on walking around school and, in class, Blazer either on or on back of chair.

My son said he was hot yesterday, it was a beautiful day weather-wise, and wore it only when out of lessons. Otherwise it was on the back of the chair.

Lancelottie · 06/09/2012 12:40

Oooh -- I think I'll add 'can they take their blazers off when hot?' to my list of Questions for Open Days over the next couple of weeks!

Machadaynu · 06/09/2012 12:45

I used to let kids do what they liked with regard to blazers and jumpers.

Strangely they are quite good at choosing what to wear so they are neither hot nor cold. Who would've thought.

The school I worked in used to let them take their ties off on really hot days, but that had to come from the head.

I totally understand the 'establishing discipline' from the start idea, but I don't see how making them be uncomfortable / distracted is going to help.

Machadaynu · 06/09/2012 12:49

Incidentally, you might want to ask the Head if (s)he is familiar with the research showing that - in conclusion:

"The overwhelming weight of the evidence from the research reviewed in this summary supports the hypothesis that the thermal environment affects academic achievement at various grade levels within the school."

sdpl.coe.uga.edu/researchabstracts/thermal.html

i.e. performance suffers if kids are too hot or too cold. Shocker!

Ask the head if they have seen the research, and how they see their policies fitting with it :)

complexnumber · 06/09/2012 12:50

I am pro-uniform, but I really cannot see anything to be gained by forcing pupils to wear a blazer when it makes them feel hot & uncomfortable.

It's hardly going to help their learning.

qo · 06/09/2012 12:54

Same at my dd's school, also started yesterday.

My face looked like this when she told me

CiderwithBuda · 06/09/2012 13:19

Utterly ridiculous.

DS started at a new school in year 6 last year and there was an afternoon thing for all new students and they had to wear uniform. So I got DS to wear shirt tie and blazer and I was totally amazed at all the kids who were wearing the jumper as well on a hot day. I remember commenting to DH that it was odd. Then I discover that they have to wear the jumper!! So DS was the odd one out.

They have to wear the blazer to and from school but they then hang them up. They are allowed take jumpers off too if they wish. Ties only off if head gives permission.

We had an issue last year where I walked to school to school to pick DS up on a hot day. I suggested he left the blazer at school to save carrying it.he wouldn't. Wouldn't even take it off. So melted all the way home. Then I realized it was the wear to and from school rule - a bit slow on the uptake me! Now DS refuses to walk to or from school as just remembers that day when he was so hot.

sandyballs · 06/09/2012 13:23

Same here, very odd.

Katryn · 06/09/2012 14:58

How ridiculous, feel grateful that my 11 year old DS has started a school where there is no blazer, just a uniform guideline, which includes smart grey trouser, black shoes (not trainers) and any shirt with a collar. He went off today wearing a green shirt, no jumper and no blazer!

kilmuir · 06/09/2012 15:00

but why, they are in the classroom.
parents need to complain. Go to governors etc. please don't just moan and accept it

imperialstateknickers · 07/09/2012 13:59

It doesn't help that yr8 and yr9 girls absolutely point blank refuse to not wear their jumpers, even though they're not compulsory. It appears to be a mixture of fashion and boys seeing their bra-straps, or lack of.

bossboggle · 07/09/2012 14:09

Go complain about it!! Parent power goes a long way....you are the parent not the school!! IT IS NOT WRITTEN IN ANY LAW ANYWHERE that a child has to wear a school uniform - if a parent took it all the way then they would win!! No child should be made to overheat - it is dangerous - wish people would use their common sense over this - people in the real world dress appropriately for the weather - they should do it in school simple!!

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