Playing along to delusions - costumes and PE

[GreenAndSpringy]

One of my biggest peeves at Primary School was the expectation that children would be dressed up for a event, particularly World Book Day, AND take part in PE (Physical Education).

I had hoped this ridiculousness would be something the kids could be allowed to evolve out of, but no….

Culture Day!

There’s enormous pressure and expectation for the young people to be ambassadors for their ethnic heritage, and it sits alongside a refusal to acknowledge that many of them can’t just slip into and out of cultural clothing for a PE lesson.

There’s something icky and disrespectful about getting young people to compromise and “play at” cultural representation so that boxes can get ticked. It isn’t “inclusive” at all, some will get to reflect their heritage truthfully whilst others, if they do attempt to participate, end up doing it in a half-arsed and embarrassing way.

Somehow I have to square the circle so that my daughter doesn’t feel let down. Makes me so cross!

Never heard of stuff like that at secondary

Is it that everyone has to get dressed up? Or if you want to....And if you don't want to then come in school uniform.

I would suggest if the latter you will only get a few of the more outgoing students partaking. Most won't.

Ha ha! Maybe we should private message on this one.

I blooming love a dress up day, and the Y7 and Y8 have missed out on so much of the fun end of primary stuff. I can completely see that it’s some peoples worst night mare though.

What I have an issue with is the stereotyping that a culture day must bring. My child doesn’t have “a culture”, she’s really wound up about what to dress as.

I’ve got some wonderful ideas for her that would be just the right side of agitating, but she’s a good girl, doesn’t want to upset, and wants to fit in.

Tshirts with Heinz 57 written on perhaps?

When I was at school in the 1950s, Catholic school, we had a big Polish population and the Polish kids always wore national dress on the National Day, can't remember when that was. In miserable 1950s England their costumes were so bright and pretty. I was really envious.

Not really relevant but just brought back some happy memories.

And yes, no one will notice if you’re dressed up or not. It’s a non uniform school. Paint nails with a countries flags, wear coloured socks, or do nothing. Honestly, it’s rant worthy but this is probably my not the hill worth dying on!

Culture day? It doesn't sit right with me. Would they expect my children to go in as a bull fighter and flamenco dancer? Both of these costumes are wildly inappropriate. As a family we despise one and have no connection with the other! If not, what would they expect? The Spanish side of the family dresses just like the English side!
It seems like a silly idea!

Cultural appropriation is not appropriate. Things have meanings fgs. There are outfits/traditional dress/ accessories etc that have alot of meaning behind them. Symbols of traditions and perhaps spiritual significance etc. Somethings aren't just an outfit.

And what are boring old english heritage children meant to wear? Last year there an Out break of shorts worn with black socks and sandals/crocs to be British man abroad

I’m going to send DD n with that quote on a t shirt *whatwould!

Cultural Appropriation is Not Appropriate

Just don’t do it. Leave it those for whom it means something. It’s a stupid idea though. Far better to look at literature, art and music/theatre of other cultures.

This is a weird thing to expect of secondary age children. Are 14 year olds really expected to dress up?

@Whatwouldscullydo

Cultural appropriation is not appropriate. Things have meanings fgs. There are outfits/traditional dress/ accessories etc that have alot of meaning behind them. Symbols of traditions and perhaps spiritual significance etc. Somethings aren't just an outfit.

Is it cultural appropriation if it is their family's culture? The Polish kids I went to school with had a very strong Polish identity, went to Polish school on Saturday and Sunday, spoke Polish at home, had Polish food. I know as I had Polish friends and visited their homes.

Wearing Polish national costume was something they were proud of. I'm not sure why it was only Polish kids who did it, the school also had Irish, Scottish, Spanish and Italian kids but they never did it.

@Revengeofthepangolins

And what are boring old english heritage children meant to wear? Last year there an Out break of shorts worn with black socks and sandals/crocs to be British man abroad

Morris dancers?

If is quite odd to see how views have changed though. When DD2 was a secondary school around 13 years ago, we had a fancy dress evening fund raiser for parents where people dressed up as folk from another country. No one thought it odd that I wore a Spanish costume and DD borrowed a Nigerian one from a Nigerian friend who was delighted to lend it. Others represented all sorts of nations. We didn’t offend anyone I think.

ancient It was unclear if it was like a Halloween situation where kids just pick an outfit or whether it would actually just be the ones with different backgrounds. Alot of thide costumes border on cultural appropriation such as native American costumes( I hope that's the correct description aploogies if not) After all British culture is very much now a huge mix of cultures. And families are now also a huge mix if different backgrounds.

I certainly can imagine it being extremely difficult to decide " which one" so to speak.

Plus surely some of the clothing is special. Hand made or handmade embroidered. Been in the family a long time etc worn for something specific/special.

The last place on earth you'd wanna wear it would be school where your likely ha e a coffee knocked over you or someone's pen flicked at you etc

Are you local to me? Our school is in an academy trust with another school and the other school had a Culture Day. It looks like it was kids who wanted to show their culture who were dressed up. Teenagers wouldn't want to appropriate another culture so I assume it's optional iyswim

Just had a closer look at the academy newsletter and it was just Sixth Formers. They don't wear uniform so it makes sense that they might have a day when they all dress up in Cultural dress for the day instead.

I ended up finding something appropriate that my kid could take on and off, before and after PE.

It’s not what we hoped she would be able to wear tomorrow, and is a massive compromise, but it’s all we can do.

The dressing up part is never the problem, dressing up IS great! I object to how certain kids are singled out by the decision into huge difficulties others won’t have when trying to comply.

In short, sure, World Book Day, Culture Day, Ancient Civilisation Day, whatever you like, but just suspend the PE Kit expectations for that one blasted occasion.

@Whatwouldscullydo

ancient It was unclear if it was like a Halloween situation where kids just pick an outfit or whether it would actually just be the ones with different backgrounds. Alot of thide costumes border on cultural appropriation such as native American costumes( I hope that's the correct description aploogies if not) After all British culture is very much now a huge mix of cultures. And families are now also a huge mix if different backgrounds.

I certainly can imagine it being extremely difficult to decide " which one" so to speak.

I read this bit There’s enormous pressure and expectation for the young people to be ambassadors for their ethnic heritage so couldn't see where the cultural appropriation came into it. If it was just "pick a culture" obviously it would be.

I agree about the mixture, my kids would have 4 cultures to pick from, I'm not sure if that would make it easier or harder.

I agree about the mixture, my kids would have 4 cultures to pick from, I'm not sure if that would make it easier or harder

It kinda seems a bit like celebrating diversity whilst assuming everyone " sticks to their own" which doesn't that kinda miss what diversity has lead to and that's friendships amd families with all sorts of mixtures/combinations of backgrounds.

I was born in this country , and my dad is half Eastern European. My grandfather married an English woman. I have distant Eastern European relatives.

I wonder what kids with mixtures of backgrounds would do.

I’ve never heard of culture day but it sounds like an almighty pain for many kids whose authentic ethnic outfit could indeed be very fiddly or easily damaged.
Luckily my kids are just English. School uniform will do nicely if they ever try this bollox around here.

@Liverbird77

Culture day? It doesn't sit right with me. Would they expect my children to go in as a bull fighter and flamenco dancer? Both of these costumes are wildly inappropriate. As a family we despise one and have no connection with the other! If not, what would they expect? The Spanish side of the family dresses just like the English side! It seems like a silly idea!

Here’s my kid in Spanish regional dress on a day we didn’t have to worry about PE kit.

That’s the thing, we take these opportunities to share our culture seriously.

That’s a fantastic costume Green, beautiful. She could wear trainers with that and go skateboarding surely?