Give this head Teacher a 'medal'.

[DNB_Seagull]

"I'm not buying her a new pair of shoes. I'm a single parent. I can't afford a new pair of shoes," she said.

FFS I live near Bradford and next to all kids where pumps to school. They're cheaper and black who cares.

I get why we have them but the cost is ridiculous which is ironic considering the reason they give is so kids who cannot afford decent clothes get bullied. As for school pride FFS teachers at my school are scruffy as.

 

[glasfryn]

I fully agree with you in that the Deputy Head could have been far more tactful. My wife is a school secretary charged with selling uniform. Yes, without the logo the garment could well be bought more cheaply, though she defends the system by saying that it is a way of the school being able to boost school funds and thus pay for the extras that would not normally come out of County Council budgets. The children benefit in the long run. Whether selling something for £20, when it could be bought for £4, to use your example, is reasonable, is of course open for debate.
PS I was brought up in Westdene, doing my paper round there in the 6os!

so was I hilly was not the word ....................I lived in Fernwood Rise

 

[Westdene Seagull]

so was I hilly was not the word ....................I lived in Fernwood Rise

Never a paper boy but used to live in Mill Rise ..... and with the steepest set of steps I've ever owned.

 

[glasfryn]

Never a paper boy but used to live in Mill Rise ..... and with the steepest set of steps I've ever owned.

I used to deliver papers for "Salmons" in Patcham old village morning and evening bloody long walk twice a day.......and I met him later in life on the East Terrace we had some good times there

 

[Guinness Boy]

Rubbish. Even the strictest school uniform policy will be bent as far as humanly possible by the kids. It happened to all of us.

They all find ways to express their "individuality" quite easily (even if they all unwittingly end up looking the same anyway).

Some even resort to dressing in identical black uniforms and banging a drum. The horror.

 

[Hastings gull]

Never a paper boy but used to live in Mill Rise ..... and with the steepest set of steps I've ever owned.

Thanks for the reply -I was in Westdene Drive for 20 years or so. Paper round was for Maxeys, who used to own the newsagents in Mill Rise. Great times. There were 4 of us then and we all still support the Albion. I have fond memories of standing in Maxeys at 6.15 pm after a home match waiting for the Football edition of the Argus -don't think that is still printed now! My brother did two rounds on the Saturdays when I went to away matches!

 

[Frampler]

According to the newspaper articles on this matter, the school has sent home pupils for arriving at the school gates with a winter coat on over the school blazer. That's pedantic in the extreme, and doesn't reflect anything the pupils will experience in the workplace (an employer would just tell you to take the coat off before you start work). However, I have more sympathy with the school when it comes to piercings, trainers and unnaturally died hair - these are quite obviously outside the uniform policy and parents sending their kids to school in that state should sort it out.

Many a school has been taken over by a new head who thinks that blazers are the key to academic achievement. They're not - good, engaging teaching is.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

I was told this story when training to be a teacher where a school was having problems with pupils wearing non uniform trainers. Rather than send them home they'd be marched to the head's office in the morning told to remove the trainers and given a pair of tartan slippers to wear for the rest of the day. Those refusing point blank to wear them were excluded for defiance. Needless to say within three weeks the trainer wearing problem had disappeared.

 

[sir albion]

I'll start hanging around the school gates again

 

[Dandyman]

Its called Standards. Make no mistake she will get a post in 'private education' and can you blame her ?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-29911712

Is the medal for sending a kid with Asberger's home on his own ?

 

[Wilko]

As a teacher myself I really do not get the obsession with uniform, especially rules such as standard haircuts, no bracelets and plain shoes. Teenagers should be able to express themselves and show individuality, the point of education is to learn, do you learn any less well cause you have 2 earrings, an arm full of bracelets and a non conservative haircut?

Too much time is spent in schools fussing and worrying about uniform, does it really matter? I feel the same when people say that I do not dress like a teacher cause I have piercings and tattoos, so what?, I do my job well and that is all that matters.

Let teenagers express their individuality and judge them on their effort, intellect and character, not on how well they can tuck their shirt in.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

This is typical of an accademy. What is happening is state schools are failing OFSTED inspections and being forced to become academy's. The sponsors of these academy's soon realise that they can do no better so resort to tactics such as enforcing uniform to 'improve standards'. It does not matter what the children wear if the teaching and management of the school is weak.

 

[BadFish]

I was told this story when training to be a teacher where a school was having problems with pupils wearing non uniform trainers. Rather than send them home they'd be marched to the head's office in the morning told to remove the trainers and given a pair of tartan slippers to wear for the rest of the day. Those refusing point blank to wear them were excluded for defiance. Needless to say within three weeks the trainer wearing problem had disappeared.

They did that at Hove Park for a time with kipper ties, they just became a badge of honor for the 'erberts and the idea was canned.

 

[Jolene81]

This is typical of an accademy. What is happening is state schools are failing OFSTED inspections and being forced to become academy's. The sponsors of these academy's soon realise that they can do no better so resort to tactics such as enforcing uniform to 'improve standards'. It does not matter what the children wear if the teaching and management of the school is weak.

Not anymore, under the Coalition government any school judged 'outstanding' by OFSTED can apply for Academy status

 

[ewe2]

Uniforms offer a sense of belonging,we all have our own uniforms ,that conform,from football shirts to judges wigs to vicars collars etc-etc ,the majority of people,are happy dressing for what they are doing...without standing out.IMO having a school uniform is helpful in this.

 

[nwgull]

As a teacher myself I really do not get the obsession with uniform, especially rules such as standard haircuts, no bracelets and plain shoes. Teenagers should be able to express themselves and show individuality, the point of education is to learn, do you learn any less well cause you have 2 earrings, an arm full of bracelets and a non conservative haircut?

Too much time is spent in schools fussing and worrying about uniform, does it really matter? I feel the same when people say that I do not dress like a teacher cause I have piercings and tattoos, so what?, I do my job well and that is all that matters.

Let teenagers express their individuality and judge them on their effort, intellect and character, not on how well they can tuck their shirt in.

Do you teach in a nice school?

 

[Hastings gull]

As a teacher myself I really do not get the obsession with uniform, especially rules such as standard haircuts, no bracelets and plain shoes. Teenagers should be able to express themselves and show individuality, the point of education is to learn, do you learn any less well cause you have 2 earrings, an arm full of bracelets and a non conservative haircut?

Too much time is spent in schools fussing and worrying about uniform, does it really matter? I feel the same when people say that I do not dress like a teacher cause I have piercings and tattoos, so what?, I do my job well and that is all that matters.

Let teenagers express their individuality and judge them on their effort, intellect and character, not on how well they can tuck their shirt in.

I feel that this is rather simplistic and am not at all sure that you are doing teenagers a favour by emphasising individuality. Of course you can learn with any type of haircut etc but at some stage we all have to comply with what we are asked to do, even if we do not agree -then comes the test for a pupil schooled in individualism. Another post asked where you teach and I noticed an address in Nairobi -are you in a British comprehensive, we wonder or an expensive private school?

 

[smartferndale]

Keep uniform simple and cheap. i.e. jumpers from Tesco or Asda and not from an unnecessarily expensive shop. No ties and girls wear trousers and then no hassle with the length. Jewellery as minimal as possible. No problems with theft or safety in tech classes. There are no excuses for not keeping to the rules. Individuality or just trying to get your own way supported by awkward parents who have little or no control over their own children? Schools are preparing pupils for work and how many times have I heard about youths being sacked very quickly for having a poor attitude and not being able or willing to follow orders of supervisors.

 

[gregbrighton]

Uniforms are important. Children need order and discipline. Uniformity in dress reinforces those values which a lot of parents seem incapable of instilling their offspring with, today.

Individuality can be expressed in many different ways, not just through dress.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I understand the reasoning & importance of the School uniform policy , to a certain extent at least.
What I fail to understand is the impact the colour or style of your hair or how many piercings you have has on your ability to learn?

The principal said rules were an important part of growing up to get students ready for "adult life".


Pretty sure that in "adult life" you are free to express yourself with your personal appearance however you see fit. You can have brightly, unnatural coloured hair & as many piercings as you please. Most workplaces do not discriminate against multicoloured, pierced people & they certainly don't send you home to make yourself ready to work.

Pretty sure you aren't. My workplace has standards and would certainly send home multicoloured haired, pierced people to make themselves ready for work. The workplace is not the place to freely express yourself with your personal appearance. That place is your personal life and time.