Teachers!

[C8RKH]

One of the reasons, there are many others, why parents and other responsible adults just despair with Teachers/Heads and their ilk these days!  Yes, there are good ones, but Christ, there are some who need a wake up call!

I'll hide behind the sofa to avoid the barbs from the outraged who will be perplexed that someone could be negative about our wonderful, hard working, over worked, under paid, under appreciated teachers who are all saints and need to be worshipped at the chalk board!    

 

Parents of kids at a Cheshire school are furious after a new strict branded uniform policy meant their kids were stopped from wearing their own coats outside.

Students at Bishop Heber in Malpas are only permitted to wear the costly branded school jacket on school grounds. The various items of clothing together would cost a family up to £100 per child.

Photos taken by furious parents show staff milling around in warm overcoats while some children are just in jumpers.

One mum said that her asthmatic son was put into isolation for retrieving his confiscated coat as he was cold.

The school says it believes if kids were allowed to wear their own coats, it would "erode the great relationships we have with the students" because they might end up wearing hoodies.

The school's policies have been slammed by Cheshire MP Mike Amesbury, who is currently pushing a Bill to make sure parents are not being saddled with hefty bills for branded uniforms.

Another parent added: “They confiscated his [my son's] coat yesterday - outside - which I thought was absolutely ludicrous. He has asthma, which he is on constant medication for, so getting cold does him no good whatsoever.

"Because he went and got his coat back because he was cold, he has been put into isolation, that was his punishment.

“Why would you take a coat off a child when you know they’ve got asthma?"

She continued: “Kids should not be worried about getting into trouble for keeping warm.

"It’s just nonsensical. When they’re going into a warm classroom it’s totally different, but when you’re going into a classroom with the doors and windows open, you soon get cold when you’re sitting down.

“At some point, common sense has to prevail. These kids should not have to be cold.”

In an email to the parents of Year 9 students, head teacher David Curry explained the rationale behind the coat ban:

Mr Curry said that he was "aware that there’s been some discourse on social media about coats and why students cannot wear their own in school"

The email includes "If we allowed non-uniform coats, we believe strongly that it would erode the great relationships we have with the students day to day as inevitably students would push the boundaries and wear hoodies and other coats (inc. styles and colours) that undermines the high standards we have".

I'll leave it there. Lost for words and its the middle of bloody winter.

[mik]

Whilst I am not here to defend the profession (and I don’t work in it either) I am not sure that a single school applying a stupid policy really warrants a moan about all teachers(?) Not allowing additional coats over uniform is clearly a bit stupid though.

Uniform policies in poorer areas serve to avoid parents having to buy designer clothing in order to “fit in” - which is way more expensive.

[Barrykearley]

It’s funny how many are off with covid at my kids school. They know of no-one whom is off with it - but a fair few teachers are 🤔

[C8RKH]

1 hour ago, mik said:

warrants a moan about all teachers

It wasn't about "All" teachers as it acknowledged there were some good ones!

School uniforms can be a leveller, but there are loads of stories out there about kids going to school in say supermarket black (and grey as they matter too!) school trousers being sent home as they weren't from the "official" school uniform shop.  The reason they weren't was because the school uniform retailer was 3, 4, 5 times more expensive!

If a uniform is that important, and has such a positive effect on a child's learning then let's have ONE school uniform. Uniform design for all children to wear. Freely issued to all children whose parents are in say income support, fixed price for all other parents. The great leveller. Problem fixed.

I fear that in the many instances of "uniform abuse" the issue is down to the "ego's" of the Head and teaching staff who care more about how they and the school are perceived than they do about the actual educational attainment. Whether I am right or wrong in this view is not the issue. The fact is that this type pf perplexing behaviour gives me this perception and fuels a negative view of, teachers in some, like me.

Also, I have to say I did a stint through work of "buddying" with a teacher - the idea was we as managers would learn from the teachers, the teachers would learn from us. Going into the staff room was a revelation. Some of the teachers looked smart, professional, on top of their shit. Some of them looked like they had just come in from a weekend camping trip - hair and clothes all over the place, shoes NEVER polished, laces flapping around everywhere. They literally looked like they needed help, and these were the people we were sending into class rooms full of children forced to wear a uniform to be neat and tidy!  Ironic.

 

[oneshot]

33 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

Freely issued to all children whose parents are in say income support, fixed price for all other parents. form to be neat and tidy!  Ironic.

 

Some schools are already doing this - free uniform to ALL new starters.

[C8RKH]

That's actually to be applauded.

[Gjk]

I understand the principle behind a school uniform, that it is to identify the person to be from a certain school. I completely disagree with it being “enforced” I personally absolutely hated school uniform.

The funny thing is if the child/young adult chooses to go onto university they can wear what ever they want just because they made the grades!

[mik]

1 hour ago, C8RKH said:

Also, I have to say I did a stint through work of "buddying" with a teacher - the idea was we as managers would learn from the teachers, the teachers would learn from us. Going into the staff room was a revelation. Some of the teachers looked smart, professional, on top of their shit. Some of them looked like they had just come in from a weekend camping trip - hair and clothes all over the place, shoes NEVER polished, laces flapping around everywhere. They literally looked like they needed help, and these were the people we were sending into class rooms full of children forced to wear a uniform to be neat and tidy!  Ironic.

 

I don’t know, but some people might suggest the latter group could be the ones that the unions spend all their time protecting and preventing the leadership from managing up or out.

[Bibs]

My daughters full uniform inc sports kits just under £400!!

[Barrykearley]

😳that’s almost two whole tyres…….

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Just have to say in support of teachers, we just had an online parents’ evening and all were well prepared and very informative with regards to upcoming GCSEs. They’re also putting on extra revision classes after school. Best of all we didn’t need to leave our kitchen and all 7 teachers were seen in 35 minutes!

[Mark Blanchard]

I’ve got the expensive uniforms to buy, plus school fees X2, £36k a year.  Almost every penny I earn goes on Teachers salaries!

[C8RKH]

58 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

😳that’s almost two whole tyres…….

That's a good night out!

[Spinney]

My son went to a private school where uniforms were required but the staff always took a very sensibly pragmatic approach to overcoats. Warm non uniform overcoats were allowed, encouraged even, in cold weather, provided they weren’t hoodies. They were allowed warm headgear such as woollen or fur lined hats and, of course, scarves of their choice. 
Mind you, when out on the cold rugby pitch, they were expected to just wear the manly rugby shirts, shorts and socks, no matter how cold it was. That’s when you discover a jock strap has no appreciable thermal qualities whatsoever! I do accept, though, it wouldn’t be easy to play rugby whilst wearing an overcoat. 😂

When I were a lad, uniforms were much more widely required in most schools. Us boys even had to wear a cap, even in secondary school and weren’t allowed long trousers until the third year, roughly 14 years of age. Few things looked more ridiculous than an early developing 13 year old 6 footer wearing tight shorts, long socks and a cap that looked like a pimple on an elephants arse!🤦😂

I can recall you never wanted to be seen wearing a brand new cap, blazer or tie as that just wasn’t cool. First thing to be done was immediately kick any new uniform items around the school grounds a bit to make them look old and worn. 
My poor mother despaired whenever I came home with what had been a brand new piece of clothing that morning, and now looking like it was something you’d given a pack of dogs to play with. 
I actually think uniforms are a good idea, but schools have to be sensible about how their rules are applied, unlike the idiots in C8RKH example. 
 

[Bibs]

Chloe is entering the 6th form next year, for her school the uniform rules are 'business attire'!! We wore what we liked in my sixth form which was a boys grammer and otherwise quite strict*! 

*One of the maths teachers, Col. Haddon used to make you remove your socks if they were white and no bags carried over shoulders!! I think he learnt that in the Boer War!! 

[Mark Blanchard]

No uniform at our old school.  I'm in the middle.

And I wore this to lessons.

[pete]

Some have to wear them all their life 

Edited January 14 by pete