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What is the difference between UK school and a concentration camp?

School bans boys from wearing shorts, telling them to wear skirts instead - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/chiltern-edge-school-uniform-policy-trousers-skirts-shorts-ban-a8382336.html

Parents complained wearing a blazer in the heat could make their children ill - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/school-uniform-headteacher-hatsdown-academy-matthew-tate-pupils-sent-home-a7232816.html

Nearly 80 pupils turned away from secondary in Kent over supposed dress code violations - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/school-uniform-row-hartswood-kent-dad-confronts-headmaster-at-gates-new-rules-a7231531.html

Schools refuse to let children take off their blazers during heatwave - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-heatwave-school-stops-children-taking-off-blazers-uniform-policy-temperature-a7801531.html

School sends pupils home for wearing wrong shade of grey trousers -
Headteacher Nicky Cooper defended the decision, saying: “We are very, very particular about the uniform because we need consistency right across the board.
Are the teachers there really that incompetent?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/kepier-school-houghton-le-spring-sunderland-a7935596.html

Mother whose child cried daily over school skirt to take legal action against 'discriminatory’ uniform policy - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/roberta-borsotti-skirt-school-uniform-policy-trousers-london-legal-action-department-for-education-a8435271.html

When my own children were at school I challenged the headmaster over clearly unlawful school policies. He told me quite clearly that he didn't care what the law said, he made the rules in his school. It took legal action to get him to back down and comply with the law.
suzie1960
61-69, F
33 replies 128 views Dec 1, 2018
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Edited: 5 yrs ago
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Caroline259 · 56-60, F
I don't know much about concentration camps but I am familiar with the attitude of some UK schools.

I attended an incident at a school earlier this year where a girl had fallen and injured herself. She had a suspected fracture of her ankle and a head injury that required suturing. It was reported (by another student) that she appeared to have lost consciousness for a short period and that she had subsequently vomited. Teachers had even moved her from where she fell!

When we arrived a rather indignant teacher told us were we weren't needed and demanded to know who had called us. I said I didn't know, I had just been told to attend. In fact, we'd been called secretly by another student on her mobile 'phone. As that was totally against the school rules she had asked us not to identify her as she would be in serious trouble.

We transported the casualty to A&E and I personally called her parents to let them know as, given the attitude of the teachers, I didn't trust them to. Quite frankly, I was disgusted by the way the teachers handled the incident.
+ 2 · Reply · Translate · Dec 3, 2018 · Edited: 5 yrs ago
Platoscave · F
Good point, those places were always hotbeds of ignorance and forced conformism...for terrible reasons.

I am not a European though, so I suspect I am in the minority

Americans 4 the most part, love anything militaristic and forced.
+ 3 · Reply · Translate · Jul 6, 2019
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
To compare with Nazi death camps is totally wrong.
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · Dec 3, 2018
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@suzie1960 okay, they are despicable! Can't they be prosecuted for child abuse.
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · Dec 3, 2018
suzie1960 · 61-69, F
@samueltyler2 There is no specific offence of "child abuse", they could only be prosecuted for actual criminal offences. In general, their abusive practices tend to be unlawful rather than illegal so are civil matters (torts). Many parents are reluctant to take legal action for fear of their children suffering reprisals. It's important to go in hard and fast.

The issue of school uniforms being available only from school appointed suppliers is something I think the monopolies commission should investigate.
+ 2 · Reply · Translate · Dec 4, 2018
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@suzie1960 that certainly sounds crooked. I wonder how much money gets back to the school leader? That could be fraud.
+ 2 · Reply · Translate · Dec 4, 2018
SW-User
The hyperbole of calling it a concentration camp takes away from your point.
+ 0 · Reply · Translate · Dec 1, 2018
SW-User
@suzie1960 Yes, that's idiotic, I have no argument with it. I don't agree with uniforms and I have nothing but bad memories of my time in school in the UK. The teachers and headmaster were abusive and demeaning, the children behaved like animals and the uniforms were soul-destroying tombstone grey. It doesn't surprise me to hear that uniforms are a racket.

The quality of education was much better in the UK, but the quality of life for the children was much worse.
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · Dec 1, 2018
rob19 · M
@SW-User
The quality of education was much better in the UK, but the quality of life for the children was much worse.
Much better than what? The quality of school life for UK students certainly hasn't improved in my lifetime, in many ways it's got worse. Our schools could learn a lot from schools in the rest of Europe, particularly Scandinavia.
+ 2 · Reply · Translate · Dec 2, 2018
SW-User
@rob19 Compared to the quality of education in North America
+ 0 · Reply · Translate · Dec 3, 2018
Gangstress · 41-45, F
Jesus. You're making isolated incidents sound like a worldly event.
+ 0 · Reply · Translate · Dec 1, 2018
suzie1960 · 61-69, F
@Gangstress Proof of what? That I wear jeans and T-shirts? Most of my clients do too. True professionals don't need to hide behind suits, our ability to do the job speaks for us.
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · Dec 1, 2018
Gangstress · 41-45, F
@suzie1960 no proof of the European teachers doing better than the uk ones
+ 0 · Reply · Translate · Dec 1, 2018 · Edited: 5 yrs ago
suzie1960 · 61-69, F
@Gangstress LOL!! Try visiting other European countries and assess for yourself. For a start, a very large proportion of young people (probably the majority) are functionally bi-lingual, often speaking English better than a lot of English people.
+ 4 · Reply · Translate · Dec 1, 2018
CinnamonWorlds
School bans boys from wearing shorts, telling them to wear skirts instead
is a silly headline. According to the actual article boys were told they could wear skirts -- nobody is telling them they have to!
+ 0 · Reply · Translate · Dec 21, 2018
suzie1960 · 61-69, F
@CinnamonWorlds The headline is accurate. Boys were told they couldn't wear shorts in hot weather and to wear skirts instead (if they were too hot).
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · Dec 21, 2018
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
I suppose if it is a private school they can set their own rules.
+ 0 · Reply · Translate · Dec 21, 2018
suzie1960 · 61-69, F
@samueltyler2 Not really, they still have to obey the law although some headteachers seem to think they're exempt.
+ 2 · Reply · Translate · Dec 21, 2018
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
That is so old worldly!
+ 0 · Reply · Translate · Dec 3, 2018
 
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