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 -
[quote]Headteacher Nicky Cooper defended the decision, saying: “We are very, very particular about the uniform because we need consistency right across the board.[/quote] 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 [b]his[/b] school. It took legal action to get him to back down and comply with the law.

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samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

To compare with Nazi death camps is totally wrong.

suzie1960 · 61-69, F

@samueltyler2 I agree, I wasn't referring to Nazi death camps, I meant concentration camps as invented by the English in the Boer wars.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@suzie1960 I don't know much about them, but a requirement for some uniform clothing or behavior, although repugnant to me, hatdlynrates in the same breath as any forced imprisonment.

suzie1960 · 61-69, F

@samueltyler2 The uniforms usually have to be bought from school appointed suppliers at well over the market value. The suppliers have to pay a large bribe ("commission") to be so appointed. Students are not permitted to leave the premises for lunch and schools often dictate what they may and may not eat for lunch so, at least in that respect, they are imprisoned.

Students are often put in solitary confinement ("isolation") for such minor matters as, literally, wearing the wrong colour socks. If impoverished parents cannot afford the overpriced uniform, their children are excluded so denied what is supposed to be a free education. In some cases, schools have demand to see receipts for students' clothes to prove they were bought from the appointed supplier. When a student is excluded, it can be deemed "unauthorized absence" and the parents fined.

Students have been denied a leave of absence to attend family funerals, presumably relatives are expected to arrange to die out of term time.

Hypocritical headteachers often set a bad example by blatantly breaking the law and then complaining that students have no respect for them or school rules. They frequently treat parents and student with utter contempt - see the examples I gave in my OP. It appears, from @Caroline259's post that injured students are denied medical treatment in some cases.

Maybe comparing headteachers to tinpot dictators is unfair - to tinpot dictators.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@suzie1960 okay, they are despicable! Can't they be prosecuted for child abuse.

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.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@suzie1960 that certainly sounds crooked. I wonder how much money gets back to the school leader? That could be fraud.