Posted on 11/16/2018 6:23:04 PM PST by Simon Green
A U.K. secondary school is banning a variety of designer jackets in an effort to stop "poverty-shaming."
Parents of students at Woodchurch High School, an institution in northwestern England, received a letter earlier this month from the school regarding the new policy. "Pupils will not be permitted to bring in Canadian [sic] Goose and Monclair [sic] coats after the Christmas break, the letter reads. "Some have also asked whether Pyrenex coats, which are also in a similar price range (with some also having real fur) will also be prohibited," it adds, before confirming "that these brands will also be prohibited after Christmas."
Headteacher Rebekah Phillips tells The Independent that some students had been coming to school in 700 pound (nearly $900) coats. This wasn't good for students whose parents couldn't afford such clothes. "They feel stigmatized, they feel left out, they feel inadequate," she says.
It's all part of a larger effort to prevent "poverty-shaming," Phillips tells the BBC. "We met with groups of pupils and made the decision in consultation with them," she says. "The pupils spoke to us about the pressure on families and the pressure on themselves to wear particular branded coats." According to Phillips, some parents requested the ban as well.
Many of Woodchurch High School's students—46 percent, according to CNN—are indeed poor. That's why the school provides free sanitary products and requires students use a certain type of backpack, so they don't pressure their parents to buy more expensive ones.
A YouGov survey suggests the British public largely agrees with the school's decision, with 68 percent saying they support it.
The backstory to the ban isn't clear. If this is just a case of some children feeling bad—or some adults worrying that kids will feel bad—because they can't afford the things some of their peers have, then the policy seems more likely to encourage a victim mentality than to help students feel better. Not being rich is nothing to be ashamed of; it hardly helps to tell kids that other people's clothes could "stigmatize" them.
It's possible, on the other hand, that some rich students were actively bullying other kids because of their clothes, and that the ban is an attempt to put an end to such cruelty. But in that case the school should target the behavior, not the clothes—and focus on the bullies rather than adopt a prohibition that affects everyone.
Went to private academy and yes, we did have neckties, blazers etc. We didnt give a rat’s ass if the public schools in our district hated us. Only the bleeding hearts did..
Loophole for expensive clothing manufacturers:
One branded coat free, available only with the purchase of an ultra-expensive banned coat. Hang up the banned coat and use it for non-school events and wear the free coat (that can only be obtained by buying the expensive coat) to school.
Bookmark
A bit late to the party peeps.
Achieving Leftist utopia: everyone shabby. (except the rulers)
Dress them all in Mao suits. That should fix the problem.
The world is going to be a total shithole in a generation or so.
I weep for kids nowadays.
The Japanese do it. everything is uniform.
Will they make the attractivestudents ugly or wear masks?
Will they make the fit students wear fat suits?
This is 221st century “education”. Doing no one any favors at all.
______
I see you’ve read Harrison Bergeron.
I came from a family of 8 children. My parents could not afford expensive clothing for us. I can remember during high school some of the other kids had nice clothing, while I had hand me downs. It did bother me some but if I really wanted something I would babysit or earn my own money to get it. I made me appreciate fully what I have. I never despised others for what they had. I don’t think they fully appreciated what they had. I feel I had the advantage later in life because of my situation. (And I have had 7 wonderful siblings to share my life with!)
What’s next? School uniforms?
“Be a real man kids
Wear a nice Hawaiian shirt blue jeans and flip flops when it’s cold
Act like you don’t care
Chicks LOVE IT”
I love that!!!!
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