Pupils walk out of lessons after school BANS them from wearing bracelets to support classmate with l

A huge group of angry pupils went on strike yesterday after their school banned them from wearing bracelets in support of a classmate with leukaemia.
Police were called in when 100 pupils walked out of lessons at Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire, after being told they could only wear 'Team Joel' bracelets on a non-uniform day next month.
Pupils who want to wear the wristbands in support of Joel Smith - a Year 11 pupil who is undergoing hospital treatment - on other days have been warned they will be violating the school's uniform policy.


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Pupils walk out of lessons after school BANS them from wearing bracelets to support classmate with leukaemia

What is going on with schools these days?

I swear that it makes me want to scream. Headteachers, or should I call them 'Zellenleiter' have become laws unto themselves - devoid of decency, empathy or any understanding of their students or their families.

If I was running this school, not only would my students be wearing wristbands, I'd probably try to arrange some kind of uniform change to T-Shirts with a Team Joel slogan; I'd have a banner outside the the school; I'd be doing everything I could to let this kid know that we were in his corner. I'm ashamed of my former profession.

Look at the recent example with the Lee Rigby bracelet?

Another example of schools gone mad? Fining hard working parents for taking kids on holidays during term time. Are two weeks really going make much of a difference in the big picture? No - they are not. I've got a lot of respect for the ski holiday company offering to pay any fines incurred. A shrewd business decision - yes - but I'd argue my kids learn more about themselves on the slopes than in a dump of a school being brainwashed by uninspiring, easily led, robots.

It's power tripping on a ridiculous level. I wonder; what goes on on NPQH courses that makes this people into idiots.

Schools? I'm sick of 'e?. I could rant about the dealings I've had with my autistic son's school, but I have neither the energy nor the will to subject anyone to it.

Stupid people. A stupid system. Overhaul and new blood more than overdue.

Cado

reply to post by cado angelus


Empathy should be rewarded and not punished--regardless of uniform dress codes. It was a bracelet in support of a classmate. It wasn't like they were wearing torn up t-shirts with the kid's face on it or the bracelets were really just jewelry, which tends to be the basis of the no bracelets rule. However, if they want to teach these kids to stand up against authority when it prevents the display of empathy for a peer, I guess the school's actions are fine by me because the kids stood up to them--literally.

WhiteAlice
reply to post by cado angelus

 

Empathy should be rewarded and not punished--regardless of uniform dress codes. It was a bracelet in support of a classmate. It wasn't like they were wearing torn up t-shirts with the kid's face on it or the bracelets were really just jewelry, which tends to be the basis of the no bracelets rule. However, if they want to teach these kids to stand up against authority when it prevents the display of empathy for a peer, I guess the school's actions are fine by me because the kids stood up to them--literally.

I couldn't agree with you more. As I said in my original post, I would have had the kids in t-shirts. The no jewellery rule in schools is generally there to prevent jealously, theft and parental pressures. None of these apply in this situation. It's an idiot of a head interpreting a rule that they, and the governing body have put in place literally.

I remember back when I was doing my law degree and we were looking at interpretation of statutes. To me, the 'literal rule' always seemed the very short-sighted approach whereas the 'golden rule,' or looking at the what the spirit of the legislation intended always seemed like the sensible and intelligent approach. For once in my life I'm going to suggest that people take a lead from the judiciary. No - they often don't get it right, but I believe that's a different issue, but when we think of more intellectual things such as jurisprudence or legal theory - there are some wonderful thinkers out there.

Headteachers? Idiots. Simples - to quote a wise meerkat.

reply to post by WhiteAlice

It goes deeper than that. The school said the kids could display the bracelets on their book bags etc and could show support that way, and apparently some kids were fine with that compromise and wanted to return to class, but.... It was a minority of students who not only wouldn't accept that, which had them concerned, partly because they were pressuring other students who wanted to return to class to not return to class...almost sounds like pressure in a union to not cross a picket line or something. There are usually two sides to every story and sometimes I feel like we get a biased view from one side.

reply to post by Arbitrageur


So why not wear it on the wrist? To me that just smacks of someone wanting to impose their will. To relate this to a picket line is, I think, unfair. There are two sides to every story, you're right, but sometimes one side is clearly wrong and I honestly feel that in this case, the school is in the wrong. They can dress it up any which way they like, but they are after compliant, malleable students who do not question. They actually expect the same of the parents too. This is flat out wrong.

If we want to create a generation who are unable to think for themselves then this is the way to go about it.

reply to post by Arbitrageur


Kids finding solidarity together does not equate to a union picket line. People can actually get together for a common cause without it having some nefarious root. The school spokesman, despite the outrage and support from parents of the students who walked out, was the one blamed it thus:

‘There were a small minority of students whose actions can only be described as anti-social and potentially dangerous who used this as an opportunity to be disruptive."

It was a peaceful walk out yet those who may have started the idea can "only be described as anti-social and potentially dangerous". My god, these villains are ripping apart the fabric of society with their gosh darned empathy.

Give me a break.

cado angelus
reply to post by Arbitrageur

 

So why not wear it on the wrist?

The answer to that question is another question. Why have a jewelry policy at all?

As soon as you start allowing exceptions, the jewelry policy is gone. I don't have a problem with that personally but I don't understand the reasons for a jewelry policy in the first place, but there must be some reasons for it.

sounds like senseless power tripping...

in the words of megadeath :

" put a man in control and watch him become a god "

Arbitrageur

cado angelus
reply to post by Arbitrageur

 

So why not wear it on the wrist?

The answer to that question is another question. Why have a jewelry policy at all?

As soon as you start allowing exceptions, the jewelry policy is gone. I don't have a problem with that personally but I don't understand the reasons for a jewelry policy in the first place, but there must be some reasons for it.

Define jewelery... I believe I commented upon this earlier.

hopenotfeariswhatweneed
sounds like senseless power tripping...

in the words of megadeath :

" put a man in control and watch him become a god "

It really could well be the countdown to extinction. Good taste in tunes, sir.

cado angelus
Define jewelery... I believe I commented upon this earlier.

I''ve got no disagreement with the dictionary, do you?

reply to post by cado angelus


On a positve note...good on these kids for standing up for what they believe in...there may be hope for the next generation after all.

Police were called

Of course they were...I'm surprised they didn't mow them down with an MRAP full of SWAT.

Yet another sign of the decline of western civilization.

cado angelus

. A shrewd business decision - yes - but I'd argue my kids learn more about themselves on the slopes than in a dump of a school being brainwashed by uninspiring, easily led, robots.

I agree with your overall premise. Rules followers piss me off to no end.

That aside, the above snippet, quoted for your pleasure....why on God's Earth do people accept that the school they entrust their childrens education too sucks?

On the one hand this thread is expressing outrage at the overreaching nature of a school. On the other hand, it is admitting that parents are either unable or unwilling to push back and help create the school they want to see.

I know you are not in the states. In Texas, the parents have much more control/input. To a point that the local HS principle will audibly groan when he finds a meeting with me on his calendar. As many here may have surmised....i can be somewhat difficult to discuss contentious subjects with. Nothing is more contentious to me than my boys.

But by God, those are your kids. If you don't like the education they are recieving, fix it.

reply to post by Arbitrageur


uniforms are about equality. Creating a bland, generic, beige colored product is their primary goal. Conformism, etc. That is why everyone gets a participant ribbon. If you were acknowledged as a "winner", that would imply others were "losers", and we just can't have that.

So jewelry is banned to prevent children from having that status symbol. To make them all feel more alike. Of course it is a stupid idea and doesn't work. But in a Dallas school, once going to uniforms kids began using things like socks and watches as their outward expressions of status.

reply to post by cado angelus


Props to the students....

What does it say when the village idiot comes to the correct solution before the Nobel laureate? (not calling the students idiots, just using the analogy for common sense).

One would think instilling /supporting appropriate behavior like this is more important than policy and procedure.


reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Yeah the everybody is a winner mantra as opposed to encouraging people to work hard is a problem in my opinion. I believe it sends the wrong message as well.

Stories like this only strengthen my believe that i don't want to have kids on this planet. Because the government and the school system brainwash your children and stick them full of poisonous vaccines. Society is at it's all time low and it''s a matter of time before we self destruct

It appears the trend now is to de-humanize us. Anything beyond conformity and compliance is not welcome. I'm not on-board with all this. None of us should tolerate it. Our greatest assets are our individualism and humanity.

I'm on the fence, I like to see that kids are showing empathy ( IMO it's a dying trait) but why a plastic bracelet ?
Whose making money off of those? How about a nice personal card or letter to the actual boy to show true empathy rather than wearing some crap that will inevitably end up polluting the earth ? Where do they draw the line if these pupils have many charities or people they support with coloured bracelets ?
I feel that kids these days are having to follow fewer and fewer rules, sure who likes rules? Personally I break many 'rules' in life, but some I have to abide by though I can't wear jewelry at work or have my hair showing... Can I just walk out too?

From what I've gathered in this instance is that a minority of pupils refused to compromise and most likely just didn't want to be in class ;0)

Regarding school uniforms, we have a choice of schools in my area, some have uniforms some don't, I chose uniforms for my kids. I can't imagine having to make sure the kids have the latest trends and brands in order to keep their spot in the cool club.I don't wear trends or labels myself. They have the weekend and their adulthood to 'express themselves' . And again, as adults we wear 'uniforms' for work, why not kids?

Weirdly enough I was actually a student at that very school about 10-15 years ago and I can very much believe it hasn't got any better since.

Most of the teachers were terrible and the school was badly run, for example when my mother asked them to give me extra help due to my dyslexia their only suggestion was they were willing to put me into detention after school everyday to give me extra time to study.

In the end I was pulled out of the school and home educated.

The only good teacher I saw there was an science teacher who was near retirement but he got forced out when he accidently blew out several windows on the science block.

I don't think you can equate a slavish adherence to a non jewellery policy with head teachers losing the power to decide whether pupils can betaken on hholiday during term time.

Holidays are no longer something that heads have any control over.


I'm pleased these kids are discovering the power that comes from sticking together though. That's a hell of a lesson to learn, especially so early in life.