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Letter: Praising school for its standards
Tuesday 26th January 2010, 8:03AM GMT.
The Blessed Robert Johnson
In response to the article “Anger after girl sent home over piercing”, Shropshire Star January 13, I am also a parent of a pupil who attends Blessed Robert Johnson and I would like to congratulate the school on its stance on standards.
Mr Foster says: “Children think with their brains, not their lips, what does it matter if she has her lip pierced?”
If this is the case you could also argue that they think with their brains not their clothing, making school uniforms non compulsory.
While we are at it why not throw all school standards out the window?
It was made clear to me what the standards were prior to making my choice of the best school for my child.
I have both piercing and tattoos but my responsibility as a parent is guiding my children until they can take responsibility for their own decisions.
T Howarth
Madeley
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BRJ has long had an excellent reputation for its values and the sense of care and inclusiveness it extends to all those who enter the doors.
This is valuable yet it is sidelined in too many schools in the blinkered drive for League table position, ticking boxes and pursuing KPIs.
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Rules are rules all must adhere to them . That also means doing as you are told by your employer ie teachers balloting on the sats fiasco.
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Andrew Finch- what point are you trying to make exactly?
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Pupils do as the school rules state or out. Teachers do as the employer tells them with in reason to do .They should not be running to unions and telling the guv what they will or will not do and talking about stike action.
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Andrew,
I think you’ll find that under UK employment law it is perfectly acceptable for employees to use legitimate, democratic methods to protest against their employer, up to and including strike action. Only very poor quality, maverick employers don’t understand that.
One other point – why can so few contributors to these sites correctly spell the common phrase ‘Hear, hear’? It is an invocation to people to listen to the point being made, not some call to a dog!
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Peter ,
“UK employment law it is perfectly acceptable for employees to use legitimate, democratic methods to protest against their employer” Correct peter alas it has nothing to do with so called maveric employers . Everyone can belong to a union the employer does not have to recognise it though , I can assure you those that do only permit what they wish.I also think when the tory’s come to power the unions will not be ablebreak wind hence the unions requests in all sectors now.I would also add the difference with teachers unlike other employees is their actions affect others not just themselves.
The here here or hear hear is a tricky one I have been pulled up on this site and others it seems neither is correct so I give up and do which ever one comes to mind as I tipper on the old keyboard . Again however this is a quick posting site not an English Exam, nor a job application ,etc etc .
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I thought this one was about school uniform standards?
How did it get onto teachers striking?
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Havent got a clue lol
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Rules are rules, they are not a set of wishes you may, or may not adhere too, dependant on your affection for bits of metal stuck in your face. If you want to fill your face full of metal bits, fine, carry on, but you then find another school to go to. It is that simple.
On the subject of teachers striking, where will they find the time to strike? in amongst the 14 weeks holidays (104 days), every weekend off (98 days) and half a dozen PD days they take a year, they are only working 208 days a year as it is.
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Andrew,
I suspect it was your comment #5 that brought up the issue of teachers striking – or have you forgotten what you posted earlier.
As far as union recognition is concerned, employers are legally obliged to recognise a union where 51% of employees join a union, and in any event it would be foolish of any employer worth his salt to stir up industrial unrest – see my previous comment about mavericks – and if the cap fits – wear it!
As for ‘hear, hear’ it is never correctly spelt in any other way. I challenge you to find me a dictionary anywhere that shows it as ‘here, here’.
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I have been pulled up may times for hear hear or here here as I have said I give up . However from this day on I will do hear hear which is what infact I always use to do .I understand your union thing however many shop workers belong to the shop workers union and most shop/stores accept it but ignore the union as was seen in the recent bad weather fiasco where they docked pay,did or would they dock teachers pay??.
Infact we do not have many employers in the private sector who bow to any union , tell me of any incidents ??.
I think you will find it is always in the (millenium anyway) the public sector who threatens the employer with union action. Everyone is protected through the UK’s employment laws which are the best in the world no need for unions realy. The benefits to an employee of being in a union in 2010 are (if any) , they require it is free legal help to take on the employer for unfair dismissal etc and any employee who walks down that route clearly have a wish to belong to the long term unemployed.
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Interesting topic for me as I sat on school council(here in Canada) for a year and we attempted to bring in some sort of dress code. It wasn’t very successful and neither teachers nor parents supported the idea. It is interesting, though, that when students are required to wear uniforms flipping burgers etc., they becomes very cooperative!
As regards strikes I don’t know much about the situation in Britain, but all through my children’s education their schools were plagued by strike action. The teachers demanding better working conditions and more pay…of course. Yet the schools my kids attended were (still are) virtual palaces with every kind of amenity one can imagine – even a large car park for high school students. Also the school libraries are well stocked and special teacher-librarians to help students find whatever book they need.
In complete contrast, of course, to my school days in Shrewsbury in the 1940s and ’50s. Yet after only nine years at school we likely had a better education, and one that shaped our lives for the future, than kids have today.
One only has to read the posts on this and other forums to conclude that the education system is not working.
Peter, I always use exclamation marks when writing
Hear! Hear!
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