Schoolgirl sent home for wearing Vivienne Westwood shoes sparks furious debate
A schoolgirl sent home for wearing Vivienne Westwood shoes has left parents across Britain hitting out at 'prison camp' attitudes at 'out of control' schools.
Yesterday, a furious mum said her daughter was told to leave Grace College in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear for wearing the designer pumps. Pupils have also reported being disciplined for donning Nike-branded walking boots as they lasted a matter of hours of the new school year on Tuesday - before being sent packing by staff.
Layla Thomson was sent home for wearing Vivienne Westwood shoes to school (Chronicle Live)Mum-of-two Melissa told Chronicle Live: "My daughter has had her first day at secondary school. She's been sitting in a room not learning anything at all and not wanting to go back. They've said she can't wear them for health and safety because the shoe doesn't cover the top of the foot. I asked if I could get her a loafer and they said that still wasn't acceptable, it had to be a brogue type of shoe.
"I just don't see why, I don't understand it. She was wearing them for the last two years of primary school and she didn't have any problems. I think it's just a power thing. There were so many girls sent home today. It's a school, it's not a camp. They're getting treated like they're in the Army and they have got to do this and that and wear this and that."
She's not the only unhappy parent as a number responded to the school's controversial decision. One told the mum: "The school administration is clearly out of control. Need to file complaints higher up.The stigma is bad enough but demanding unsuitable shoes be worn is over-the-top insane. Good luck to you, kids. The world supports you."
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Other pupils were sent home for wearing Nike trainers (Chronicle Live)Another said: "Well my daughter wore hers to school all last term along with a lot of others, never had an issue." Meanwhile, a third person put: "They're black smart school shoes, who cares what brand it is, they are suitable. Looks similar to the shoes I wore."
One parent say the strict rules are getting out of hand and speaking of her own experience, wrote: "It's not just those shoes, one child had Tesco shoes on and sent home for the sole being too big. Hair clips not allowed in certain colours, not allowed house keys in blazer, school is like a prison camp."
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The debate didn't stop there and another person says lessons need to be learned from elsewhere: "Most countries in the world don't have school uniforms. Not only do they survive, they often have far better educational standards than us. This is just a fact. You may not like it, but it's a fact. We British are a very strange people. So many of us seem to want to live in 1955, or even 1911."
But plenty of course also backed the school. One commented: "Suitable shoes do not cost £100! Just showing off. Well done school" while another put: "The reason for the uniform policy is to prevent some better off parents buying designer clothing and footwear for their children - It would be a competition on who has the most expensive shoes, trainers shirts, jackets etc."
Someone else put: "I’m with the school here. You could call quibbling over the style nitpicking but I’m in favour of schools not allowing the logos on shoes - stops any possible problems for kids who can’t afford whatever the 'must haves' are. The uniform policy is pretty easy to find on the college website too so ignorance of the rules isn’t an excuse. More a case of “the rules don’t apply to my child”.
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