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Unreasonable school rules

The Singing Beard

What were the most unreasonable school rules you can remember from your school-going days?

I was in secondary school from 2003 to 2008, (inclusive).

In my school, the front door was for staff and visitors only, if a teacher caught you going in this door, you had to go back out the front door, around the school and in the back or side door.

Drinking was completely forbidden in classrooms. If you even took a sip from your water bottle in class, the bottle would be seized and not returned until the end of the day.

Wearing any coats other than the €80 school coat was forbidden. If you were even seen by staff on the way to school with it on, they'd find you and take it from you. If if was a cold day, tough.

If you were between classes and had to send a text message some teachers would slither like a serpent and take the phone from you. Even if you were not in a class.

If you were late to school (even if it was the school bus drivers fault / traffic) you still got detention.

Was my school abnormally fascist or did anyone else have similar experiences? It wasn't a Christian Brothers School btw.

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Dayum

Compulsory public schooling is child abuse.

The_Valeyard

Dayum wrote: »

Compulsory public schooling is child abuse.

wha? How?

Crooked Jack

I never understood the hard on schools (and the general adult world) have for banning gutties. A plain black pair are every bit as neat as shoes and they're far more comfortable. You get out of school and you think that ****'s over but then every workplace/nightclub/wedding etc.. wants to pillorise you for not strapping a pair of awkward, uncomfortable leather boxes to your feet in deference to their establishment.

[Deleted User]

miss no stars wrote: »

The only one that struck me as being genuinely unfair was that you couldn't bring any OTC medication to school (inhalers and insulin only, basically). Which might sound fine, but they were completely inflexible on it even on a case by case basis and I have a disorder that means I tend to be in some degree of pain (anywhere from mild to severe) most of the time and my treatment consisted of ibuprofen (& paracetamol if particularly bad) as required with 4 hours between doses. But because it was a painkiller the school wouldn't let me carry them (fair enough, don't necessarily trust a 12 year old not to accidentally overdose or OD in deperation due to pain), nor would they allow me to store them in the school office and get them as required. Mum queried it when I was in first year and fainted during assembly and was told that if a pupil is sick they're to see the school receptionist (who's not qualified to dispense medication!!). So when I did go to the receptionist looking for painkillers I was basically told "school policy says I can't give you any painkillers". So I had to option of going back to class (in tears from the pain) or going home. So because of a stupid school rule that students can't carry painkillers on them my attendance never went above 75% until I got old enough that I told them where to go with their rule. At which point I was already getting sick with something else. Making a rule preventing access to medication actually strikes me as really cruel, not just unfair.

Why didn't you just hide it in your bag? That is the most ridiculous rule ever. I can imagine loads of girls having horrible cramps and not being able to take anything...

[Deleted User]

Did anyone else's primary school ban Pokemon cards?

Dayum

The_Valeyard wrote: »

wha? How?

Because the model of public schooling is built on our dated view of the Industrial Revolution. I.e - massive factories (schools) churning out products (children) on a conveyor belt having thrown every individual child (with different wants, needs, desires, interests and passions) under one group to be separated into categories based upon some abstract grading system. There have been countless studies done that clearly shows as a child progresses through public schooling his or her creativity, curiosity and individuality diminishes and eventually, inevitably disappears.

I have friends that have taught in public schools for the best part of 15 years and they can attest to the fact that the children are bored, but not as bored as the teachers. It's cruelty that we lock these kids up for 6-8 hours, 5 days a week for 18 years to learn something they have no need for in life nor something they wish to learn and then decide their life for them by telling them they're just not good enough, not smart enough, not worthy enough when they get their grades.

It's not that these kids are some sub-species of human - it's a broken, outdated system that has destroyed their hopes, dreams and desires. Why should a child on the verge of understanding decimals and fractions be told to put down that arithmetic textbook and take out their poetry book?! Why should a child with curiosity in computers be punished and roared at for scribbling in their notebook because they're bored learning about Irish?!

The Department of Education has a lot to answer for. The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development has stated that a massive percentage of Irish males are functionally illiterate and we spend more time (with the exception of Israel) learning about religion in class with biology, physics, chemistry and the sciences given a backseat.

And then if you wish to see your child receive a real education, along comes the government (who apparently know better than you as a parent) to punish you for not sending your child to be indoctrinated, to be told he/she is not good enough, to kill any creativity and individuality your child has. Why is it that a child that has self-educated about the human body be told they cannot study medicine because they had no interest in history or art?

What an absolute joke.

Our education system is built, and designed, to the benefit of the unions - not the children that is, ironically, claims to help.

Shenshen

Wow - after reading this thread, I'm incredibly glad that I went to school in Germany.

Children having to enter by the side/back door with the front door being for teachers only? One-way systems in the corridors? School uniforms? How on earth do schools here get away with such nonsense?

ShiftStorm

In my primary school, some parents signed up their kids to get a little carton of milk every lunchtime. All grand so far. Except, the caretaker would leave the cartons on the radiator AND the milk kids were made to drink their milk in front of the rest of the class. Poor little Shiftstorm trying not to gag in front of the whole class on warm, sour milk while classmates were happily drinking their refreshingly chilled, sugary capri suns :mad:

Another rule was that at the end of break, there would be two bells rung. On the first bell, everyone in the yard had to freeze in position and on the second bell, everyone then lined up with the rest of their class. One particularly sadistic teacher would walk around the yard after the first bell to see if anyone moved and woe betide you if you were mid-hopscotch and you were trying to stay balanced on one leg

Towards the end of my time there, they also banned running in the school yard.

CrazyRabbit

Dayum wrote: »

Because the model of public schooling is built on our dated view of the Industrial Revolution. I.e - massive factories (schools) churning out products (children) on a conveyor belt having thrown every individual child (with different wants, needs, desires, interests and passions) under one group to be separated into categories based upon some abstract grading system. There have been countless studies done that clearly shows as a child progresses through public schooling his or her creativity, curiosity and individuality diminishes and eventually, inevitably disappears.

I have friends that have taught in public schools for the best part of 15 years and they can attest to the fact that the children are bored, but not as bored as the teachers. It's cruelty that we lock these kids up for 6-8 hours, 5 days a week for 18 years to learn something they have no need for in life nor something they wish to learn and then decide their life for them by telling them they're just not good enough, not smart enough, not worthy enough when they get their grades.

It's not that these kids are some sub-species of human - it's a broken, outdated system that has destroyed their hopes, dreams and desires. Why should a child on the verge of understanding decimals and fractions be told to put down that arithmetic textbook and take out their poetry book?! Why should a child with curiosity in computers be punished and roared at for scribbling in their notebook because they're bored learning about Irish?!

The Department of Education has a lot to answer for. The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development has stated that a massive percentage of Irish males are functionally illiterate and we spend more time (with the exception of Israel) learning about religion in class with biology, physics, chemistry and the sciences given a backseat.

And then if you wish to see your child receive a real education, along comes the government (who apparently know better than you as a parent) to punish you for not sending your child to be indoctrinated, to be told he/she is not good enough, to kill any creativity and individuality your child has. Why is it that a child that has self-educated about the human body be told they cannot study medicine because they had no interest in history or art?

What an absolute joke.

Our education system is built, and designed, to the benefit of the unions - not the children that is, ironically, claims to help.

Well someone has been watching Ken Robinson.
http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity

Bafucin

There was a drugs testing policy in my school. There was a point in my life when I thought this was unreasonable.

I managed to fool em for three years!

dgt

Stand on the yellow tile for being bauld

sw33t_r3v3ng3

In my school they tried to enforce a no white socks rule... Just imagine how fantastically that worked out ...

failinis

Being forced to go to confession and mass no matter what you said

Apart from that, the school was okay, in upper 6th you signed in/out of the 6th form study, so you had to say where you were going during study time, eg music/art rooms etc.

Tar.Aldarion

A guy shaved his head and was suspended until it grew back. If people were messing with pencil cases or phones etc one teacher would take them, and just throw them out the window, several floors up.

I remember when i argued with the principal before about me wearing earphones walking around, and he called my parents, my mum was outraged at me but dad was like yeah, he is a woeful **** isn't he. High five dad.

Lia_lia wrote: »

Did anyone else's primary school ban Pokemon cards?

I pogged a girl in the eye, she went down like godzilla. They were banned.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

A guy shaved his head and was suspended until it grew back. If people were messing with pencil cases or phones etc one teacher would take them, and just throw them out the window, several floors up.

What the ****? Throwing kids out the window? Now that is a bit unreasonable...

:pac:

Tar.Aldarion

I wouldn't put it past him

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

I wouldn't put it past him

I think we may have gone to the same school.....:D

Whatsisname

Didn't have any unreasonable rules really myself as my school was easy going but my girlfriends secondary school put a ban on popcorn

Fat Christy

There was a lot of rules in our school as well.

We weren't allowed phones in school AT ALL!! If you were caught, it was taken off you for a week and a parent had to come and collect it.

You weren't allowed 'loiter' beside the radiator. :rolleyes:

The only place you were allowed drink was in the canteen or outside. If you were caught taking a drink in the corridor between classes, it would be taken off you.

You were only allowed go to the toilet at break times NOT in between classes or during class.

If you forgot a book in your locker you had to stand for the class and get 2 points. If you forgot your tie at home, detention.

And a load of other stupid rules I can't remember.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

The_Valeyard wrote: »

wha? How?

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Well someone has been watching Ken Robinson.
http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity

In fairness, you don;t really ahve to watch the Ken Robinson talks to know this. Most people know it without actually reaslising it - usually at the age of 15 or so.

Dayum

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Well someone has been watching Ken Robinson.
]

I have never, at any point in my life, heard of Ken Robinson.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Dayum wrote: »

I have never, at any point in my life, heard of Ken Robinson.

In fainress, neither had I, but watch the youtube clip.

Ihatecuddles

Whatsisname wrote: »

Didn't have any unreasonable rules really myself as my school was easy going but my girlfriends secondary school put a ban on popcorn

Mine too. Too messy apparently, but crisps were ok!

[Deleted User]

The Singing Beard wrote: »

Drinking was completely forbidden in classrooms. If you even took a sip from your water bottle in class, the bottle would be seized and not returned until the end of the day.

Wtf. How do they get away with this? We were allowed water in class, but nothing else.

We were not allowed wear those Dubarry shoes. Because they had white soles :rolleyes: If anyone wore them the white bit had to be coloured black with a marker. Or gaffer tape. They were seriously overpriced anyway.

Our skirts had to reach our knees. Everyone rolled them up anyway. But the odd time the "uniform inspector" measured them. Now they have skirts that go down to your ankles instead.

We were only allowed walk on the left side of the corridor.

We were also only allowed the €80 school jackets and hoodies. What a pile of bollox.

We were also not allowed show public displays of affection in our uniforms. I remember a girl in my class kissed her boyfriend goodbye at the gates one day and her Mother was called in.

I went to a Presentation school btw..

cloud493

They tried to enforce the £80+ school coats and £200 school PE kit at my school, but we only had a year to go so my class year just ignored it entirely, and they didn't punish us for it. Its enforced fairly fiercely now apparently.

Wacker The Attacker

I got suspended for getting my hair cut.

on the river

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

I got suspended for getting my hair cut.

Nazi style

Tin Foil Hat

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

I got suspended for getting my hair cut.

I've made up my mind on this. Someday, in the not too distant future, a court is going to decide that kids' constitutional right - no, obligation - to be educated cannot be interrupted by power-tripping gobsh1tes imposing stupid rules like this.

The_Valeyard

Tin Foil Hat wrote: »

I've made up my mind on this. Someday in the not too distant future a court is going to decide that kids' constitutional right - no, obligation - to be educated cannot be interrupted by power-tripping gobsh1tes imposing stupid rules like this.

And parents like this will be the downfall of education in this country

The_Valeyard

Tin Foil Hat wrote: »

I've made up my mind on this. Someday in the not too distant future a court is going to decide that kids' constitutional right - no, obligation - to be educated cannot be interrupted by power-tripping gobsh1tes imposing stupid rules like this.

And parents like this will be the downfall of education in this country