Unenforced Rules Part 3: School Uniforms
Which rules often get ignored?
The Story So Far…
One of us1 recently wrote a blog post about how teachers sometimes don't follow their school's behaviour policy.
Following on from that, we are looking at which school rules are frequently not enforced and why. We're talking about the rules that are often either completely ignored or where the only sanction is a reminder, and there is only a punishment if the student continues to break the rule. We will be basing this on our experience as teachers.
In Part 1, we discussed rules regarding classroom behaviour.
In Part 2, we discussed rules about behaviour around school.
This post is about uniform rules which are frequently not enforced. We will not discuss in detail why schools have uniforms; we will assume that this is already understood.2
Coats
A very common uniform issue is coats. Many schools have a rule about not wearing coats indoors, but this rule is often ignored. If pupils are allowed to wear coats inside, it can undermine the uniform altogether. Until coats come off, pupils could be wearing anything underneath them.
Hats and Hoods
If coats are one of the worst-enforced parts of school uniform, hats might be almost as bad. Most schools have a no-hats policy, but it’s sometimes not applied consistently. It’s not uncommon to see a senior member of staff having a perfectly friendly conversation with a pupil wearing a hat, and saying nothing about it.
In some schools, it’s less of an issue, simply because fewer pupils wear hats in the first place. In more rural schools, hats aren’t such a fashion item, but in urban or city schools, they often are, and that means hats become a frequent battleground. Even where rules exist, how much hat-related hassle you get will vary dramatically from school to school.
Loose uniform policies tend to make things worse. Pupils wear hoodies under their blazers so that they can pull the hood up — not just as a fashion choice, but to disappear under it. In one school that one of us worked in, the rule around hoods was so poorly enforced that people from outside the school could sneak onto the site, put their hoods up, and blend in. You couldn’t always be sure the person in front of you was actually a pupil.3
Blazers
Blazers are another good example. Schools may have a rule about when blazers must be worn and when they can be removed, but it’s common for these rules to be inconsistently applied or not enforced at all. This can become a very unpleasant battleground. It can turn into a contest of wills, especially when policies are not consistently reinforced by school leadership. It doesn’t take much to reach the point where most pupils aren’t wearing blazers, and many pupils don’t even bring their blazers to school.
Classroom conditions play a role. Teachers working in rooms that are not air-conditioned may feel they shouldn’t enforce a rule requiring blazers to be kept on, simply because it seems unfair. Their priority is making sure pupils are comfortable enough to work. By contrast, teachers in cooler or air-conditioned rooms are more likely to enforce the rule, because it’s easier to do so. The result is that not all teachers are on a level playing field. For staff who move between rooms, the situation can be even more complicated. At the other extreme, some classrooms are so cold that wearing coats becomes a practical necessity.
Skirt Lengths
Then there is the perennial issue of girls’ skirt lengths. Even female teachers may not feel comfortable addressing this, and it raises obvious concerns for male teachers too. Policing skirt lengths is one of the most awkward aspects of enforcing uniform. The pressures on girls about skirt length and fashion are largely external to the school, but the responsibility for enforcing these rules typically falls on teachers. It is also hard to ignore the fact that boys are not policed in the same way. This makes the issue difficult to navigate and uncomfortable to address.
Shirts and Ties
There are other uniform rules that are only lightly enforced, such as shirts being tucked in. Shirts frequently become untucked during the day. Teachers may hesitate to sanction this, but if there are no consequences, untucked shirts almost become the norm. Over time, this contributes to a generally scruffier appearance, but the effort required to maintain the rule can make teachers feel like a stuck record. It can seem pointless.
Ties present a similar problem. Schools may write detailed rules about how tight a tie should be, or how small the knot needs to be, but these rules are rarely enforced beyond the occasional reminder.
Shoes
Shoes are another common source of confusion. Many schools have clear guidelines about shoes, but questions remain about what qualifies as a trainer, how shiny shoes should be, or how much non-black detailing is acceptable. Even when a clear line is drawn, it may not be practical to enforce it. One of us once worked in a school where girls were allowed to wear slip-on ballet-pump style shoes, which offered no support for the developing foot. Other, healthier footwear options were not allowed. This seemed baffling. It wasn’t ever something that came up in lessons, but there seemed to be little logic behind it.
The Power of Consistent Enforcement
We sometimes underestimate how little it takes to change expectations. One of us worked in a school where the Head of Year 7 took personal responsibility for enforcing the rule about blazers for her year group. Nobody else did it, but that year group knew the expectation, and they followed it. When she later became the combined Head of Year 7 and 8, the same pattern continued. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 wore their blazers; those in Year 9 and above typically didn’t. This led to inevitable complaints from parents: “Why did my child get in trouble for not wearing his blazer when his cousin in Year 9 doesn’t even have a blazer?” This is what happens when one person consistently enforces a rule, while others do not.
With help from the other.
This is what we call a “safeguarding nightmare”.