School lunacy

Once upon a time I thought that schools were meant to provide children with an education and this education should teach them the things they needed to know as adults. Or so they claimed...

Now schools seem to be far more concerned with citizenship lessons and league table positions and of course the petty rules and regulations they like to impose for no valid reason.

Take the story of Akaash Iqbal aged 14, at that age it is quite normal for boys to start growing some facial hair. Akaash had grown a slightly hairy upper lip, the beginnings of a moustach, his school sent him home with instructions not to return until he had shaved it off!

1. Isn't his education rather more important than a clean shaven upper lip?
2. By what right do the school insist he be clean shaven! Facial hair or not is a personal decision and the school has no business to dictate in this matter.

Quite rightly, his family and friends are standing by him and he is refusing to comply with such an unreasonable instruction.


Then there is the story of RA Butler School in Saffron Walden, Essex prohibiting pupils from bringing suncream into school "for fear that they will share it with others who are allergic".

1. In this hot weather, government advice is "use sun lotion of at least factor 15 that protects you against UVA and UVB rays", the school rule is contravening goverment advice and putting children at increased risk of skin damage or even cancer.
2. How many pupils 'may' be allergic to sunscreen? what are the chances that an allergic child will borrow sunscreen? What are the likely effects on an allergic child?

Seems to me yet another insane H&S ruling where a known and present risk is dismissed in favour of catering for the possibility that there may be some other small risk.


All in all, more cause for dismay at the sort of people who are preparing our children for adult lives.

Far too much interference and petty rule enforcement instead of just getting on with the job they are supposed to be doing!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196726/Boy-14-banned-school-having-moustache--father-says-hes-young-shave.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196768/Pupils-banned-bringing-sun-cream-school-case-children-allergic.html?ITO=1490