Is this against the law ?? Help quick?

Question

In school now in the booling hot weather (20) we are made to do our top buttons up and tuck our shirts in, whilst walking around the school indoors and whilst in lessons. Some teachers allow us to take off our blazzers and you our allowed to take off your blazzer whilst ourside but inside its top button up shirts in and blazzers on. I think this is very unfiar in this recent very hot weather and i was wondering if thier is anything i can do about it?
Thanks
y

Answer 1

your are a school child and you follow the rules and do what your teachers tell you

Answer 2

Hi Yoda,

If you live in the UK,

In law the school has a legal duty of care to ensure your health and safety whilst at school. If this dress code causes you problems such as feeling sick or fainting because of the heat then they have broken the law.

Even though you are only a pupil you still have a right at common law to be taught in a safe and reasonably risk free manner. This includes being forced to wear a uniform in extremes of weather in a manner that may be detrimental to your health or put you at a reasonable risk of harm.

These circumstances must be reasonably forseeable and children fainting or feeling sick during hot weather falls under this remit.

Ties should be loosened, top buttons undone and blazers taken off. Nothing wrong with having your shirt tucked in though.

Talk to your teacher and then your parents. Failing that, go to the citizens advice bureaux.

Answer 3

Always a tricky area.Am experencing a similar situation in work as i am sat directly underneath an air conditioner which blows cold air continuously. I know that a maximum and minimum working temperature applies to all workplaces, and that they are required, where practical, to provide air conditioners and other cooling/heating systems to ensure a "comfortable" environment. The problem comes when comfort meets practicality (freezers, smelting plants etc) generally this is expected to be set to 16 degrees unless there is a lot of physical work to be done, then it can be lowered to 13. There may be nothing you can actually do though (even in this day and age, children are considered to have to be "seen and not heard") but if you kick up enough of a stink and get backing from other pupils and parents (do not underestimate the power of the PTA) then you should get something done.
see http://www.hse.gov.uk. hope it helps.

Answer 4

Try writing a letter to the head-teacher/principal. They may change their policy. Perhaps a petition with the other kids signatures.....or you could get the parents involved. I'm sure they'd have something to say.

I'm not sure on the exact laws on this....but the school have a responsibility to keep the children comfortable....if the heating breaks in winter.....they close the school until it's fixed....so why should you be made to sweat to death in the summer. I had this problem when I was at school too. If I were you I would leave my blazer at home. Gits!!

Answer 5

sounds like that is a policy issue. Ask around if any other students have health issues (faint) because of the heat and the extra clothes. Then take it to the school board, or have a group of parents go infront of the school board to change the policy for hot weather.

but most of the time, as long as you drink plenty of water, you will not have any permanant health problems. If this is really bad, take it to the people who make the rules.

Answer 6

This is exactly the kind of pointless harassment schools impose on students that distracts from the learning process.

Yes, I would take off my blazer and open my top button and let myself get kicked out of that stupid institution. Go to a real school and you'll probably be much happier in the long run.

Answer 7

You are a child at school. Do as you are told, show some respect for your teachers.

Look on the bright side, life gets better as you get older. You will get a job working 10 hours plus in the heat and you won't get six weeks off in the Summer!

Answer 8

If it is making you ill, yea you can do something. You are going to have this problem all through your life. Like wearing polyester uniforms in Phoenix. The best you can do is make sure you study for a job that lets you wear what you prefer. Usually the smarter you are the more freedom you get. Unless you decide to be in certain job factors like Police, Military, etc.

Answer 9

No, its not against the law. You could write a letter or get a deputation together and see your headmaster. Try not to sound aggressive or whinging, and explain calmly that you are uncomfortable, thirsty, unable to concentrate properly etc. and see if they are willing to compromise on school rules - maybe you could suggest that if the temperature is 18 or over you could remove blazers indoors. It may work, it may not, in the end it will be the adults who decide, and you will have to abide by their desicision. Good luck!

Answer 10

it is not against the law to either unbutton your top shirt button, nor is it against the law to ask you to keep it buttoned. however you will probably find that you have signed or agreed to a "school code" of some sort which will state the rules around the uniform. the best thing to do iff you feel you have a valid point (which you probably do) is to get together with likeminded friends and approach the head of year or equivalent and raise your point. simply defying them will not work.

Answer 11

There is a legal limit at which you can stay in school or work for low temperatures , but not a maximum where they have to do something about it. It was like this when I was at school. Our blazers were made of woollen stuff and dead heavy. We also had to wear ties done up. Its the kind of thing you have to get used to - it dont get any better as you get older!