Pupils upset over school uniform rules which ban them from wearing charity badges

7:30am Monday 18th March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Catherine Priestley, Chief Reporter (Sedgefield)

UNIFORM PROTEST: From left Ryan Chatt, 14, Delaney Wiltshire, 15, Simon Tonge, 14 and Olivia Hodgson, 14. UNIFORM PROTEST: From left Ryan Chatt, 14, Delaney Wiltshire, 15, Simon Tonge, 14 and Olivia Hodgson, 14.

OUTRAGED youngsters have criticised their school for banning charity pins on uniforms.

Pupils at Whitworth Park School and Sixth Form College, in Spennymoor, County Durham, went to school last week wearing Marie Curie Cancer Care daffodils.

But teachers told them that the school's uniform policy banned all adornments, even charity brooches, and they ordered them to remove them.

Several pupils contacted The Northern Echo to express their anger at not being able to support the cancer charity in what they feel is the most powerful and visible way they can.

Simon Tonge, 14, said: "We have respected our teachers for years, why cannot they respect our views about this?

"Fair enough if they were big badges with our favourite bands on but these are for charity and should be allowed.

"We want to help people with cancer and raise awareness, we're all affected by it through family and friends."

Delaney Wilsher, 15, added: "I've lost a nanna and grandad to it, for people to say 'take it off' and be so strict about the rules when we're trying to do something good is horrible and unfair."

Headteacher Paul Gillis said it is important that the school preserves the integrity of its new uniform, which was introduced in September when the school opened following the merger of Tudhoe Grange and Spennymoor Schools.

He said: "Our new uniform, with smart blazers, does not allow badges or anything on lapels.

"On coats, bags or somewhere discreet no problem but it is important the standards of our uniform is as high as possible, we don't want any damage caused or to encourage any badges to be on there."

Mr Gillis said parents of children who objected to the rule were supportive of the school and that teachers would meet the school council to resolve the issue without causing upset.

The school is very supportive of charities and each year raises about £2,000 for good causes each year, including Comic Relief for which it held a non-uniform day on Friday, he added.

Olivia Hodgson, 14, said: "It makes no sense that we can go to school in our own clothes for one charity and not wear a little flower for another on our blazer."

Simon added: "Our blazer is the most visible place we have to wear a charity badge, it has been very upsetting for some of our friends who have family fighting cancer now.

"We also want people to see we are young people with a social conscience."

A spokeswoman for Marie Curie said the charity did not want to comment on the school's policy but hopes people continue to support its daffodil fund and awareness raising campaign throughout March.

Comments(17)

Copley23 says...
8:17am Mon 18 Mar 13

And you really think running to the Echo is going to help girls!

If your teachers have any mettle, they'll treat the whole episode as it deserves to be treated....keep your 'adornments' til after schools out.

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Lifetime Townie says...
1:12pm Mon 18 Mar 13

Well done teachers for enforcing respect for the rules and discipline. A rather silly move from the pupils to expect support from the general public.

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katiew123 says...
2:47pm Mon 18 Mar 13

The teachers at this school are absolutely pathetic banning sudents from wearing charity badges, my younger sister is a student at the school and was told to remove her necklace which has a plain silver cross on it.
She refused to remove it and then asked the teacher if a student was wearing a burkha would they ask them to remove it and the teacher answered no stating that it was part of the religion, to which my sister replied that this was part of her religion. No more has been said about this.
The children should stand up for what the believe in a not back down or the teachers are going to try ban anything that they dont like. Get a grip its only a small daffodil its not like they are walking around wearing BNP badges.

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deco901 says...
5:25pm Mon 18 Mar 13

If people can wear poppies in school then why not cancer badges?
This uniform policy is ridiculous. I remember the pupils wearing poppies back in November for Rememberance, how is this any different?

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Copley23 says...
5:33pm Mon 18 Mar 13

deco901 wrote:
If people can wear poppies in school then why not cancer badges?
This uniform policy is ridiculous. I remember the pupils wearing poppies back in November for Rememberance, how is this any different?
Remembrance Day poppies are a NATIONAL thing. The day to remember all whom have given their lives....a day of mourning in all commonwealth countries.

Easy isn't it really.

You go to school to learn. If the school dictates that ONE day a year the 'school children' can wear a badge, then fine. Otherwise, how are they going to learn what rules are?......

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amt1234 says...
7:05pm Mon 18 Mar 13

As a Brother of one of these pupils, i think some of you 'Adults' are not thinking. It takes a lot of courage to e-mail the paper and complain. As my family and other families at the school we have experienced cancer in the family. This is just a respect and support to people suffering. Surely so called 'Professional' teachers should be proud and supportive of students who have this much respect. At the end of the day it doesn't effect the important thing about school which is the education.

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amt1234 says...
8:19pm Mon 18 Mar 13

Copley23 wrote:
And you really think running to the Echo is going to help girls!

If your teachers have any mettle, they'll treat the whole episode as it deserves to be treated....keep your 'adornments' til after schools out.
I think 'Running to the echo' may have just worked. As the teachers have sent a email around saying that pupils can were the badge. I think you should respect the students to have courage. Also its not just girls a lot of boys support the cause as well.

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Jolly Roger says...
10:45pm Mon 18 Mar 13

Can I ask what does a child go to school for to be tsught nothing more nothing less.

I a parent does not send a child to school they get fined, so if a child gors to school dressed properly in the right blazer etc they should be tsught.

If the child is banned from school because he / she was wear in badg well I think the school is in the wrong - so they should be fined.

Because if we don't ban those who wear regilious things we cannot ban other things can we realy as it seems there is one rul for one and not us English kids.

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sensible says...
7:46am Tue 19 Mar 13

so many points raised so far!

1 - It doesn't take any courage at all to e-mail a newspaper to complain.
2 - These children aren't being bullied by adults. Adults are making comment on a story in a newspaper, and offering their opinions.
3 - Anyone who goes to a newspaper with a story must be prepared to hear views and opinions that are potentially different from their own.
4 - Mr Gillis is the man in charge. What he says goes. There are ways of bringing subjects to his attention, and running to the newspapers isn't the way to do it.
5 - If you run to the newspapers, be prepared for the consequences.
6 - There are thousands of charities in this country - perhaps tens of thousands - where do you draw the line?
7 - A lot of institutions have a chosen charity that they raise money for, as well as supporting national initiatives.

And a few other things too, but I am starting to waffle!

What the pupils should do now is to take this matter to their pupil council. A suggestion could be that as they are a school that supports local and natioanl charities, they could nominate a charity a year, and their fundraising could be focused support for that one charity. Next year a different charity could be supported. Or one national one and one local one! The older pupils could run it and put it on their CV!

and - most importantly - 8 - don't trust the newspaers to get any of it it right - not even a simple photo!

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Copley23 says...
8:47am Tue 19 Mar 13

sensible wrote:
so many points raised so far!

1 - It doesn't take any courage at all to e-mail a newspaper to complain.
2 - These children aren't being bullied by adults. Adults are making comment on a story in a newspaper, and offering their opinions.
3 - Anyone who goes to a newspaper with a story must be prepared to hear views and opinions that are potentially different from their own.
4 - Mr Gillis is the man in charge. What he says goes. There are ways of bringing subjects to his attention, and running to the newspapers isn't the way to do it.
5 - If you run to the newspapers, be prepared for the consequences.
6 - There are thousands of charities in this country - perhaps tens of thousands - where do you draw the line?
7 - A lot of institutions have a chosen charity that they raise money for, as well as supporting national initiatives.

And a few other things too, but I am starting to waffle!

What the pupils should do now is to take this matter to their pupil council. A suggestion could be that as they are a school that supports local and natioanl charities, they could nominate a charity a year, and their fundraising could be focused support for that one charity. Next year a different charity could be supported. Or one national one and one local one! The older pupils could run it and put it on their CV!

and - most importantly - 8 - don't trust the newspaers to get any of it it right - not even a simple photo!
What Sensible says ^

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katiew123 says...
10:24am Tue 19 Mar 13

Girls? I would just like to point out to the people who obviously have very poor eyesights there are 2 girls and 2 boys in the picture.

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funksoul201181 says...
10:49am Tue 19 Mar 13

I dnt see any main harm allowing charity badges but the school probs doesnt want to be seen favouring one charity and a uniform rule is a rule. Should other rules be broken just cos thebkids want something else. Asling as its just charity badges its ok in my eyes. Gotta be a limit tho. Also as a christian to lady who needed to say ur cross is part of your religion it isnt.its an outward item used to show ur religion but its not necessary. People seem to challenge rules when its rheir kids who want to wear sonething that isnt allowed. Maybe its a safety issue or a simple rule ro nake everyone the same to avoid bullying. Sometines i wonder why schools have rules when parents and kids get to choose which ones they obey or not or theyl go to court or a newspaper and complain. When will people start backing teachers again.

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izzy123 says...
11:55am Tue 19 Mar 13

I think it makes a refreshing change reading about youngsters doing something positive! WPS should be proud of their pupils for wanting to help such a worthy cause. Perhaps it has raised awareness of the fact that this needs discussing further within the school....maybe set up a charity group of pupils who are prepared, with the school's support, to raise further awareness for such charities. I agree with pupils wearing poppies, and Marie Curie daffodils also raise an incredible amount for a very different, but equally needed, cause. Perhaps they could decide a vote on a limited amount of charities to help throughout the school year, be proud to wear the badges for an agreed period of time, and be proud to be in the press for the right reasons - representation of a well-run, smartly dressed school, with pupils and teachers singing from the same hymn sheet!

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johnny_p says...
12:06pm Tue 19 Mar 13

Surely not all charities are all "good" nor "worthwhile"? If you support a charity it is a bit like politics; a matter of personal taste and opinion? Sorry, but the school is right- badges should be left at home and worn in your free time.

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Site Editor says...
3:35pm Tue 19 Mar 13

We'd like to apologise for attaching the wrong photo to this story. It has now been updated with the correct version. We have removed comments referring to it so as not to cause confusion.

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JJTOP2 says...
4:46pm Tue 19 Mar 13

Object lesson for the pupils concerned.
Authority has the ability to act stupidly and the press well?

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erica678 says...
2:53pm Wed 20 Mar 13

I think it is disgraceful that this is deemed as news. And asking Marie Curie to comment??? The new trend will be running to the paper because they can't get their own way. Schools do a lot for charity - is this reported? I think not. Where does it end - fashion accessories (for some) in my opinion.

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