High school bans Canada Goose and Moncler jackets to protect poorer children

[My Everything]

 

 

High school can be tough for anyone, and students from poor backgrounds have the added anxiety of struggling to keep up with their wealthier peers when it comes to clothes and accessories.

 

A high school in northwestern England is attempting to level the playing field for disadvantaged students by banning expensive Canada Goose and Moncler coats.

 

In a letter to parents at the beginning of November, the headteacher of Woodchurch High School in Birkenhead explained that the ban was coming in after Christmas as the school was "mindful that some young people put pressure on their parents to purchase expensive items of clothing."

 

"These coats cause a lot of inequality between our pupils," headteacher Rebekah Phillips told CNN. "They stigmatize students and parents who are less well off and struggle financially."

 

The blacklisted coats sell for as much as $1,200 -- a cost many parents will struggle to afford. "There has been feedback from children, who say 'Gosh, that is our rent for the month,'" Phillips said.

 

She said her attempt to "poverty-proof" the school, which has students between the ages of 11 and 16, has been well-received by parents.

 

Phillips added that a former student wrote to her praising the move and saying that school should not be a place where students' "economic background is rubbed in their faces and distracts them from learning."

 

Parent Andy Treanor, who is a civil servant, said the ban "did not matter" to him as "he would not spend that much on a coat" for his daughter anyway.

 

Around 46% of the 1,427-strong student body comes from a disadvantaged background and the school has introduced other measures to prevent social inequality from affecting children's performance.

 

Two years ago, it introduced a compulsory school bag to reduce costs, after parents complained that their children were demanding branded rucksacks. The school has also cut down non-uniform days -- days when students can wear their own choice of clothes to school -- to once a year, after complaints of children "being put down" for the clothes they wore, the headteacher added.

 

In line with a growing movement

 

The school also provides free sanitary products to students, a measure put in place after the headteacher noticed a drop in girls' attendance at certain times of the month.

 

The ban on expensive coats is in line with a growing movement in British schools to protect poorer students. Initiatives have included banning expensive pencil cases and discouraging primary school teachers from asking students what they did on the weekend, so children whose families couldn't afford to do anything wouldn't feel embarrassed.

 

Campaigners say these initiatives have led to better school attendance by poorer children and improved the behavior of all students by tackling the forms of bullying associated with inequality.

 

"Poverty-proofing enables schools to identify and overcome the barriers to learning that children and young people from families with less financial resources face," Jeremy Cripps, Chief Executive of Children North East, a nonprofit organization that provides poverty-proofing audits for schools, said in a statement to CNN.

 

https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/16/uk/poverty-proof-school-gbr-scli-intl/index.html?utm_source=fbCNN&utm_term=link&utm_medium=social&utm_content=2018-11-16T18%3A02%3A10

 

[SugaJam]

What a joke.

 

The reality is there always poor and rich people. School is where you learn, and many things are not learn in the classroom. Maybe we wouldn't have so much whiners in this generation if children is allow to deal with the harsh truth of reality than being sheltered and expected that everyone would come to their rescue. 

[puellarum generatio]

not their role

[s o f t i e]

What a joke.

 

The reality is there always poor and rich people. School is where you learn, and many things are not learn in the classroom. Maybe we wouldn't have so much whiners in this generation if children is allow to deal with the harsh truth of reality than being sheltered and expected that everyone would come to their rescue. 

You sound like one of those old bitter ass Gen Y people.

[Cerulean]

LMAOOOOOOOOOO god i am so glad to be out of high school

[SugaJam]

You sound like one of those old bitter ass Gen Y people.

 

How am I bitter? 

[rejeshrimp]

i was gonna ask why not just introduce a uniform but it's a school in england so?

 

i don't think it's particularly 'gloating' to wear a jacket that your parents bought you, though. that's like saying all the girls who had like £200 bags in high school were looking down on me with my £15 bag. it never bothered me, though. 

if you feel some negative emotion about them wearing such clothing, when they haven't said anything to you, then i feel that's more a reflection of you than them. 

 

there's bigger issues with poverty in britain than what coats children wear to school, britain.

[sdtwfs]

i was gonna ask why not just introduce a uniform but it's a school in england so?

 

i don't think it's particularly 'gloating' to wear a jacket that your parents bought you, though. that's like saying all the girls who had like £200 bags in high school were looking down on me with my £15 bag. it never bothered me, though. 

if you feel some negative emotion about them wearing such clothing, when they haven't said anything to you, then i feel that's more a reflection of you than them. 

 

there's bigger issues with poverty in britain than what coats children wear to school, britain.

I also think that the rule is excessive and unnecessary since it isn't the school place to tell their students what they can wear based on named brands/designer brands. However kids, especially in year 7-11, can be cruel to each other or really insecure so I can see where they're coming from. They should just have a conversation with those kids that look down on others...

[TheBigMermaid]

Canada Goose jackets aren't that great, anyway.

[katsu curry chips]

this is so not the role of the school - it's the role of the parent to put boundaries and explain to their child why they can't have these items. 

[Grape Soda]

You sound like one of those old bitter ass Gen Y people.

Such a fitting username you have there.

[s o f t i e]

Such a fitting username you have there.

Just tired of the millennials stink because of participation awards shtick that's so over done and used again and again..........................................

[Ice_]

..

 

This comes after expensive coats from brands such as Canada Goose and Moncler have been banned from a high school in the UK, amid fears of poverty-shaming.

 

These brand in particular are well known for having coats that cost up to and above £1000, and apparently donning either of these around students who don’t have the privilege of owning one is a sign of disrespect.

 

Assistant headteacher at Woodchurch High School, Mr Smith, wrote to parents and guardians of Children at the school, explaining the ban:

 

“As you are all aware from an email that was sent out yesterday, pupils will not be permitted to bring in Canadian Goose and Monclair coats after the Christmas break. The support from parents/carers has been overwhelmingly positive and we are very thankful for this. Some have also asked whether Pyrenex coats, which are also in a similar price range (with some also having real fur) will also be prohibited.

I am writing to confirm that these brands will also be prohibited after Christmas. Thank you for your on going support.“

 

Source : https://thehooksite.com/school-bans-expensive-branded-coats-to-stop-pupils-from-poverty-shaming/

[RiseLikeACrowTit]

Good!!!, I take my hat off to that highschool, brag when you earn that money self entitled turd

[Deviandrepepe]

Is that a thing in UK? Ive never hear somebody brag about their winter cloth ever.. and i went to fancy privates school. In fact in canada people just want to get off that thing as fast as possible. Especially when ur covered in snow.IF anything New phones or deisgner jewlery/shoes seem like the main stuff people would brag about.

[BeTaS]

just wear uniforms then.

[chicmediocre]

a great move. the same reason why I'm glad that my school has uniforms

[Hoshisus]

honestly this makes sense

i know some people are going to say that the students are oversensitive but i doubt the school would have taken this measure in the first place unless it got to a pretty bad level

being surrounded by people with those coats while you're in hand me downs is like wearing a big target on your back and that's unfair to the nth degree

[starsocks]

We wear uniforms at my hs but the uniforms are massively expensive anyway so idk

[momomin]

is this spine breaker by bts

[Luluu]

That's good. I'm guessing it's a private school because most school have uniforms here in the UK

[Mingming 'Beto' Carlson]

I can't believe this is actual news and is actually happening. This is so utterly stupid! Let's just all walk around butt-naked then. Let it all hang out and not wear a thing so we don't run the risk of "poverty-shaming" anyone.

[JihyoStoleMyHeartAYAYAY]

just wear uniforms then.

[Sully]

I'm sorry, I just don't get it. If students aren't bragging about it and are not harassing and making fun of people who can't afford them, I don't see why them just wearing their coat and doing their thing is such a problem. They have to adjust what they wear just because of people that can't afford the same things? So if I wear Manolo Blahnik shoes to work and use a Chanel bag, does that mean I'm automatically disrespecting my coworkers that can't afford either by doing nothing other than just wearing it?

 

But I can see the point of enforcing this ban if the school was actually having a problem with people being bullied for not being able to buy the coats.

[love]

bullies will always find a way to make fun of people...banning things won't help