Remember the Madness.

[Steve]

Once again, rules outweigh common sense.

A boy was refused entrance into his GCSE exams because he was wearing
the wrong shoes. Instead of wearing the shoes assigned as part of the
School Uniform for his school, he was wearing a relatively
conservative pair of black trainers. (photo with news article) Shoes
which he had been wearing at school for a couple of months without
complaint.

BBC NEWS-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/4608655.stm

If I understand correctly GCSE exams are /national/ exams; they are
set and controlled by the national government. I would think that a
/national/ exam would take precedence over the dress code of the local
school. I further assume that the local school mearly host the
location of the exam. That is, there must be some national GCSE
approved person on the scene who is the true exam authority. The
school presumably only provide a location for the exam and some
assistance in administering it.

This is a perfect case of 'zero tolerance' run amok. 'Zero Tolerance'
in my experience generally means zero brain, zero common sense, zero
acceptance of responsibility, and zero willingness to take part in life. 

While I readily admit the USA has it own share of petty irrational
rulings like this, I can't imagine such a small local rule overriding
a students future and a national exam.

I guess he can arrange to take the exam again, but it still seems
unreasonably petty. Although, when it  comes to school uniforms it
seems that these schools have a long and rich history of petty and
near malicious enforcement of the rules.

Sorry, but it seems very odd to me.

Steve/bboyminn