[HPFGU-OTChatter] Remember the Madness.

[Shaun Hately]

On 5 Jun 2005 at 3:26, Kathryn wrote:

> Mostly I thought you had a point - although I note he says he'd been
> wearing the same shoes to school since April and they'd never
> complained before, so I would say he had a reasonable expectation of
> being allowed to get away with it - but I know that when I was taking
> GCSEs (admittedly a while ago) the official exam board rules said no
> one could be admitted more than half an hour late (to avoid disturbing
> other students), it may even have been fifteen minutes, and since it
> took him twenty minutes to get home and change (presumably most of
> that was travel time because how long does it take to change your
> shoes after all) then there was no chance of him being admitted when
> he got back to school. So why bother.

Well, with regards to the fact he'd been wearing the trainers since 
April, they look enough like regular school shoes that it may just 
not have been noticed - you'd have to take a reasonably close look to 
know. If teachers knew he was breaking the rules and let him get away 
with it until the exam, then while that wouldn't excuse him, I'd also 
want words with the teachers.

As for the travel times we don't know the details. Maybe he took 
twenty minutes to get home because of the distance involved. Maybe he 
took twenty minutes to get home because he decided to sulk, or 
because he went to the shop on the way.

We have very little information here, as I have said. He may have 
been unfairly treated - but I wouldn't assume that.

Of course, I should also be upfront and confess that I am pretty 
close to a fascist when it comes to school uniforms - when I was at 
school, when I got disciplinary authority, going after kids who were 
wearing their uniform in an inappropriate manner was a major 
preoccupation of mine. To me, it's not a minor issue, though I can 
understand why some people think it is, and a lot depends on the 
school - some schools don't care - fair enough. But if your school 
does care, you've no right to complain.


Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia