Mount Albert Grammar School headmaster Patrick Drumm. Photo \/ NZME<\/p>\n
Among them was Rosemary, a teacher who recalled similar restrictions when she attended school in the South Island in the 1960s and 1970s.<\/p>\n
\u201cKids complain about not much and today\u2019s parents encourage it! Toughen up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
An Auckland teacher described the students\u2019 complaints as \u201crather pathetic\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enforce the no-scarves and no-jackets rule in my classroom … wearing bulky coats and scarves inside can make it look like you\u2019re about to leave or not fully engaged. Taking them off shows you\u2019re settled, focused, and ready to learn.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom my perspective, this issue reflects a growing victim mentality and entitlement that encourages people to see ordinary expectations as grievances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Craig, who attended Nelson College in the 1970s, said he did not need extra layers in the classroom, even in the \u201cmiddle of winter\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe jersey was adequate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
King’s College. Photo \/ NZME<\/p>\n
Oliver, who attended King\u2019s College in the early 2000s, said: \u201cThe rules were the rules. Stick to them or p*** off. Stop complaining.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other readers, however, argued children could not concentrate properly when they were too cold and should be allowed to decide whether they needed an extra layer.<\/p>\n
\u201cKids who are too hot or too cold don\u2019t concentrate,\u201d Andrea said.<\/p>\n
\u2018If I paid for it, I will wear it\u2019<\/p>\n
A MAGS student told the Herald that classrooms at the 3500-student school were \u201cfreezing\u201d and in most the temperature couldn\u2019t be changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI paid a huge amount for a scarf that has the school logo twice plus the school name! If I paid for it I will wear it … [and] the [school] skirt is thin and the year 9s, 10s and 11s have to wear a short skirt in winter – that is insane.\u201d<\/p>\n
A former student of Kingswell High School in Invercargill said it was ridiculous for schools to assume they knew how warm individual students were feeling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all feel the cold differently,\u201d Anna said.<\/p>\n
Students should be allowed to wear V-neck thermals that were not visible beneath their uniforms, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s irrelevant what people wear under their uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alan argued teachers should follow the same classroom clothing rules as students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWelfare of your children is a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jan recalled getting into trouble for wearing a jacket at intermediate school in the 1970s.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you learn if you are freezing cold?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u2018Tough on cold days\u2019<\/p>\n
The complaints about MAGS uniform rules<\/a> came as a chilly spell swept across the country, with Auckland recording one of its coldest days of the year as frost and sub-zero temperatures hit parts of the city this week.<\/p>\n Drumm said every classroom had heating.<\/p>\n But one parent said it was \u201ctough on cold days\u201d for students who didn\u2019t have the school jersey.<\/p>\n \u201cThose kids come in from the cold and have to immediately go down to just a shirt when they haven\u2019t had a chance to warm up.<\/p>\n Another parent said their son was told by a teacher, \u201cit\u2019s not raining inside so take your jacket off\u201d, with detention given for not complying.<\/p>\n \u201cMy son has complained about how cold he is in the classroom several times in the last month. The heating in the class isn\u2019t sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n Parents also claimed students aren\u2019t allowed to wear extra tops underneath their uniforms, but Drumm said staff weren\u2019t checking if students were wearing thermals.<\/p>\n Uniform battles not new<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the first time students and their parents have raised concerns about uniforms and the Kiwi climate.<\/p>\n Students at Massey High School faced the opposite problem to their West Auckland neighbours in 2016 when the school introduced a new uniform requiring students to wear trousers or long skirts<\/a> and ties and blazers year round.<\/p>\n Some students and their parents complained the uniforms were unsuitable for Auckland\u2019s hot and humid summers.<\/p>\n The same year, some Motueka High School students campaigned on overturning the school\u2019s ban on puffer jackets<\/a>, with then-principal Scott Haines describing the pushback to RNZ as a \u201cfashion issue\u201d rather than one of warmth.<\/p>\n