School pencil cases banned to stop 'stigma'

[Still Waters]

A school has banned pencil cases in a bid to stop pupils from poor families being stigmatised.

St Wilfrid's Primary School in Blyth, Northumberland, said it had taken steps to get rid of any "designer goods".

Head teacher Pauline Johnstone said pencil cases have been banned "so there's no comparison on the tables and children are learning".

St Wilfrid's was among more than 100 schools in a project to stop poorer pupils being stigmatised.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-44075878

[+ouija ouija]

So many 'life lessons' to be learned from keeping the pencil cases:

1) there'll always be someone who has something you would like and can't have.

2) if you save up you'll be able to buy the thing you crave.  (And by the time you've got enough money together, you might even find that it was a passing fancy and you don't want it any more).

3) some cheap things are nicer than expensive things.

4) how about making your own pencil case that would be completely unique?

5) lesson for the adults: what's wrong with individuality?

6) I wonder exactly what the percentage is of children who have become permanently traumatised because they don't have the pencil case they desire?  I'm betting that the vast majority couldn't care less about their pencil case or at the very least are satisfied with the one they have. Those that are fixated on having a pencil case that their parents can't afford(because the child already has a perfectly adequate one), are exactly the ones who need to learn the above lessons.

7) this is a wonderful opportunity for lessons to be learned that will be useful throughout life.

[XenoFish]

Remember when schools only cared if you did both your classwork and homework. I do. 

[Nnicolette]

Did it ever occur to them that those rich show offs probably bought their $1 pencil case for a reason?

[LV-426]

What chance are these kids going to have at dealing with life's real challenges if they can't cope with pencil case deprivation?

To be honest though, I doubt the kids care less. It the politically correct nutjob adults that are creating these non-issues, at least until they can brainwash the kids into caring about such nonsense too

[Likely Guy]

Just how fancy are pencil cases getting these days?

[travelnjones]

2 hours ago, ouija ouija said:

So many 'life lessons' to be learned from keeping the pencil cases:

1) there'll always be someone who has something you would like and can't have.

2) if you save up you'll be able to buy the thing you crave.  (And by the time you've got enough money together, you might even find that it was a passing fancy and you don't want it any more).

3) some cheap things are nicer than expensive things.

4) how about making your own pencil case that would be completely unique?

5) lesson for the adults: what's wrong with individuality?

6) I wonder exactly what the percentage is of children who have become permanently traumatised because they don't have the pencil case they desire?  I'm betting that the vast majority couldn't care less about their pencil case or at the very least are satisfied with the one they have. Those that are fixated on having a pencil case that their parents can't afford(because the child already has a perfectly adequate one), are exactly the ones who need to learn the above lessons.

7) this is a wonderful opportunity for lessons to be learned that will be useful throughout life.

Not to mention messy pencils floating around a back pack often break and are hard to find.

[GlitterRose]

I remember when I was in grade school, kids used to make fun of me for having cheap shoes. 

It wasn't that I wanted the shoes they had. I didn't really care about that. 

I just wished they would quit being mean to me.

[LV-426]

3 hours ago, ChaosRose said:

I remember when I was in grade school, kids used to make fun of me for having cheap shoes. 

It wasn't that I wanted the shoes they had. I didn't really care about that. 

I just wished they would quit being mean to me.

You'd have been safe with me CR, as...

A - I'm not a meanie, and...

B - I'm a pleb that can't tell the difference between cheap shoes and expensive ones.

My idea of formal attire is wearing a plain T-shirt with jeans rather than a Black Sabbath one...

[Kismit]

Kids are cruel. And they will alienate the child who does not conform to thier expectations.

We live in a society that puts more value on designer shoes than it does intelligence.

Too many parents focus on making thier child happy through fashionable trends, than they do social resposibilty . And too many companies willing to put the price up on things because they have the correct fashionable picture on it.

I personally think this is great. Perhaps the children should only be allowwd pencil cases they do make themselves.

More emphasis should be put on learning life skills and less on designer anything.

[Unusual Tournament]

14 hours ago, Likely Guy said:

Just how fancy are pencil cases getting these days?

when i was at school it was considered cool to have graffiti and slogans all over your pencil case. what kind of yuppy school is this... 

[skliss]

My kids went to Catholic school thru the 8th grade. Because they wore uniforms, to this day they don't understand or really care about "designer" clothes, shoes, etc. They think the whole idea is stupid. But I do think kids need a way to express individuality whether it be a choice of backpack or pencil case. Plus we are supposed to be teaching them how to live in the real world and guess what....the real world does not give anyone a guarantee of fairness. Learning that in the form of a pencil case seems a less harsh way of realising people live in different circumstances.  

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

OHH FFS .... PENCIL CASES ARE IMPORTANT YOU NUMPTIES. 

I do so hope you all enjoy the “I have no X...” game. Because you’ll be playing every bloody hour.

[Farmer77]

I like it for the same reason I like school uniforms: one less obstacle between the child and learning. 

 

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

9 hours ago, Farmer77 said:

I like it for the same reason I like school uniforms: one less obstacle between the child and learning. 

 

Being unable to find a pencil isn’t a barrier to learning?

[Kismit]

10 hours ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

OHH FFS .... PENCIL CASES ARE IMPORTANT YOU NUMPTIES. 

I do so hope you all enjoy the “I have no X...” game. Because you’ll be playing every bloody hour.

I thought the article was so about baking designer/licensed  pencil cases.

Perhaps even the school is trying to deal with issues of theft.