School Dispirit

With World Cup fever raging, students at the Forest Town Holly Primary School in Mansfield England thought it would be very patriotic to wear England football shirts to the school’s annual Sports Day. This was the day England was playing Trinidad and Tobago in a first round match.

Sounds like a reasonable idea until school officials told students that they must change their shirts since it discriminated against poorer students who couldn’t afford a jersey. So on Sports Day, students couldn’t wear a sports jersey to show their pride because some students may not be able to afford a jersey? Who’s to say what the students changed into also wouldn’t be discriminatory against the poor?

Head teacher Janet Miller told Mansfield Today: “The governing body has a long-standing school uniform policy for both the school day and for PE, which is supported by the vast majority of parents.” One of the key reasons for this policy is to ensure that the children who do not have the special kit do not feel disadvantaged in any way. Our school uniform policy also promotes a sense of belonging to Holly Primary School.”

As one parent said it was “political correctness gone mad”.

So the next time you think we are being overrun by the p.c. thought police, just think how lucky you are that you aren’t in the U.K.

Don Irvine is the chairman of Accuracy in Media, Accuracy in Academia’s parent organization.