| |
|
| |
High
School
Bans
Expensive
Winter
Coats to
Stop
'Poverty-Shaming'
NW
ENGLAND
- A high
school
in
England
has
banned
students
from
wearing
expensive
winter
coats in
an
attempt
to stop
the
shaming
of those
less
fortunate
or
struggling
financially.
Woodchurch
High
School
in
Birkenhead,
located
in
northwestern
England,
sent a
letter
to
parents
earlier
this
month
announcing
that the
restriction
would be
enforced
after
Christmas.
Rebekah
Phillips,
the head
teacher
at the
school
for
students
11 to 16
years
old,
told CNN
that she
was
"mindful
that
some
young
people
put
pressure
on their
parents
to
purchase
expensive
items of
clothing,"
but that
these
jackets
"cause a
lot of
inequality"
between
the
students.
"These
coats
cause a
lot of
inequality
between
our
pupils,"
Phillips
said.
"They
stigmatize
students
and
parents
who are
less
well off
and
struggle
financially."
According
to CNN,
almost
half –
46
percent
– of the
1,427
students
at
Woodchurch
come
from a
disadvantaged
background.
The
banned
coats
include
the
brands
Canada
Goose
and
Moncler.
Coats
from
these
brands
start at
around
$500 and
can get
as
expensive
as
almost
$2,000.
Phillips
told CNN
that
she's
gotten
feedback
from
children,
saying
the cost
of one
coat "is
our rent
for the
month."
Additionally,
Phillips
said
she's
gotten
positive
feedback
from
parents
on her
attempt
to
"poverty
proof"
the
school,
and a
former
student
wrote to
her
after
the
announcement
commending
the
decision.
The
student
said
that
school
shouldn't
be
somewhere
where
students'
"economic
background
is
rubbed
in their
faces
and
distracts
them
from
learning,"
CNN
reported.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
I
HI TECH NEWS
I
SPORTS
I
