Post by Bonobo on Jun 16, 2018 19:31:08 GMT 1
Compare and keep up with the Joneses- the saying has become life motto for many. You can`t be worse than others, and if you are better, the better for you. It starts already in childhood.
I just read an article how a British school banned pencil cases to reduce comparing and stigmatising by fellow pupils.
www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-44075878
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.
Pupils at Burnside College in Wallsend, North Tyneside, said not having the "right stuff" caused "pressure" and could lead to bullying.
Jason, 14, added: "If you don't have the expensive stuff people will call you things like tramp, which isn't right."
I am a pessimist on that. They can ban pencil cases but kids will invent another staff for comparison - the urge is too strong.
I remember me as a kid in communist times. Communism was the system which strongly propagated equality. To no avail! We had to wear uniformed jackets to school but the rest was one`s private business. Parents, on their offspring`s demand, tried to buy them nice things which, although sometimes hard to obtain and expensive, were still available in the communist country, e.g., imported jeans. One boy in my elementary school wore cheap jeans made of fake denim from a state factory, I remember he was heavily ridiculed as a tramp, bigger boys pushed him around and didn`t want to play football with him. I pitied him but said nothing because I feared peer pressure might affect me too.
I just read an article how a British school banned pencil cases to reduce comparing and stigmatising by fellow pupils.
www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-44075878
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.
Pupils at Burnside College in Wallsend, North Tyneside, said not having the "right stuff" caused "pressure" and could lead to bullying.
Jason, 14, added: "If you don't have the expensive stuff people will call you things like tramp, which isn't right."
I am a pessimist on that. They can ban pencil cases but kids will invent another staff for comparison - the urge is too strong.
I remember me as a kid in communist times. Communism was the system which strongly propagated equality. To no avail! We had to wear uniformed jackets to school but the rest was one`s private business. Parents, on their offspring`s demand, tried to buy them nice things which, although sometimes hard to obtain and expensive, were still available in the communist country, e.g., imported jeans. One boy in my elementary school wore cheap jeans made of fake denim from a state factory, I remember he was heavily ridiculed as a tramp, bigger boys pushed him around and didn`t want to play football with him. I pitied him but said nothing because I feared peer pressure might affect me too.
