School bans students from wearing hoodies because they ‘can be intimidating’

‘When hoods are up it can become difficult to identify students which can be an issue,’ deputy headteacher of school says

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A secondary school has banned its pupils from wearing hoodies because they “can be quite intimidating” and make students “hard to identify”.

During the current school term, Brune Park Community School in Gosport, Hampshire implemented a new uniform policy outlining that students are no longer allowed to wear hoodies to school.

Part of the reasoning behind the ban, which has sparked a backlash among pupils, was to make it easier to identify students during break time and to prevent teenagers from wearing garments emblazoned with “inappropriate” imagery.

“When you have large 15 and 16 year olds wandering round in hoodies it can be quite intimidating, particularly for younger pupils,” said Mike Jones, deputy headteacher of the academic institution.

“Some of these hoodies also have inappropriate images such as cannabis plants which creates the wrong impression.”

Mr Jones added that being unable to identify students who are wearing hoodies is a “particular concern” for staff members.

“When hoods are up it can become difficult to identify students which can be an issue if an incident has occurred,” the educator stated.

Several students at the school have expressed their staunch opposition to the new uniform regulation.

“I don’t see a problem with pupils wearing hoodies and it wouldn’t affect how I work,” 14-year-old Ruben Sekules told Solent News.

“One teacher said it was because a number of former pupils had come into school wearing hoodies and they make it difficult to identify people on site. However most coats have hoods which can also hide faces.”

Another pupil, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “This school is slowly becoming a dictatorship.”

The school has since defended its ban on hoodies, saying that the rule is “preparing young people for later life”.

“A student wearing a hoodie in their English lesson is not going to affect their academic performance, but the simple fact is it’s a leisure garment, with no weather protection, and most careers will have some form of uniform code,” said Mr Jones.

“I often speak about this in assembly and stress that in years to come you wouldn’t choose to meet clients while dressed in a hoodie.”

If students choose to wear hoodies to school, they will be confiscated, the school stated.

They will then have their garments returned to them at the end of the day.

“Our uniform requirements are to wear a buttoned shirt, tie, embroidered blazer, black trousers and shoes. Hoodies most certainly do not fit in with our uniform policy,” Mr Jones added.

The Independent has contacted Brune Park Community School for comment.