Parents slam school for banning kids from dressing up as sports people, singers and YouTube stars

The school's 'My World At Work Day' fancy dress rules haven't gone down well with parents who argue children should be encouraged to chase their dreams

A school has come under fire for their strict requirements concerning a 'My World At Work Day' initiative.

A letter was sent home to mums and dads, inviting pupils to 'dress as themselves in a job they'd like to do in the future' to mark the 'World At Work' day at the school.

Billed as a way of encouraging youngsters to 'use their imagination' and 'express their ambitions', a special note on the mail-out added:

'We know that some children would love to be professional sports people or pop stars or famous YouTubers in the future.

'These are great ambitions but so hard to achieve! Because of this, on this occasion we're not allowing these dress-up choices - instead, we'd like children to think of their 'Plan B' choices for future jobs.'

[twitter]

See more

[/twitter]

When Olympian Jack Green shared his dismay via Twitter by urging parents to 'ignore it and let your children aspire to be whatever they want to be', many were quick to agree.

'This is so sad to see! Those kids being asked to dream but not too big,' said one. 'They're kids! There's plenty of time for life to step in and trample all over dreams when you're older! Sheesh.'

Another added: 'My 10 year old is a unicorn not a human apparently! If that's what she wants to be then I embrace her imagination 🦄.'

A third Twitter user, who works in the education industry, was equally unimpressed.

'Disgraceful, I am a teacher. We have a sport five minutes, we watch videos of inspiring athletes, Usain Bolt, Mo Farah, Adam Peaty, Max Whitlock, etc,' she vented.

'Never hard such waffle before!'

It seems, however, that not everyone thought that the school had done anything wrong - some attributed it to an issue of wording.

'Def poorly worded, but seems like a ploy to ensure variety. Maybe better to give kids a letter of the alphabet,' one suggested.

'They pick a corresponding role & give 3 benefits of doing that job. That way, they're exposed to new ideas/options.'

Another agreed: 'The school are simply trying to avoid another glorified fancy dress day. They want the kids to really think about their choice and different jobs/careers. It's not legally binding! It gives children options.'

What do you think? Would you side with the school on this one or do you agree with the critics that rules should not have been imposed on what the children could choose to wear? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

GoodtoKnow

Trusted, informative, and empathetic – GoodToKnow is the ultimate online destination for mums. Established in 2007, our 15-year-strong archive of content includes more than 18,000 articles, 1,500 how-to videos, and 7,000 recipes.