TWO brothers were sent home from school in a row over their reflective shoes.
Mum Lorna Sharples says her boys Joshua, 12, and David, 14, were told to leave Prestwich Art College because their new shoes have reflective "safety" strips on them.
Mrs Sharples says she deliberately bought shoes because she wanted her children to be seen as they walk home from school.
But bosses at the college say shoes "must be black with no non-black piping or branding".
Letters were sent to parents this week warning that children who did not remove reflective materials would be sent home.
Mrs Sharples' sons' shoes, which cost £30 each, are black leather, but have a reflective white strip running across them. She said: "This is a safety issue, not a fashion issue. They have to walk home every evening and I want them to be seen, which is why I got them shoes with reflective strips." Mrs Sharples says teachers insisted children coloured in reflective panels.
The school's headteacher, Geoff Barlow, says parents were informed that shoes with patterns, different coloured soles and reflective strips would no longer be acceptable this term.
Furious
Although about 40 children were sent home from the school on Wednesday - because their shoes weren't "uniform" - Mr Barlow says all but two returned the next day. He said: "We informed parents on at least two occasions we would be moving to plain black shoes."
A spokesman for Bury council said: "School uniform policy and how strictly it is adhered to is for individual schools to decide unless it impacts on standards of education."
Meanwhile, pupils at Reddish Vale Technology College in Stockport, have been told to colour in reflective panels on their shoes because they go against the school's uniform policy.
Andrea Cross, of Churchill Crescent, Stockport, said she was furious when she caught her son, Terry, filling in a reflective strip on his shoes.
Mrs Cross, who paid £80 for the shoes, said: "The nights are getting darker and the white line was there to help him be seen."
However, Reddish Vale's headteacher, Jenny Campbell, defended the strict uniform policy, arguing it is intended to protect parents from children demanding designer labels.
Miss Campbell said: "Uniform gives pupils a sense of belonging and also means parents are not having to buy expensive designer clothes."
Should the boys be allowed to wear the luminous strips? Have your say.
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This has been the same case at Albion High School, Charlestown Salford, one parents to told to colour the strip with black felt
Where do the MEN get these stories from ?. The journalist is giving the impression that the school is at fault and the parents are innocent in purchasing "safety" footwear - ALL RUBBISH. The boots in question are a fashion item with the "timberland" brand and do not comply with school uniform. If the parent is so concerned about little Johnny being seen in the dark then make him wear a high vis reflective jacket or band, but i bet little Johnny wouldnt be seen dead in one because it doesn't have a fashion label. - Schools are trying instill discipline and school uniform is the starting block.
Well said Steve! As a driver (and I assume it's drivers who these parents want to see their children on the dark nights), I don't drive around looking at pavement level for reflective shoes - so, to my mind, it would seem a bit pointless for shoes to be so.
It is better to be seen on dark winter days than be killed because of dark clothing worn by kids on bad unlit roads!
It is about time Headteachers go to school, Health and Saftey. they have a duty of care think about going and returning from school, At times common sence grils no slacks in winter, wrong hair cuts now shoes.
If the parents are concerned about safety, issue the boys with reflective ankle strips that can be applied and removed ...... ahhhh but wait a minute .... they aren't fashionable ... are they ?
Just a thought - why not change your footwear when you get to school, and the problem is solved. Good to see someone walking to school, I take it they do walk all the way?
No the shoes should be normal. They can wear reflective jackets when they are walking in the streets. That can be seen more prominently than the reflectors on the shoes.
I wonder if these children would be so keen to wear these shoes if they were bought from the local market for a fiver rather than having a well known "label" on them? Although it is important for children to be seen on our now dark nights, why not wear a bright yellow reflective jacket or reflective armbands ???