School bans popular $825 Canada Goose coats in 'poverty-proofing' effort

A school outside London has banned students from wearing designer coats in an attempt to prevent poverty shaming.

Woodchurch High School sent a letter to parents describing a new dress code that prohibits pupils from wearing high-end brand-name coats, specifically banning Canada Goose and Moncler.

“We are very concerned about the fact that our children put a lot of pressure on parents to buy them expensive coats,” principal Rebekah Phillips told the Independent. Additionally, she said, the students who can’t afford the fancy coats — the most popular Canada Goose style retails for $825 — “feel stigmatized, they feel left out, they feel inadequate.”

Phillips added, “We are very concerned as a school about poverty-proofing our school environment and, as such, we met with groups of pupils and made the decision in consultation with them.” A few years ago, a similar ban on expensive bags was introduced.

While Phillips said in her note that “support from parents/carers has been overwhelmingly positive,” responses on the internet have been decidedly mixed.

One father wrote on Facebook, “I work very hard to afford to buy my children some luxury items which I never had. Are these people who are asking where parents get the money from the same parents who are sitting there on their 1,000 pound phones, watching their 60-inch televisions? All my daughter wanted for Christmas was a coat, which I have bought for her. The school should have thought about this in September.”

Another commented: “I think it’s pathetic. If I or my family member want to buy ‘an expensive coat’ with our hard earned money so what?!”

However, there were parents who agree with the forthcoming ban.

“I think it’s a fair decision and other schools should follow in example,” another parent argued. “All the children in this school have to have the same bags, they are not allowed certain shoes and the coat is just another. This definitely stops bullying as all the children dress the same so no individual can be singled out. Good work Woodchurch High School.”

A fellow parent agreed, writing: “I think we should all stop and think of the children whose parents can’t afford these coats it should be the same school coat for all part of the uniform and if people want to buy expensive coats wear them out of school seems a sensible plan by the school to me.”

The ban is set to be introduced in 2019, after winter break.

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