Random Rules at Fundy Schools

[seenthelight]

Anyone who went to a Fundy school (elem/hs/college) has had to follow some rules that just make you want to go "Huh???" because there was no rhyme or reason for the rule.


In my elementary school, we had to stand up whenever another adult walked into the room. If we were in the middle of a timed test or other work or whatever, we had to stop and stand......and remain standing until the person either "dismissed" us to sit or left the room. I never understood this rule b/c the whole thing about school was PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR OWN WORK. Stopping and standing gave many opportunities to look at other people's papers, fidget, etc. I always tried to eaves-drop on what the adults were whispering about!!!

The actual unusual thing about the rule was that it applied to male teachers/principal as well as female teachers/secretaries.

[Historian]

Um.....so many I'm not sure I can remember them all.

One of the weirdest was the nail polish–no colors allowed but shades of red, purple and pink. It wasn't initially a rule, then they made it so. I can understand banning black–they didn't want any "goth" looks. But they also banned some shades of purple and all green, orange, etc. I couldn't figure out why one shade of purple was ok and another one wasn't. I also couldn't figure out why it was ok for years, then suddenly wasn't ok anymore.

Then there was the "no more than 1 per ear" earring rule. I mean, once you start punching holes in yourself, why is 1 ok but 2 is wicked? I don't even have 1, because I don't like putting unnecessary holes in myself, and I now live in a place so dirty and polluted that every person I know with pierced ears is in a constant battle to keep away infection. But what was the reason for the rule? I always got some kind of vague reference to pagans and holes in the body and such. My asking why putting one hole in your ear wasn't pagan, but putting a second one crossed some kind of line was never answered.

[tena]

There were two rules that made me crazy at my Fundy U. The first was no ironing on Sunday. It was the only day of the week I actually had time to iron because I didn't work on that day, but for some reason it was very sinful to iron on Sundays. The second crazy rule was no walking by yourself after dark. It was perfectly acceptable to stand on some dark corner for an hour hoping someone would come by, but not okay to just do the 10 minute walk over to where you needed to go. CRAZY! I was great at ditching the security people trying to give me demerits when I was strolling in the dark.

[Persnickety Polecat]

Ah, Fairhaven -- we girls had to have permission slips in the box before a certain time at night, and we could not leave campus without them. OK, all well and good, BUT we couldn't leave campus without at least three girls at a time. I don't know if they thought any fewer than three girls were automatically inviting sin and debauchery or what. But it was an asinine rule.

We also couldn't go home at Thanksgiving. I ended up getting campused because a beloved friend of the family died that week, and his funeral was the day after Thanksgiving. My parents called and pleaded for an exception to be made, but administration was idiotic over it and refused (coincidentally -- or not -- this was within days of me blowing the whistle about an abused one-year-old in the nursery in which I'd worked). I went home anyway and faced my punishment when I returned.

[amyrose5]

(08-18-2012 06:35 PM)Historian Wrote:  One of the weirdest was the nail polish–no colors allowed but shades of red, purple and pink. It wasn't initially a rule, then they made it so. I can understand banning black–they didn't want any "goth" looks. But they also banned some shades of purple and all green, orange, etc. I couldn't figure out why one shade of purple was ok and another one wasn't. I also couldn't figure out why it was ok for years, then suddenly wasn't ok anymore.

I think I've mentioned this here before: when I taught at Christian school, I once sat through a two hour staff meeting devoted entirely to debating which nail polish colors should be allowed. The debate centered on whether to allow only pastel pinks and peaches or to allow them along with reds and maroons. Oranges, greens, blues, purples, and such were definitely off the table. And metallic colors threatened to extend the whole nightmare into another meeting.

But remember, none of these rules were random. They were all based on what is "biblical". Bible verses were thrown around the nail polish meeting. There was a math teacher who was lauded by the principal for having a minimum of three Bible verses attached to each of her classroom rules or policies. Somehow, the young woman had twisted up at least three Bible verses to claim they meant students must use a pencil not a pen on their math homework. I'm sorry that I cannot share with you what those verses were. I have blocked it out.

[pastor's wife]

When I started teaching at a small Christian school after graduating from BJU, one of the rules was that teachers could only wear nude or tan colored hose, no colored ones. It was the early 90s and colored hose was popular. I especially preferred wearing black instead of "suntan" (which I hated then and still do).

I was told that they wanted their teachers to look professional. Too bad they couldn't treat us like professionals and allow us to make those wardrobe choices for ourselves. I wasn't going to show up in front of the English class in vivid green tights.

[Persnickety Polecat]

(08-18-2012 10:06 PM)amyrose5 Wrote:  

(08-18-2012 06:35 PM)Historian Wrote:  One of the weirdest was the nail polish–no colors allowed but shades of red, purple and pink. It wasn't initially a rule, then they made it so. I can understand banning black–they didn't want any "goth" looks. But they also banned some shades of purple and all green, orange, etc. I couldn't figure out why one shade of purple was ok and another one wasn't. I also couldn't figure out why it was ok for years, then suddenly wasn't ok anymore.

I think I've mentioned this here before: when I taught at Christian school, I once sat through a two hour staff meeting devoted entirely to debating which nail polish colors should be allowed. The debate centered on whether to allow only pastel pinks and peaches or to allow them along with reds and maroons. Oranges, greens, blues, purples, and such were definitely off the table. And metallic colors threatened to extend the whole nightmare into another meeting.

But remember, none of these rules were random. They were all based on what is "biblical". Bible verses were thrown around the nail polish meeting. There was a math teacher who was lauded by the principal for having a minimum of three Bible verses attached to each of her classroom rules or policies. Somehow, the young woman had twisted up at least three Bible verses to claim they meant students must use a pencil not a pen on their math homework. I'm sorry that I cannot share with you what those verses were. I have blocked it out.

I started attending fundy schools in fourth grade and attended through my junior year in college until I was expelled for the last time. I don't remember a single verse anywhere in the Bible that dealt with nail polish. Not ONE. They were straight up smoking crack.

[Papa Bear]

How about rules against some particular item/style of clothing, etc. that they made rules against just because it was in fashion, and they didn't want their kids being too fashionable, but the rules were on the books decades later? And if you questioned one of these rules, they'd come up with some "spiritual" reason for it that made no sense, and accuse you of being "worldly". I mean, I didn't want to wear some style that went out 10-15 years ago, I just wanted to know why they still needed a rule against something no one was going to wear anyway.

[Persnickety Polecat]

(08-18-2012 10:36 PM)Papa Bear Wrote:  How about rules against some particular item/style of clothing, etc. that they made rules against just because it was in fashion, and they didn't want their kids being too fashionable, but the rules were on the books decades later? And if you questioned one of these rules, they'd come up with some "spiritual" reason for it that made no sense, and accuse you of being "worldly". I mean, I didn't want to wear some style that went out 10-15 years ago, I just wanted to know why they still needed a rule against something no one was going to wear anyway.

SIDEBURNS!!!!! This was the big thing when I was in school. They couldn't have long sideburns (as if anyone wanted them in the 80s!), and they couldn't shave them off (too punk!). The poor boys had to have their sideburns exactly to the middle of their ear (their tragus), no shorter, no longer.

I'd totally forgotten about that since it didn't affect me. But that was a stupid rule.

[pastor's wife]

Yes! The sideburn rule as well as the rules that sometimes even specifically said "hippie" clothing. It was the mid-80s and we'd roll our eyes because none of us would be caught dead wearing those clothes!