Am I the only parent whose child goes to Looe Community School, who objects to the "new sweatshirt directive" from the new Headteacher, Mrs Helga Turner?

We have been told that ALL students MUST buy, and then wear at ALL times whilst on the school premises, a newly (in the last half term or so) instigated sweatshirt. This despite the fact that, it seems the students were previously told they'd be able to continue wearing their previous school jumpers.

If we haven't already ordered the new ones, those students must take £12 on the first day of term, because Mrs Turner will have ordered a sweatshirt for them. (This was an item in the newsletter we all got at the end of term and was titled "Compulsory school sweatshirt").

This is even if you already own one of the previous school jumpers and even if your child only has another two terms in the school before they finish for study leave. We, parents and students, have been told that the new sweatshirt MUST be worn AT ALL TIMES in the next two terms and the only time there will be a choice for the students is in the summer term. There seems to be no question of phasing in this sweatshirt. You have to have it, there are no alternatives.

Apparently some students complained of being cold last year, mostly whilst waiting for the buses. What about those children who don't feel the cold, or the days when, as often happens in the autumn, it's very warm? Also many of the classrooms in the school are on the south side of the building, where there are a lot of windows and the IT rooms are always hot, because of the number of computers in them. Even in winter the classrooms can be stifling, due to the central heating system being full on.

All this is happening in a school, where the prospectus tells us that every student is valued for being an individual. Surely an individual has a right to choice and not to be dictated to..

I know that there are quite a number of students who object to the compulsory nature of this ruling and that it is causing them unnecessary anxiety. For some of them it is in a year when they have quite enough to contend with as they take their GCSE's.

As concerned parents, we need to ask if Mrs Turner can actually enforce this ruling. Perhaps she, or the Governors, would like to write to all the parents and students explaining how, and why, it will be done. We all need to know the consequences if we dare to opt for freedom of choice.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED.