Schools have uniforms for a reason and cannot cater to all the "latest fashion fads" of students, a Rotorua principal says.
The issue gained attention after Motueka High School Year 11 student Jennifer Guthrie, 15, started a petition on Facebook calling on the school's board of trustees to allow students to wear puffer jackets to school.
The petition stated the school's uniform was not warm enough and students who wore their puffer jackets to school had them confiscated and "the wearer can possibly receive a detention".
Rotorua Lakes High School principal Bruce Walker said the school had a similar problem last year with students wearing puffer jackets over their uniform.
"We took it as an opportunity to reassess our uniform and gave students and parents four options for winter jackets. Due to its popularity, we made two of those options puffer jackets, however in the end the majority voted for a different style."
Mr Walker said his school did not tolerate students wearing non-regulation clothing.
"We are proud of our school uniform and have it there for a reason so of course we enforce the rules about wearing it. While we have changed our uniform in the past, we cannot cater to all the latest fashion fads of students."
John Paul College deputy principal Ali McHugh said the school also had a strict uniform policy: "In winter we do occasionally have students coming to school with incorrect uniform but it is not accepted by the school. If we let one thing go, such as allowing students to wear puffer jackets to school, it turns into a slippery slope. There are boundaries and we need to stick to them.
"If a student comes to school wearing non-regulation clothing we do ask them to remove it, but it's not as though we let them freeze for the rest of the day, we do have uniform jackets and polar fleeces we can give them."
John Paul College deputy head girl and board of trustees student representative Rebecca Veitch, 17, said she agreed schools should enforce uniform rules to "keep their students looking smart".
"Our uniform has an important role in the image of our school. Our jerseys and blazers are smart-looking while puffer jackets are quite casual.
"While I think our uniform provides enough warmth for students, anybody who is particularly cold can wear thermals underneath which doesn't take away from the look of the uniform," she said.
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