Pupils chant in TikTok-inspired protest against new uniform policy

Pupils chant ‘free the knee’ and ‘white is right’ in TikTok-inspired protest against school’s new uniform policy banning white socks

• Pupils rallied against new uniform rules at Arnewood School in Hampshire
• It comes after a wave of other TikTok-inspired student protests across the UK 
• The school claim that socks were left out of new uniform policy – not banned

Furious pupils rallied against their school’s uniform policy which was believed have banned white socks and skirts, chanting ‘free the knee’ in the latest TikTok-inspired protest. 

Dozens of pupils at a Hampshire school banded together on Wednesday in a campaign against alleged new uniform restrictions. 

Some students were heard chanting ‘white is right’ against the white sock ban – seemingly unaware of possible racist interpretations of the phrase.

Boys were also said to be wearing skirts as part of the demonstration, and at one point all protestors sat firmly on the ground.

The campaign in New Milton follows a wave of other ‘TikTok-inspired riots’ against school policies across the country. 

Secondary pupils rallied against new uniform rules at Arnewood School in Hampshire

Fire alarms were set off by teachers at Oasis Academy Mayfield school in Southampton this week as students protested against unisex toilets.

Last Friday, another ‘TikTok riot’ even forced Warriner School to scrap new rules on a ‘gender neutral’ PE kit and a ban on girls wearing skirts.  

It is understood that students at The Arnewood School are now allowed to wear white socks but not as a result of the protests. 

A spokesman for the school explained that it was not a banning of white socks but instead an ‘omission’, having left them out of new school policy.

This ‘oversight’ was then said to have been corrected by the school’s council at a similar time to when the protests had occurred.

The spokesman also added that the idea of banning skirts is completely false. 

‘Omission of white socks was an oversight when policy changed,’ the spokesman said.

‘It was corrected by the school council.’ 

Despite confusion on rules, new headteacher Jamie Anderson described the students’ behaviour as ‘extreme’ and threatened them with suspension.

New headteacher Jamie Anderson (pictured) described their behaviour as ‘extreme’ and has since threatened the students with suspension

A letter was also reportedly sent to parents claiming that students ran through corridors and banged on doors.

In a video uploaded to social media, Mr Anderson was compared to a chicken poo.

He said: ‘At the end of morning break a small number of students caused some disruption to teaching.

‘It was unclear what, if anything, it was about but it briefly affected some lessons.

‘It follows similar incidents at schools across the country, footage of which has been shared on the social media platform TikTok.

‘Those involved who can be identified will face our disciplinary procedures, including suspension where their misbehaviour was extreme and affected the learning of children who wished to get on with their lessons.

‘This behaviour is well below the high standards demanded at Arnewood and it will not be tolerated.

‘If students have concerns there are various methods of communicating them to staff in an appropriate manner including our School Council which meets frequently.’

READ MORE: Teachers set off fire alarms in bid to quell ‘TikTok riots’

Despite this, some parents have hit out at the school and commended their children – with one father saying ‘I won’t be punishing my child’.

Another parent criticised Arnewood online and even accused the school of threatening to call the police.

He wrote: ‘Once again, you have failed our children.

‘I understand if my child was using bad language, I will accept her punishment. I understand if my child was involved in a fight, I will accept her punishment. I understand if my child was caught smoking, I will accept her punishment!!!!

‘But, to threaten to call the police on my child and wanting to send her home for involvement in a protest for wearing WHITE socks, this is unbelievable and quite astonishing!!!

‘I certainly won’t be punishing my child!!!!

‘FREE THE WHITE SOCKS!!!!!’

Another mother, who did not want to be named, also said: ‘Fair play to the kids standing up for themselves everyone has a right to a voice.’

She also claimed that the protest was centred around the idea of ‘their body, their choice’. 

‘Kids who took part got excluded, some threatened, there’s a lot of angry parents out there,’ she added.

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