Our children are being made to sit in class in the cold with no coat on while the windows remain open. Students should not be expected to sit in class all day and focus on their work while most of their energy is spent trying to stay warm. Many children are already wearing extra layers and are still struggling. This will only get worse as the temperature drops. The school has said that the reason for this is because the students can't work with their coats on and because it is not part of the school uniform. It's unfair to assume that the students will no longer be able to read, write, listen or participate in their lessons because they have a coat on. Many schools have allowed students to wear coats in class without disruption to their class work or school uniform dress code. Our children have suffered enough disruption to their education over the last couple of years without adding to it.

We, the undersigned, call on the Board of Management to grant the students permission to wear coats in school for as long as it's necessary to keep the windows open during the cold weather.