bare feets at school

[nippa&pippa]

Can someone explain this, why children at school have to take their shoes off before they are allowed go into classroom or library? what was the reasons behind it?
I can't remember why, is it something to do with moari? or always have been part of NZ's school custom?
(yep they can wear slippers in classroom if worried about kids' feet get cold but I have only see 2 or 3 girls wearing it, no boys...)

[catt]

Talking to my other half about shoes he said that they never wore them to go to school and when we were in Waihi last November we saw lots of kids walking the streets without shoes. He said that its believed that its healthier to go bare feet thats why they did it no other reason. The Kiwi's are strange i know have lived with one for the past 20 years

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

I think it's a general kiwi thing, as opposed to Maori or even child specific.

I see plenty of adults barefoot too, in the supermarket etc.

[AndyR]

no way lol I've been looking for an excuse to walk around barefoot for years without looking like a weirdo! I used to do lots of martial arts so my feet were pretty hard!

[shakyle2906]

Hi

Our son is allowed to wear shoes in classroom, library, etc ...........

Have seen loads of people, adults included, walking around bare feet.

I do around house, but wouldnt in street............

Sharon
x

[Potato]

no way lol I've been looking for an excuse to walk around barefoot for years without looking like a weirdo! I used to do lots of martial arts so my feet were pretty hard!

Oh yeah, you'll love it here that's for sure. You see people barefoot in the supermarket, IN WINTER! And, in general, the country is pretty tidy so you're not going to step on a needle or broken glass.

[sizzlingbadger]

Everyday last week my son came home with no socks just shoes on, obviously been walking around bare foot in the classroom ! ! !

Think it's definitely a kiwi thing, I know they're not allowed to wear shoes in the class room during winter because of the mud. Boys usually go and play where it's the muddest bit of the school playing field Think it's also to do in part with them feeling comfortable in the classroom, a bit like home you wouldn't walk around home all day with shoes on.

[Beachcombers]

It's funny when we first arrived, we were aghast at the kids in bare feet marching off to school, in Winter. Fast forward six months and yours truly is driving the car and running around the supermarket in bare feet(cold walking around the dairy section, brrr).

"When in Rome!"

[Tanya]

Can someone explain this, why children at school have to take their shoes off before they are allowed go into classroom or library? what was the reasons behind it?
I can't remember why, is it something to do with moari? or always have been part of NZ's school custom?
(yep they can wear slippers in classroom if worried about kids' feet get cold but I have only see 2 or 3 girls wearing it, no boys...)

Sophia

No Maori custom or anything like that - its just a winter thing because of the dirty shoes on the carpet. The majority of my kids class all have their slippers there to keep their feet warm and more importantly to keep their feet dry from those who wear their shoes in and get the floor wet and muddy.

Tanya

[dharder]

Ours only have to wear shoes on the way to school and back, they take off their shoes all year round (not just a winter thing) once entering the classroom.

Not a big fan of the whole barefoot idea (think hygiene). But in the German Kindergarten the girls attended for a few months last year, every child had slippers and you changed into them in the morning so you wouldn't run around in potentially muddy boots inside. And in general, I really like the idea of wearing different things inside and out, seems to much cleaner to me.

Mind you, mine play sports in school barefoot, so the much cleaner option would be to have them put on their shoes to ENTER the classroom, since their bare feet are all muddy...

Daniela