Laughable Rules That Schools Actually Enforced On Students
Not all schools follow the same blueprint to “success.” Some are more intense than others, and they rattle off some truly weird rules to the kids in their care. Luckily for us, former students are speaking out about their experiences online, and with each nonsensical rule shared, it becomes clearer just how fine the line between logic and lunacy is. So, from baffling bans to restrictive regulations, we’re diving headfirst into 40 of the strangest school rules on record. We hope you’re ready!
Strictly no shoulders
Hands up those of you who didn’t need to wear school uniforms? Lucky you! Uniforms or not, one institution took things a whole step further. They brought in a seemingly random dress code for its students to follow: they weren’t allowed to expose their shoulders.
Why? Well, according to the Reddit user who posted about their school’s somewhat strange approach to modesty, it all came down to distraction. Those in charge believed that shoulders held the potential to disturb their students’ ability to focus...
Circles are unsafe
Are you sitting down? Good. Prepare yourself for a seriously mind-blowing school rule. Redditor EchoLimaOscarDelta wrote, “In grade eight, we were banned from standing in circles at recess because of potential scandalous activity going on in the middle. We stood in squares instead.”
Because, naturally, nothing obscene can take place when you're stood in a triangle, rhombus, or square! Hey, maybe being a square at that school isn't such a bad thing, after all?!
Ugg boot ban
When higher-ups at a school in Pennsylvania decided to alter their dress code, stating that Ugg boots were no longer allowed, it probably didn’t seem all that surprising. They’re not the most appropriate footwear for classes, after all. But that isn’t why the shoes were barred.
Apparently, the rule was created to stop girls from sneaking their phones into the institution. Wow. If anything, they should have praised their ingenuity! In all seriousness, though, Ugg surely must have noticed that roomy fit was the perfect substitute for a bag.
Barring bell peppers
Taking to Reddit, a user named TOo_0dd wrote, “[I] had a physics teacher who was cool if you ate food in class, but ‘banned’ bell peppers. He would say that you had to eat them or throw them away in advance before coming in, or he’d report you." The bell pepper ban is bizarre enough, but things got even weirder when the user explained the teacher's reasons why.
"People would ask him where his hatred for bell peppers came from, but he never budged. So that made it weird." On second thoughts, maybe we’d rather not know...
Backpack ban
How about this for an odd rule? Redditor Gonenutz claimed that backpacks were banned from their school. But that’s not even the strangest part. Apparently, girls were given the green-light to bring purses in instead!
But, you guessed it — those bags just kept getting bigger and bigger until they were essentially rucksacks! The boys quickly picked up on that, and began to carry their own “purses” as well.
Christmas is canceled
No kid wants to hear that Christmas is getting canceled. But that’s exactly what happened at Nicholas Elementary School. Located in Frisco, Texas, the institution barred any mention of it at an, err... 'winter' shindig.
It was the same deal with other religious celebrations, too. In their defense, their logic for the ban did come from a good place. The rule was implemented to create a more inclusive atmosphere.
See you later, Shrek
Reddit user allhailbobevans recalled, “[Our school] banned the word ‘Shrek.’ Everyone was saying it when it was a popular meme, and they were fine with it.” So, what changed? Simple — a member of the faculty uncovered the true meaning of the meme... and we’ll leave it at that.
Trust us folks, that’s a rabbit hole you want to avoid! Let's spare a thought for poor Shrek in all this, though. Ogres have feelings too you know!
Don’t leave the “bubble”
According to one Redditor, a school in their area introduced a “bubble” rule for the kids. In simple terms, they were banned from getting too close to any of their fellow classmates.
So no more handshakes, cuddles, that sort of thing. But even acts such as handing a pen to someone were seen as violations, too. Imagine getting detention for that!
Dates for the dance
Ah, school dances. We’ve got plenty of fun memories from those events! So, that makes the following rule all the harder to understand. Reddit user LilDonutOfficial explained, “[I] attended [an] all-girls high school. You had to bring a male date to dances or couldn’t attend at all. No going solo or with your girl friends. [It was] so backwards.”
Let’s just work out the maths here... All-girls school equals no boys. Makes sense so far! All-girls school dance, however, equals girls plus boys. Something definitely doesn't add up. Unless, in fact, the teachers were scheming to get off of after-hours work. Sneaky!
Taking a “no weapons” ban to the extreme...
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that schools don’t want weapons on the premises. But even important rules like this can go a little too far sometimes... One institution really took it to the extreme, according to Redditor POCKALEELEE.
They wrote, “A ‘no weapons’ policy meant [that] a kid who brought cupcakes with little green army men on [them] was forced to remove them because they had guns.” Leave the cupcakes alone!
No more floppy disks
When a kid managed to mess up their entire school’s computer system with a malicious floppy disk, the knock-on effects were sizable. From that point on, this school meant serious business.
A Reddit user noted that students at their school couldn’t use their external memory devices, even for work. It got to the stage where the rule needed to be changed a few weeks later, as the local board of education was bombarded with frustrated messages!
9 a.m. on the dot
Writing under the name bigredcar, one Redditor said, “My freshman dorm at a religious college had a list of rules that filled a legal-sized sheet of paper. It included making your bed by 9 a.m. every day, including weekends.” So far, so strict. It gets worse, though.
They continued, “So if you wanted to sleep in on Saturday morning, you were supposed to get up, make your bed, and then go back to sleep on top of [it].” So much for that T.G.I.F feeling, hey?!
Restricting bathroom breaks
You can’t help but wince when hearing about really strict school rules. This one takes it to a whole new level, though. List25 reported that a teacher in New York implemented a bizarre bathroom break system for her classes.
Incredibly, they could only visit the restroom three times across the entire week. Each person was given a “coupon” to keep track of it. Oh, and three minutes was the limit.
No matching shirts
Ready to cringe? Okay then, brace yourself. Reddit user heydawg8 recalled, “[We couldn’t] wear too many matching shirts [at school], because [we] could be a gang." At a very large push, we can sort of see the logic. That's not all, though.
The user dropped the bomb in the second half of their post, writing "This was in regards to a kid with cancer wanting to make a bunch of shirts.” Yikes. Surely a bit of leeway could’ve been given there?
Crossing the gaffer tape line
In an ideal world, all rules would be simple. Yet this Redditor encountered a weird directive at elementary school. You see, a piece of dark gaffer tape was laid down close to some playground doors that sat near an administration area.
Youngsters without “written permission” were barred from walking across it, even if they just wanted to head outside for recess. Hopefully the school provided alternative options and all those without permission aren't all still stuck in there to this day.
The great gender divide
Did your school have any strange seating arrangements? If so, something tells us that themorrigan86 has you beat on that front. The Reddit user wrote, “A girl and a boy couldn’t sit together.”
And they weren't letting things slide, either! “The school employed ‘disciplinarians’ to roam around and monitor this ‘activity.’ If found, you [would] get a reprimand.” Jeez.
Banning college acceptance announcements
You’d think that schools would encourage students to celebrate their academic accomplishments, right? Well, that isn’t the case in some New York academies.
According to List25, the people at some schools aren’t allowed to reveal if a university has taken them on. The reason? To avoid upsetting those who don’t make it.
No red ink
In truth, we never took much notice of the ink color our teachers used in the past. But still, that didn’t stop schools in the United Kingdom from introducing a strange new rule.
It’s been reported that teachers at some British schools can’t use red pens to grade students’ work anymore, as the color has negative connotations. A strange rule to insist on, but we have to agree here — everyone knows that green is good, red is bad!
No more balls
It’s hard to imagine a school playground without any balls flying around. Yet if you go to a certain institution in Toronto, Canada, that’s exactly what you’ll find.
As per List25, the headteacher implemented the ban when an adult was struck by one, giving them a concussion. They were deemed as hazardous.
LOL ban
In most cases, students can write whatever they choose in a yearbook. But one Georgia school drew the line at acronyms. Yep, that meant phrases such as “LOL” couldn’t be used.
In fact, the kids had to put their signature on a written promise guaranteeing that they’d “respect” the books. Seems a little extreme!
Barring hair accessories
We know what you’re thinking — why would a school ban hair accessories? What’s the harm in sporting a scrunchie or a hairband to class? Well, Pleasant-Flamingo344 explained on Reddit that at their school it was the color of these accessories that was the real issue, specifically blue and red.
Apparently, their institution dubbed them as “gang colors.” Well, we've all seen what happens at the end of West Side Story — and it ain't pretty.
No jackets
We can’t help but feel for Redditor gouwbadgers. The rule introduced apparently at their school sucks! They wrote, “We couldn’t wear winter clothing (jackets, hats, gloves) in class because they were ‘gang symbols.’”
“This was a small farm town in Wisconsin. Besides obviously having no gangs, it was cold, even indoors, in the winter. But clearly wearing warm clothing is something only gangs do.”
Winning is for losers
How about this for a surprising stat? A report shared by List25 noted that two-thirds of schools across Britain give awards to every pupil who participates in an activity, not just the ones who win!
The actual winner doesn’t receive the acclaim you’d expect. So, in a sense, winning has been effectively banned at those academies!
Six is a crowd
Everyone’s heard the phrase “two’s company, three’s a crowd,” but this principal took things one step further. Did you have a big circle of friends at school? If so, imagine trying to deal with this bizarre rule.
Redditor handsthefram wrote, “Students couldn’t congregate in groups larger than five at recess. The principal decided everything bad happened in groups greater than five.” We don’t envy the poor kids who came in at number six.
Cough up or get out
Nothing can soothe a sore throat quicker than a cough drop, right? Well, that’s not the case at this institution. That’s right: for the young students at one particular elementary school, that option was well and truly written off the table.
Yep, Reddit user daspyper stated that staff banned the sweets due to seeing them as “drugs.” We swear that’s not a typo, folks. If only there were a medicine that could cure idiocy!
“Oh snap” ban
This one requires a spot of intense ’90s knowledge. For those not in the know, brightly colored snap bands were all the rage back then. Unfortunately, they also acquired a slightly less kid-appropriate meaning as they gained in popularity. Writing under the name Reginaa-Phalange, a Reddit user recalled how the bands incensed her teachers.
“When I was in middle school, we used to say ‘oh snap’ all the time, instead of swearing. Somehow the administration decided it had something to do with those jelly bracelets where, if you broke one off a girl, she had to [be] with you. So we were no longer allowed to say [it].” Oh sna... sorry..
When it comes to gossip, the teachers are off-limits
This is an intriguing one. Redditor TickTick_Tick noted that their school brought in a rule forbidding teacher gossip after three members of staff got into some messy relationship drama.
Now, given the circumstances, that wasn’t the worst idea in the world. Here was the issue, though — even the slightest bit of criticism leveled at the teachers resulted in punishment thanks to the ruling.
Where there's a will there's a pogo stick
School entrance lots are a veritable hotspot for modes of transport. Bikes, scooters, skateboards, heck unicycles, even! For the kids whose parents refuse to give them a lift and implore that they “get some exercise,” transport with wheels — or just one wheel — are a lifeline. Pogo sticks, however, are another story entirely. And that’s especially true for picky rule makers.
Taking to Reddit, a user named Lucky13_SP revealed, “As a kid, I’d learned how to pogo stick and my house was close to the school. Our principal had [gone] to great lengths to ban all forms of rideable transportation except bikes. And the day after I [used my pogo stick for] the first time, she came on the PA and said that pogo-ing to school was banned.” What a bummer.
Bake sale ban
Nothing beats a good bake sale. There are so many delicious treats to choose from! Mind you, one school in Massachusetts wasn’t so keen on them. List25 reported that the institution barred future sales for one unappetizing reason.
Talk about being a stickler for the rules... this place banned baked goods to aid the health of its students. People were far from happy with the decision, though, claiming the higher-ups were acting like “food police.”
Too much of a good thing
Do you believe in luck? Well, this next entry will really pique your interest. According to List25, schools in Japan have no problem with students wearing a single good luck bracelet.
If they sport any more than a single talisman on their wrists, though, they’re in big trouble. Apparently, the higher-ups see it as a form of “cheating.” Yep, we’re serious!
No fist bumps
We’re all for schools taking health and safety precautions. It’s not a bad thing in the slightest. At the same time, though, it can be easy to go overboard. Take this story as an example.
A Redditor posting under the name Seagull_Friend said that fist bumps were banned at their school. This was to prevent students from “accidentally” hitting each other in the head. See what we mean?!
Who needs bathrooms anyway?
User Samus388 told Reddit, “In my freshman year of high school we had a terrible vandalism problem. The bathrooms would be broken in various ways.” It's a tale as old as time — give students the freedom of expression, and they'll cover the walls in expletives! Fear not, though, because faculty had a cunning trick to keep things clean.
“In a stroke of pure genius, the staff decided that any bathroom that was vandalized would be closed for the week on first offense, the quarter for second, and permanently on the third offense. They took back the rule after closing every bathroom on day one.”
Bye bye bikes
For many students, a bike ride to the school gates is the perfect way to start the day. But in New Jersey, some academies have barred the activity altogether. Yes, really.
Why? Well, according to List25, it’s down to two things: liability and safety. In other words, they don’t want to be blamed for any potential accidents!
Banning paper airplanes
A paper airplane ban doesn’t sound all that strange at first. But when you learn more details about why it came into effect at 1amathrowaway’s school, that quickly changes.
Apparently, a student burst into tears after making some poor efforts compared to his classmates, which included the Reddit user. That one moment prompted staff to bar them going forward.
Ketchup is off the menu
Attention all ketchup lovers: the following rule might bring a tear to your eye! According to reports, schools across France started to ban the delicious condiment from their cafeterias!
Apparently, it was done to slow down the Americanization of the country’s society. But rather interestingly, students could still get the red stuff with their french fries. They’re not monsters!
Hugs are banned
Now we know what you’re thinking — what’s the harm in a hug? Well, quite a bit actually, according to the headteacher at Redditor nucksnewbie’s old school. Buckle up, this one takes the cake.
Looking back on that time, the Redditor said, “The new principal informed our middle school that he wouldn’t be okay with his daughters making ‘full physical contact’ with boys, so we wouldn’t be allowed to. I completely lost all respect for him. Who sexualizes hugs?”
Salt and pepper are barred
When it comes to applying certain rules, all we ask for is consistency. Without it, frankly, what’s the point? Speaking of which, that brings us onto our next tale of brainlessness. At first, things seem pretty mundane. Reddit user gcz1214 revealed that salt and pepper wasn’t offered at their school for health reasons.
Okay, we get it — high blood pressure isn’t good for anyone. Dig a little deeper, though, and the cracks in the school’s statute start to show. You see, while basic seasoning was banned, sugary drinks such as Mountain Dew were fair game. We can sense their frustration!
No “best friends”
The bond that you form with your best friend at school can last for decades if you’re fortunate enough. Then again, a rule in the United Kingdom could scupper those chances for the kids of today.
Apparently, some British institutions are stopping students from having “best friends,” fearing the emotional damage that might come from a broken friendship. What a weird decision!
Nobody can score 100 percent
We hope you’re ready for this last entry, folks, because it’s a doozy! Redditor kpteasdale recalled, “We had percentage grades. If you earned 100 percent in a class for the semester you’d be dinged down to 99 percent, ‘because only God is perfect.’
“It was a Catholic girls high school and there were a lot of other weird, strictly enforced rules, but [that one] will always take the cake for me.”
No more cartwheels
You don’t have to be the most athletic kid in the world to attempt a cartwheel. Sometimes the failures can be just as memorable as the successes! But a school in Sydney, Australia, looked to put a stop to the move.
Apparently, students there were only allowed to try the move if a “trained gymnastics instructor” was with them. It seems they went straight to the top with that one. Perhaps knee pads and a helmet could have delayed the eradication of fun!