OPINIONS will surely be divided over the case of Abigail Francis, the 16-year-old Nova Hreod pupil put in isolation after turning up wearing brightly-coloured odd socks.

Some who read our story will regard the school as having been unreasonable, and will concur with Abigail’s mother Sarah, who contends that people learn with their heads, not their feet.

There will be others who say that, although people do indeed learn with their heads rather than their feet, school uniform policies help pupils learn that certain clothing is appropriate for certain circumstances and not others - and that this knowledge will serve them well in their future careers.

We sympathise somewhat with Abigail, who says she wore the socks because they were all she could find amid a house move, and that she refused to remove them because her feet were cold.

However, it would be unfair to accuse the school or its staff of wrongdoing. The school’s uniform policy clearly states that girls are permitted to wear black tights, and that socks are not permitted to be worn over the top of them.

That policy is tacitly agreed to by all who attend the school and can quite readily be changed if enough parents lobby the school governors.

Turning to the matter of Abigail having cold feet, if there is evidence of other pupils suffering in a similar way, even those wearing sock beneath tights as is permitted, the school should perhaps review its heating.

We suggest the best course of action for all concerned in this matter is to put it behind them in favour of more pressing issues.