At one primary school in Derby, teachers have implemented an innovative new strategy to improve children’s learning.

They are encouraged to wear slippers, rather than shoes, in the classrooms, the idea being that a more relaxed approach will make the students feel more comfortable in their surroundings, and thus learn more effectively.

The policy has gone down well with the students, but there is method in the madness, with the experiment being based on the results of decades of research. The researchers studied children from 25 different nations, and found that those who were allowed to wear slippers in class were more likely to stay late to learn, and were more punctual.

The study, conducted by Bournemouth university, has found that the removal of shoes in a classroom setting allows the children to engage with the teaching more effectively, with a noticeable improvement being noticed not only in the performance of the pupils, but in their behaviour as well. This trend for better results continues up until university, if the habit of wearing slippers in class was maintained.

Now this isn’t to say that everyone’s education will be improved by wearing slippers, but the study finds that the more comfortable one is, then often, the better they will learn. It also has the benefit of keeping cleaning costs down, and increasing the lifespan of furniture, as well as the loud noise associated with primary school pupils stomping around.