School Uniform

[LilMissHissyFit]

Good idea so long as schools dont restrict where it can be bought from ( meaning poorer families will be put off)
For instance one school having the specification for 'a navy blazer' ( from any store) at about £20 with a sew on badge( bought for about £2 from the school shop) against a school which says " the blazer is available from X,Y or Z retailers" and when the parents go to buy it it costs £75 for a blazer with a badge embroidered on

 

[_angel_]

I don't like uniforms. I don't see any reason for school uniforms. The argument poorer kids get bullied for not having trendy clothes isn't necessarily true. My high school had no uniform and a range of social (and ethnic) groups don't remember ANYONE being picked on for wearing the wrong stuff.

Kids will always find reasons to pick on other things like trainers, accessories, phones and bags anyhow.

There's also the issue that a lot of schools are making parents buy expensive and sometimes branded uniforms that is dead wrong.

Also what's wrong with kids learning about what is and what isn't appropriate wear at school, when they get jobs they'll have to figure it out for themselves?


Having said that, the irony is neither my sons schools have uniforms but I like to send them in something that looks just like one. I like to see them looking smart. However it's nice to know I don't have to fret about having their jumpers exactly the right shade of grey or something.


In all honesty denim is probably the best, more durable fabric there is and best for schools.

 

[_angel_]

Good idea so long as schools dont restrict where it can be bought from ( meaning poorer families will be put off)
For instance one school having the specification for 'a navy blazer' ( from any store) at about £20 with a sew on badge( bought for about £2 from the school shop) against a school which says " the blazer is available from X,Y or Z retailers" and when the parents go to buy it it costs £75 for a blazer with a badge embroidered on

Sneaky way of popular schools excluding poorer kids by hiking up uniform prices. 'nother good reason not to have 'em.

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

I think its far more divisive not to have a uniform, theres already enough pressure on families to buy the right trainers, jeans etc
You bring that into school by not having a uniform then theres nothing which can be done to stop it.

Its far more likely children will not want to go to school full stop( any school) if their parents cant afford the right stuff without a uniform policy

 

[Crispy]

As long as it's affordable (with aid for those who can't afford it, please). Yes, I think uniform is a great leveller, and also reinforces the idea that school is not the same as home life.

 

[Kanda]

As long as it's affordable (with aid for those who can't afford it, please). Yes, I think uniform is a great leveller, and also reinforces the idea that school is not the same as home life.

^^ I'm with him.

 

[Crispy]

^^ I'm with him.

Ok, as long as we don't have to hold hands

 

[Kanda]

Ok, as long as we don't have to hold hands

Can we have matching blazers?

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

If you are going on a trip you'll have to hold hands, miss says its the law in case any men in macs try to snatch you

 

[_angel_]

As long as it's affordable (with aid for those who can't afford it, please). Yes, I think uniform is a great leveller, and also reinforces the idea that school is not the same as home life.

Think most kids know this already tbh. Hence my poor knackered five year old staggering in and putting himself to bed at about 5pm.

 

[spanglechick]

i like to see the kids in their own clothes on non-uniform days, but it's just another bloody excuse for distraction in the classroom. For that reason, i like uniform. From a teacher's POV, it's less fussing.

That said, I think uniforms with skirts / blazers / tie etc are impractical and unhelpful. The rationale, I believe, was partly making children accustomed to the style of clothes (ie, a suit) that they could expect to wear in adulthood. The workplace has changed, though - and suits are not as ubiquitous as once they were.

I think black trousers for all, and then a sweatshirt or similar in the school colour - with maybe a polo shirt in summer. Rather like a lot of modern primary school ones, in fact. And surely that would be more practical and durable / better value.

 

[felixthecat]

As a parent, in general i think its a good thing.

As a parent with a kid going to a school where EVERYTHING is logoed, I think its a very bad thing. £10.50 for a polo shirt when I can get plain ones 2 for a fiver Peacocks? Games shorts (white for indoor, navy for outdoor) that are logoed so I can't pick 'em up in the JJB sale? At least they've stopped the trousers being a specific style and make from a specific manufacturer.

 

[TheDave]

I remember calling a teacher a fascist because she told me to give her my coat which was against school rules. It was fucking freezing outside so I said no and called her a fascist. Got detention and about a billion hours of lecturing about decent behaviour towards staff. I was wearing the correct uniform in every other respect just my coat wasn't a dark colour.

 

[_angel_]

I remember calling a teacher a fascist because she told me to give her my coat which was against school rules. It was fucking freezing outside so I said no and called her a fascist. Got detention and about a billion hours of lecturing about decent behaviour towards staff. I was wearing the correct uniform in every other respect just my coat wasn't a dark colour.

Bloody hell I didn't think they went as far as coats!! That's silly.

 

[_angel_]

i like to see the kids in their own clothes on non-uniform days, but it's just another bloody excuse for distraction in the classroom. For that reason, i like uniform. From a teacher's POV, it's less fussing.

That said, I think uniforms with skirts / blazers / tie etc are impractical and unhelpful. The rationale, I believe, was partly making children accustomed to the style of clothes (ie, a suit) that they could expect to wear in adulthood. The workplace has changed, though - and suits are not as ubiquitous as once they were.

I think black trousers for all, and then a sweatshirt or similar in the school colour - with maybe a polo shirt in summer. Rather like a lot of modern primary school ones, in fact. And surely that would be more practical and durable / better value.

They seem to manage without uniforms in USA and most of the continent I think. Our high school didn't have uniforms. There was virtually no 'fuss' about dress (apart from teachers having a minor nervous breakdown if you wore a scarf indoors- dunno why!!). In fact there was considerably more fuss about clothes at my middle school with a uniform - they invented a new dress rule literally every week!

Interesting what you said about suits. I have often wondered why schools require girls to wear basically, mens clothing. Shirt, tie, blazers and trousers (can't even remember the last time I saw a school girl in a skirt - it seems they aren't allowed to wear them anymore). What's with trying to turn girls into boys? Am I the only one to find this odd, to say the least?

 

[TheDave]

I went to a Church of England school. They were overly strict about everything. They even tried to enforce a dress code on sixth formers. No jeans and the like.

 

[spanglechick]

They seem to manage without uniforms in USA and most of the continent I think. Our high school didn't have uniforms. There was virtually no 'fuss' about dress (apart from teachers having a minor nervous breakdown if you wore a scarf indoors- dunno why!!). In fact there was considerably more fuss about clothes at my middle school with a uniform - they invented a new dress rule literally every week!

Interesting what you said about suits. I have often wondered why schools require girls to wear basically, mens clothing. Shirt, tie, blazers and trousers (can't even remember the last time I saw a school girl in a skirt - it seems they aren't allowed to wear them anymore). What's with trying to turn girls into boys? Am I the only one to find this odd, to say the least?

just seeing it from my side of the classroom.

skirts? most schools had to allow girls to wear trousers as part of an equal opportunities policy and/or for faith reasons. It's very practical. Most of the girls I've taught, however, choose the skirt. Tis more flirty, i expect. But i've never been in a school where skirts were banned (and i've worked in over 100 secondaries)... it may be the case, but it's hardly turning them into boys. Trousers are just more practical.

Ties, I agree with. They look silly on girls. There is a move towards open-necked blouses for girls' uniforms, as far as i can see.

 

[Poot]

My school had a uniform, but it was so lax (especially if you were a girl) that it was pretty much pointless. Then, once every term, they had a "school uniform check day" which meant that virtually everyone got sent home to change.

Either have a uniform, or don't. A half-arsed approach makes a mockery of the whole thing, and forces those of us with feeble minds to wear more and more idiotic "non-uniform" items in an effort not to be seen to conform. Yes, Mr Kellett, the finger of blame for my entire year of arse-skimming skirts, Doc Martens and stripy tights is pointing in your direction. A word in my ear at the point at which my earlobes were touching my shoulders under the weight of my ridiculous earrings would not have gone amiss either.



By the way, yesterday i wore a pinnafore to work.

 

[scifisam]

I love uniforms, as long as they're practical and cheap (like everyone else has said!) My daughter's primary school uniform is really cute.

totally, i think thats disgusting

i'm all for them, so long, as already stated, the items dont get too prescriptive

can you get help towards paying for school uniforms if you are on a low income/benefits?

Yup. If you get free school meals you can apply for a uniform grant too. You don't necessarily have to be on income support to get it, either, although it does make it much easier. (I'm not on IS, but I do get free school meals for my daughter).

i like to see the kids in their own clothes on non-uniform days, but it's just another bloody excuse for distraction in the classroom. For that reason, i like uniform. From a teacher's POV, it's less fussing.

That said, I think uniforms with skirts / blazers / tie etc are impractical and unhelpful. The rationale, I believe, was partly making children accustomed to the style of clothes (ie, a suit) that they could expect to wear in adulthood. The workplace has changed, though - and suits are not as ubiquitous as once they were.

I think black trousers for all, and then a sweatshirt or similar in the school colour - with maybe a polo shirt in summer. Rather like a lot of modern primary school ones, in fact. And surely that would be more practical and durable / better value.

ITA with all that. I loathe ties - bloody peanuting!

plus, it's way more satisfying to subvert a uniform policy!

Yup! Nice, safe form of subversion.

 

[django]

I don't know what the answer is but in my experience people were still picked on regardless of the uniform. When I was at school (five years since I left) I remember been called a tramp because I had a cheaper blazer from littlewoods (with a 25% discount because my nan worked there ) rather than the Clive Mark stuff the school want you to buy, which was pretty expensive. It still is I think.

Also even though the uniforms were roughly the same you'd have kids taking the piss out of your shoes if you couldn't afford Rockports or Kickers. I managed to wrangle one pair of cheap Kickers off my mum since I had really small feet (a size 3!) and my mum's mate worked at JJB so we could get a discount. I wore them until the sole on the one shoe fell off. Oh and if it weren't the shoes it was what type of coat you wore.

 

[geminisnake]

can you get help towards paying for school uniforms if you are on a low income/benefits?

You can in most places afaik. Check with your local authority. You can usually get one grant per academic year, per child.
Moomoo, this might be worth looking at for yours too.

Our LA give clothing grants to those on IS/IC/FTC, etc, and free meals but I found the meals allowance was crap. Boy could get very little for his money and would have been better off going to the local bakery

 

[_angel_]

You had school uniforms that made you wear the right type of coat and shoes, am I hearing this right?!!

 

[8ball]

I'm amazed by the amount of 'good idea' votes - 80% so far!!

I voted bad idea but am fully aware that getting rid of bad ideas can create the potential for other bad ideas to to create bad consequences.

 

[spanglechick]

You had school uniforms that made you wear the right type of coat and shoes, am I hearing this right?!!

yes. again in my experience, that's pretty standard. Guidelines on the colour and materials. Prohibitation of boots/high heels. Logos and slogans banned.

 

[_angel_]

Thank God didn't go to any school that fascistic. Of course health and safety stuff like no heals is sensible but I do just think a lot of clothing rules are pointless rules for the sake of them.

I never heard of schools imposing a colour on outdoor coats, for example. That seems excessive.

 

[treefrog]

uniforms make teaching a lot easier, much as La Spangles has outlined. I'm pretty laid-back about unifrom in my classroom, as long as they've got what they should have on I'm not going to quibble about top buttons done up etc. I'm in favour of a black trousers/school colour sweatshirt/polo shirt instead of the more traditional blazer/tie combo anyway.

Lets face it, kids'll pick on kids for ANYTHING, but uniform certainly decraeses the amount of ammo available IMHO...

 

[milesy]

there's a school near sloane square where the kids have to wear mustard colour plus fours. their parents must really hate them

 

[milesy]

there's also a school in chelsea or kensington where not only must the kids' coats be the correct colour, but if their parents drop them off at school in the 4x4 the car has to be the correct colour!

 

[wtfftw]

there's also a school in chelsea or kensington where not only must the kids' coats be the correct colour, but if their parents drop them off at school in the 4x4 the car has to be the correct colour!

What's that school were they have to wear pantaloons or knickerbockers or whatevers?

 

[scifisam]

yes. again in my experience, that's pretty standard. Guidelines on the colour and materials. Prohibitation of boots/high heels. Logos and slogans banned.

Yup. The shoe thing is especially sensible, since it's often shoes that are 'designer' and, rather than trying to outlaw every kind of shoes that's unsuitable for health and safety reasons, it's easier to just say 'this is the type of shoe we want.'

I'm like you, Treefrog - not overly anal about the top button being done up and stuff like that. I got chastised for not being strict enough about that, but didn't want to spend half the day telling students off for something so trivial.

Then there was the freezing January day that the heating broke down and you could see your breath on the air in the classroom - I think it was fair to let the kids keep their coats and scarves on, but the headteacher (who walked past and saw them) didn't agree.