Schools insistence on uniform rules are behind the times

TBH at £30 per wear for a school uniform rugby shirt that changed yearly and the £600 for the rest of the uniform which again had to be bought over and over at eye watering prices as they grew

That is not an argument against uniform, that is an argument against that uniform. My DC uniform was cheaper than normal clothes.

I never found it uncomfortable either. Never changed when I got home unless I had a club that evening. None of us did. If we were going round to someone's house after school changing wasn't a thing.

Joggers would look awful. I'd have loathed that being a uniform. Would make pupils look like prisoners.

My son's school used to insist on shoes that were suitable for a wedding. Why on earth? What's wrong with black trainers?

That is totally ridiculous, particularly for girls who might wear strappy high heels to a wedding. And for children who take their shoes off at weddings.

My three (now adult) children never complained of being uncomfortable in school uniform, and neither did ancient me!

I would hate for floppy tracksuits to become the norm! They make everyone look deliquent unless actually worn for sporting reasons! Just no!

I think FluffyDiplodocus’s uniform idea sounds really attractive. Clothes, especially for young children in primary, should be comfortable and easy to sit in and move around in. The casual (and cheap) tracksuit bottoms and t-shirts that I wore in kindergarten were a lot more comfortable, and developmentally appropriate, than the tie, polyester trousers and shirts with formal collars that my DS wore in Reception.

I think jogging bottoms would be hideous. Plus I wouldn't want growing feet in trainers all day every day either.

As for plain hoody, I think students like having a sense of identity with/loyalty to their school. And how the hell would teachers pick out their own pupils at events involving other schools if they were all dressed the same?! Or if they were seen misbehaving in uniform after school - no way of telling where they came from?!

I don't recall my school uniform being uncomfortable? And we were allowed to dispense with ties in the summer term.

freshgreenmintleaves · Today 21:51
I like school uniform because it is less expensive than the designer clothes and shoes that most teens want

TBH at £30 per wear for a school uniform rugby shirt that changed yearly and the £600 for the rest of the uniform which again had to be bought over and over at eye watering prices as they grew, I actually think designer stuff is cheaper.

If your child and others don’t buy into the designer brands to go to school then those trying to show off soon get over themselves

Absolutely! I wore uniform myself in secondary school and I'm so glad, as I'd never have been able to keep up with some of my wealthier classmates. I'm more than happy that my children had uniform too, as while it was a pain buying it in August, it then got worn every day.

I just cannot accept there is validity in the non-uniform argument. It makes no sense to me! I don't care what they do elsewhere in the world - I don't live there. And nothing and nobody will ever convince me that uniform is not a good thing!

*theresnolimits · Today 08:03

I post this on every uniform thread but here goes. Teachers hate uniform. They hate wasting lesson time discussing trainers, blazers , shirt tucked in, skirt length etc etc*

Then why discuss it. Ignore it and get on with the lesson

Parents overwhelmingly choose schools with uniform because it removes the arguments about clothing from home to school. And because we’re led to believe private schools are the best, they like that their school mimics that ethos

But how many schools don’t have school uniform so a parent has some choice

If a good school with a uniform is the only option then of course parents are going to 100% choose it.

From the conversations I have had with dc over the years. Everyone knows who is rich and who is poor

You will get a couple of kids who will look down their noses at others because they are in designer knickers and sneer at others because they are in primark but as soon as someone points out that there isn’t anything wrong with Primark knickers they back off

If anything those who bought into the designer stuff were looked on as tragic wannabes

I like school uniform because it is less expensive than the designer clothes and shoes that most teens want; it cuts out the arguments about what to wear in the mornings; and because it’s a socio-economic leveller (although I wouldn’t have wanted to wear it myself when I was at school!). But I’m older and wiser, and can better see the benefits of it now. However, there is no correlation between bad/good behaviour, doing well at school and school uniform. Socioeconomic status, parental level of education, ethnicity/cultural background (some cultures/ethnicities place more value on doing well at school than others) are all are more important indicators of how well a child will do in school than school uniform. In many cases, they are even more important than the school itself. But there is definitely a subset of people who seem to be almost evangelical about the correlation between wearing school uniform and behaviour/doing well in school.

@DappledThings same here. I loved wearing a blazer and tie. Was gutted when I got to year ten and didn't wear a tie anymore. I hated no. Uniform 6th form. I wasn't fashionable enough. Imma nurse so like my formal uniform with strict rules. Not looking forward to the change to scrubs at all.

I agree. If we want to keep uniform make it more casual and comfier. Lots of them wear P.E kit all day on P.E days so hoodies and leggings obviously don't stop them learning!

But for those that like 'smart' - at my DD's school they have no tie or blazer. Just an open necked shirt, jumper and trousers or skirt - they are the smartest school locally. Cheap blazers and ties never look smart on teenage girls.

My DS was at a non-uniform school from 14. None of them were wearing 'trendy gear' - just jeans and hoodies (my DS's were from Primark/H&M).

No! A school is an educational establishment, not a professional work environment. The teachers are professionals the students are children.
The clothes need to be comfortable. The focus on uniform should be placed on what they are learning but the curriculum needs overhauling as well! (I am a qualified teacher and I think this)

I don’t mind a school uniform, but I wish they’d change it to something comfier. The days of formal office dress are largely gone, and I think we need to move on from the tie and blazer era. I’d go to a uniform of comfy non branded jogging bottom style trousers, polo shirt and plain school hoody and plain black trainers.

I prefer that schools have uniform but think that items should be generic as much as possible and if you do need to buy things with the school badge on that they should be well made and last until they are outgrown, within reason.

I live in Portugal- only private schools have uniform. My kids are in primary still but I've taught hundreds of teens who go to state- all are horrified at the thought of being made to wear uniform- behaviour is fine nothing Particularly different to UK. I agree with OP, the obsession with uniforms in UK is ott- it was similar when I was at school over 20 years ago. Cracking down on polo shirts etc, honestly polo shirt and logo jumper would be fine and comfortable in my book instead of uncomfortable shirts - most businesses I work in (I teach business English in a variety of different businesses) are all smart casual no strict dress codes just smart and comfortable. Haven't seen a tie since I left UK.

I went to secondary school, in the 90s, in a country where there was no uniform policy. High school was one great, big fashion show.; it was a lot of fun. My girlfriends and I used to spend ages planning and discussing what we were going to wear into school the night before. One of my favourite outfits was bootcut/bell bottom jeans, a loose peasant blouse and mile high 70s style platform wedges. Pencil thin eyebrows and lots of black mascara completed the look. I was constantly pestering my mom for money for clothes until I got a part-time job to fund my clothes and make-up habit. My DS, on the other hand, is at an all boys’ grammar school. I love the fact that school uniform works out so much cheaper; it costs me around £300 in total, and of that, it’s really the £90 blazer that is the most expensive item. In contrast, two tracksuits, including shoes, for out-of-school outfits that I have recently bought him, have easily totalled £500. School uniform is a godsend.

Because to me, a school is a professional environment and I like that uniform is an equaliser. The drama of non uniform days and not being in the right clothes is awful.

That doesn’t mean I think they should be in suits (I’m pretty sure I said no ties or blazers) just smart work clothing.

I’m in the States and we mostly don’t have school uniforms—I never did. Gotta say though, I think I would have preferred to have them, even though I’m the type who likes clothes. I recall picking out clothes each day taking up an inordinate amount of brain space when I was in Middle/High School. I’m sure uniforms don’t solve the rich girl/poor girl problem, but they definitely solve the problem of kids obsessing every morning over whether they’ve worn this shirt too recently or whether those jeans make them look like they’re trying too hard—the dumb crap kids worry about.

But so what?

I haven't heard any reports that solicitors in France who didn;t wear school uniform are turning up to court in jeans.

This is such a weird reason to wear a uniform.

They don't wear scrubs, or chef's whites, or fire officer's uniform, or hi vis.

Why a suit? Just an old-fashioned obsession I think.

I just think they look really casual. I guess I work in a smart work environment so maybe that impacts my views but I think schools should be a place where dc less different environments require different clothing. Plumber in a polo shirt is normal but a solicitor? No.

But for most South American countries, 'uniform' is just a housecoat to protect clothes, in China it's a sweatshirt, any uniform similar to UK are mainly in British commonwealth or previous colonies (NZ/Ireland) so its really a British fetish to think dressing kids in synthetic versions of 'office wear' is a good thing

Can you explain why you object to polo shirts at secondary? Genuinely trying to understand