Why is uniform for secondary school so formal and strict?

[Soubriquet]

I mean why do they HAVE to wear a blazer unless a teacher says it’s ok to take it off. Why do they HAVE to wear a tie when most primary schools don’t.

Why does it HAVE to be a particular brand, especially with the COL crisis that’s happening.

My dd is going into secondary school and she’s moving from a primary school who were fairly flexible for uniform to one who is strict. I mean one skirt is £20 on its own! Madness

People argue it’s to prepare for the working world, but even adults in the working world have more flexibility

I always assumed it was to prepare children for the workplace, dressed smartly, follow clothing rules etc ... it's a bit outdated if that is the case though

Wish I had to wear a uniform to work. So much easier to not have to think what to wear!

I appreciate the rationale behind school uniform. We live in a London Borough where there is a massive disparity of wealth and a uniform (to some degree) means all kids are on an equal footing.

I don't think it's a terrible thing. Everyone I knew wore a uniform and it's not had any lasting negative impact.

The levels of strictness around it can be concerning though.

(I also agree that it needs to be made affordable where possible so skirts / trousers / shirts should be able to be supermarket and just blazer and tie logo'd)

One year at my work we had a month of non uniform Fridays as a fund raiser. The first two weeks were fun, after that it was just a pain trying to think of what to wear.

DD’s school doesn’t have uniform, and the students all seem to manage to dress appropriately with no competition for wearing brands. Usual choice is jeans, band T-shirt, and hoodie - pretty similar to the clothing I have seen worn in other countries and the clothing choice for most FE and HE students. The only popular brands are Converse and Doc martins. In the upper years, charity shop hunts are popular.

(For those that struggle with what to wear to work, just plan five outfits and rotate. No one cares if you wear the same thing every Thursday.)

I don't have a problem with uniform in theory, my teen for example hates non uniform days because she gets stressed about what to wear and some kids do get picked on for their clothing choices so I am all for uniform being utilised as a leveller. I do think it needs to be modernised and be thoroughly practical though. I would much rather it was, for example, grey/black unbranded trousers/joggers and polo shirt in school colour.

Imo they have formal uniforms because parents like it and think that smart uniform equals good school with high standards and well-behaved students. Not the case, obviously. Parents like it when they're choosing schools, but they soon go off it when they're regularly paying for it and when their dc get detentions for petty uniform rule infractions. I'm a teacher and I'd ditch uniform.

I don't know. I'd prefer it if the kids just wore PE kit as the standard uniform TBH. Much more practical for actually being active like a teenager should be.

I did wear the same outfits to work on rotation in my last job, but it's far easier to have a uniform - especially as the uniform was paid for by my employers.

Just to be clear, I don’t care that it’s a uniform. I agree it’s levelling, but I also wish I could go to Asda and get the whole stuff without having to dither about specific brands from a specific shop.

I mean, I’ve already spent £120 on my daughter’s uniform, and that doesn’t include blouses, socks, shoes or PE kit.

Don't agree with uniforms at all and they aren't levelling. When I worked in a school they just commented on the brands of bags and shoes instead. Not that many industries require super smart wear anymore and I don't even see the point of that. I feel like it is just done to crush individuality and try to make people conform to society and not challenge other stupid rules.

I think the challenge is that it hasn’t changed with the times but the rest of the school education has. Our DDs school talks so much about individuality for each child….apart from when it comes to uniform when they are expected to be all the same…

I agree with a uniform, however I think a plain colour non branded tracksuit bottoms and polo shirt are enough nowadays.
The smart blazer, tie etc just isn't necessary anymore.

None anymore.

I had an appointment at the building society recently and all the staff were dressed in T-shirts, hoodies and jeans, from the counter staff to the financial advisor.

It’s ridiculous I agree.

What an incredibly sad opinion of our lovely young people.

Yes teenage years can be tricky with hormones but what a negative, nasty attitude. Maybe if we treated them with a little more respect and gave them some say over their education and clothing choices they’d be more kind and amenable, just like you Onehotday.

Duly support uniforms but blazers can go. Uncomfortable and unflattering.

A v-neck jumper with skirt or trousers - job done.

Yes!

My DD’s school have jumpers….but you have to wear a blazer over them. You can’t just wear the jumper

There's still cheap tracksuits and expensive tracksuits and trainers. Some kids won't have many outfits to wear, and it shows that they don't have much.

DD liked having a blazer as it had so many pockets to put her phone, pens, locker key etc

But I think it should be up to them when to decide it's too hot to keep it on in class. Even if it prepares you for work, most workplaces (unless for practical or safety reasons) would let people choose themselves when to take their jacket off

it's not so much uniform but the cost, there is no need for specific skirts, jumpers or sweatshirts, logoes on anything but especiallly not on PE kit, it should be simple, generic and cheap and available from ASDA Sainsburys primark etc all of it every single piece just a school tie or a sew on badge max £4-5
there is no need to be able to tell from 500 metres what school someone attends

if secondary uniform was generic ie
black trousers, joggers, longish shorts, skirt or leggings
white shirt, school tie
black jumper or cardigan or sweatshirt or hoodie
black shoes or trainers no heels or open toes

pe kit
joggers or sports leggings or sports shorts
plain crew neck t shirt
a pair of trainers

no rules on coats ( just weather proof)
no rules on bags just big enough to carry stuff
no rules on hair apart from being tied back in PE science cookery etc

no offensive / political / religious slogans on anything

this would be affordable and available and sensible

There's still cheap tracksuits and expensive tracksuits and trainers. Some kids won't have many outfits to wear, and it shows that they don't have much

With the cost of the uniforms they can just buy clothes and kit 2 sets.

Any where did I mention tracksuits?

Joggers and hoodies are not tracksuits -

Hoodies from primark are £8 - all the kids here wear them.

Mine like not having to think about it but then theirs isn't fancy. Black bottoms & jumper. White shirt. Tie (bit pointless) Blazer. They love blazers as they have 5 pockets rammed with stuff

All the kids wear primark... somehow I don't believe.

Is there such an important difference between joggers and hoodies vs tracksuits, also?

I think the formal uniform of blazer, shirt, tie etc is now very archaic and unnecessary.

I understand uniform can be great at making sure students are dressed in an ‘appropriate’ way, and is an equaliser, but why couldn’t it be set as a polo shirt, jumper and trousers (for both sexes- to stop the problem of girls wearing skirts that are deemed too short etc) and sensible black shoes (trainers as long as all black should be fine)

Very few workplaces have uniform, and very few workplaces also require anything as formal as a tie.

I don’t actually think this is the way though to address teenage defiance. By picking something like uniform and rigidly enforcing that to cause discomfort (eg blazer in very hot weather) it will cause huge resentment . These children are all taught their rights throughout primary school and then have them stripped away at secondary in some kind of attempt to control them ? It doesn’t work . There needs to be more focus on just being clean and comfortable and a decent hardworking person and teachers need to adjust their expectations they demand respect yet in some cases just want to do little to be positive role models and instead bark orders.