to ask: What's the point in school uniforms?

[allrightluv]

They serve no purpose and promote conformity. Differences in income are expressed in other ways - shoes, bags, mobiles, in fact, even more so. Kids are judged by which school they go to (state/private). Thanks to the uniform you can tell by a mile off. Kids wear brands anyway - after school, at the weekends and in the holidays, so it's not any cheaper to wear a uniform to school. Consumerism is the most pronounced in the UK of all European countries.

Other countries like Sweden have no uniforms at school and few uniforms in work life, too, and rate much higher in terms of kids' happiness etc.

I'm not saying there's a causal link, but uniforms are not helping...

[Theicingontop]

I dreaded non-school uniform days, I owned perhaps a single outfit that fitted me and had no (obvious) holes in.

Some children don't have families who are able or willing to provide suitable clothing for outside of school.

Better a uniform than a child being bullied because their jeans are too small, or their clothes are unfashionable, or they've been wearing the same top for two years.

[gordyslovesheep]

I LOVE uniform - It's cheap - I have no arguments over 'what I am going to wear' with my 3 girls and their nice clothes stay nice - what's not to love!

[Chigley1]

Uniform is a good thing, IMO. I could not deal with the stress of choosing and sorting different outfits everyday.
My kids are at an independent school and yes the uniform is very strict and fairly expensive initially, but also much more hardwearing than their weekend clothes. And I wouldn't dream of buying 'branded' clothes for the weekend. It's hand-me downs or Primark!

[WilsonFrickett]

Yep, they promote conformity. Schools are all about conformity, hadn't you noticed?

In many schools in Africa, where children pay for their education and very many people can't afford it, uniform is usually compulsory too.

[AmberSocks]

they are supposed to be so that everyone is the same and theres no fashion parade but kids always find a way,and theres always the kids with scruffy hand me downs that get picked on,i hate them,but luckily dont have to use them as my kids are home ed.

[AmberSocks]

plus they are so depressing!grey trousers and black shoes-ugh!

We make the most of it and my kids wear the brightest clothes and shoes possible!

[EnjoyResponsibly]

But Amber young kids can be as "creative" as they like in their work; art, chemistry, biology etc if their dark clothes don't show up paint, mud, odd stains etc.

[Passiveaggressivecakeeater]

Those who don't understand school uniforms have obviously never been the poor kid of the class.

[FossilMum]

I agree that a uniform COULD help provide a level playing field, and simplify clothing choices in the morning.

HOWEVER, why oh why oh why do they have to keep having non-uniform days? If having a uniform is to help poorer/less fashionable kids, it needs to be worn EVERY SINGLE DAY. No exceptions.

DS started Reception in Sept. I spent a week answering "but why do I have to wear a uniform?" questions. I finally convinced him that it was so everyone looked the same, and nice, and comfortable, and he was happy with that. Two weeks into term it was "wear jeans for charity" day. He didn't have any jeans as he'd just outgrown them, and I'd not yet replaced them as I'd just spent a fortune on school uniform.

Then every half term the team with the most points gets to come in without uniform as a "reward" for following school rules -- such as, um, wearing the Very Important School Uniform. That makes no sense whatsoever.

Plus his school has non-standard colours, which are hard to source. Took me ages to find smart cotton (for his eczema) navy trousers with an elastic waist (cause he finds a proper fly to fiddly at his age). And he's only worn his special PE shorts twice, his special PE joggers never, and his special PE socks never. Bloody waste of money as he can't wear them weekends at home as they're sitting in his PE bag at school. He'll outgrow them soon. It's annoying even though I'm not skint; if I were I'd be livid.

[blackeyedsusan]

because i don't get stressed that she has got black maker pen on a home t shirt. gets pen on a school t shirt nd it doesn't ewash out... so what she still goes in it... most of the time it is covered by a jumper anyway.

[PandaOnAPushBike]

I agree with the other Swenglish. Linking school uniforms and conformity and then giving Sweden of an example of a non-uniform wearing system has me roaring with laughter.

[littlemisssarcastic]

School uniform = no arguments about what to wear when the morning is already a rush.
For DD, who is in primary school, it is PPE.

[VenusRising]

I love uniforms - makes the mornings simple.

All children in dcs school wear the same uniform, as they have a supplier, so no income indicators there. They are made from wool and cotton.

Uniforms wear very well, are good quality, made from natural materials, and give a work ethic, as they are work clothes.

[Fakebook]

There is no point. It's just to make parents spend money and feed the economy. They also look pwetty.

[Ponderingonaquandry]

I like them.

It shows children that they have to be presentable for a day at 'work'. It's also been shown that the schools that enforce their uniforms more rigorously have better behaviour and better results.

[VenusRising]

Btw, I also wear a uniform to work, and an very creative.
I don't want to have to think about my clothes either.
I wear black.

[Catchingmockingbirds]

I'm another who dreaded non-uniform days at school, I'd have awful stomach cramps worrying about it. If uniforms stop another child from experiencing that every day then I'm all for them.

[TrinityRhino]

i like it so my kids don't have yet another thing to be teased for

they have enough

[TroublesomeEx]

Kids wear brands anyway

Mine don't

Besides my children love their uniforms. They're really proud of them. They go to good (state) schools and they like to be seen in them and for people to know what school they go to.

Other people have certain expectations (of conduct) based on their uniform and they like that.

I suspect the downside to uniform is that, if people do make judgements based on it, then they make negative as well as positive ones.

And that's not fair for those children.

But uniform is designed to be easy to wash and wear. So convenient!

[Bonsoir]

Agree with the OP.

[TrinityRhino]

kids wear brands anyway

mine don't

we cant afford to

dd1 has just got her first pair of nike trainers at nearly 13 for her birthday

[TheCraicDealer]

Personally I love them. I still get a little buzz of nostalgia when I see a girl from my old school in town, long grey pleated skirt blowing in the wind.....

[thekidsrule]

i like them for many reasons

smartness of whole school
easier in the mornings,no choice
probably cheaper in the long run
is a good start to understand that many work places expect a uniform

i would hate hate hate if my kids school could wear what they want

[MadInfoScientist]

I was a student and a teacher in the US before coming to England...and my heavens...uniforms are the best thing going. No argument with DCs in the mornings, much less time during lessons having to police clothing (I used to spend the first 20 minutes of every lesson having to tell students off for their clothes...much less here in the UK). We are lucky that the primary school DCs attend aren't terribly fussy about having logo'd stuff, so long as the colour scheme is the same, so I can get all their uniform stuff at Matalan/Tesco etc. for less money.

It's just so much easier, and much less pressure to be trendy!