Is there ANY proven correlation between school uniform and performance?

[Hullygully]

Any data (either way) anywhere?

Haven't read the thread Hully, but the first thing that popped into my head was this: Correlation? Yes. I am sure there will be tons and tons. Causation? No. And that's the thing that matters.

Lots of our local non uniform schools have many labels thrown around - hoards of Hollister for one. And as for girl's shorts and skirts in the summer - hmm, some of those are so short they are indecent! Not really appropriate for school imo.

I have no real issue tbh though. I personally prefer uniform, both as a parent and as a (ex) teacher. But if others want non uniform then so be it. But don't make silly claims about the whole individuality issue please!

So dressing hundreds of children up to wear the same close is enhancing their individuality? If ever there's a silly claim, that's one of them.

If the girls are wearing short skirts (apart from again proving individuality may be expressed in a uniform) surely the school should enforce their dress policy.

My Mrs went to a private school wear they (daily) checked skirt length.

Possibly due to its proximity to a boys school and shared playing fields...

The senior school that my dd's attend said there exam results improved significantly when they swapped blazers & ties for polo shirts & relaxed things re jewellery/make up, probably cos staff weren't having to say where's your tie, take your make up off etc.

Haven't read the whole thread, sorry, but in most European countries they don't wear uniform and many of those countries have better educational performance than we do. Finland, which is near the top of the PISA table, doesn't have uniforms.

I don't have anything against uniforms - I quite like them. But not because they improve academic performance. In fact, my heart sinks when a new head joins a school and the first thing they do is enforce a smarter uniform. (This happened at a local comp recently - there were so many places the head could have focused her efforts, such as the crap teaching and the random acts of violence, but no, she decided to concentrate on changing the uniform.)

I don't know about proven correlation, I have experience of no school uniform and the differences.
My dd is H.ed but used to go to school, at first she loved being without uniform as you would. One day she came downstairs in a shirt, tie and trousers and said it was her new school uniform.
There could be many reasons why, but this was the point she announced what subjects she wanted to study and took charge of her own learning. The uniform lasted for about a month, but she is still taking control.

I think students should orchestrate uniform strikes. Seriously what would they do if they all turned up in their home clothes and refused to wear uniform? I feel a streak of rebellion coming on.

I hate school uniform,and think the wearing of business suits at 6th form bizarre tbh.

We had none of that around here, thank fuck.

I don't find that dressing like a goth impedes my performance at school.

...mind you, people expect English teachers to be a bit odd.

wonderingagain Thu 02-May-13 20:58:33

I think students should orchestrate uniform strikes. Seriously what would they do if they all turned up in their home clothes and refused to wear uniform? I feel a streak of rebellion coming on.

What would they do?

If it were I, then I'd suspend the lot until they toed the line.

If the students don't like uniform, they should approach their head via whatever leadership ladder is in place.

If parents like the idea of dressing their children in polyester then IMO they shouldnt be prevented from doing this. However, state schools should not enforce this. It should in no way be part of the head teacher's remit to dictate the clothing of the students.

The uniform at my DC's school is wholly inappropriate for a day's schooling. The blazer is polyester, white shirts attract the dirt, dust, ink and paint of the school day. The tie is clip on so doesnt even have the limited merit of teaching students how to tie a tie. The prescribed shoes are suitable only for office wear not for the walk to, from and around school plus art and technology classes.

As for business suits in the 6th form, my DD's opinion on this? It is so that the school can impersonate the local private schools.

I prefer schools having a uniform, its there, you don't have to think of what to wear each day and it looks smart. Yes it does cost but do so new clothes every so often, I know, my secondary school had no uniform when I was there and it was a pain trying to find suitable clothing everyday, a few years after I left and a new Head was
appointed, a uniform was bought in and it looks very smart.

Why can't kids get used to wearing a uniform, they have to wear one for work one day.

I find all these parents who think their child is too good/individual/special/ to wear a uniform really really tiresome.

I didn't want my children to look smart.

I don't think anyone's said that. If you were a child would you want to wear it? Perhaps we should leave it up to the children.

^that was @ ryanboy

Or we should just think "it's a sweatshirt and trousers/a skirt- glad I don't have to think any more about that- let's move on to more important things"

It's not a big deal, people!

Left to herself, dd would have gone to school dressed as a particularly low rent prostitute for the first two years of her school life. (She was a skilled charity shop trawler at 3.)

It is a big deal when it costs a bloody fortune for a crappy sweatshirt with the school logo on.

I think there would be too many confounding factors.

Introducing a uniform or removing a uniform would correspond with a change in management, and other aspects of how the school was run would change at the same time.

At least if we have a heatwave when my son is sitting his GCSEs later in the month he'll be comfortable in his cotton t-shirt and shorts, rather than having to wear a buttoned up shirt and tie with long trousers.

It is a big deal to go out and buy a whole extra set of clothes, including shoes, that your children don't really like wearing and make them either sweat or shiver with cold.

Sweat or shiver with cold.... really

'wonderingagain Thu 02-May-13 22:24:40

I don't think anyone's said that. If you were a child would you want to wear it? Perhaps we should leave it up to the children.'

Or perhaps they can do as they are told.