School uniform - I agree with uniform and I realise I chose a school with a uniform policy, BUT ....

[BigSandyBalls2015]

.... sometimes I feel they are making a mountain out of a mole hill, and wasting too much time and energy on it:

DD(14), wore a collared white school shirt yesterday, top button done up, with a skirt, and we had a letter home.

She should have worn her open neck white shirt, as she had a skirt on. Had she worn trousers then the buttoned up collared shirt would have been fine, with a tie. Not allowed to mix the two.

Detention will be given if it happens again.

Only another 16 months to go ...................

many teenagers have a need to rebel.An important function of a strict uniform policy is that it gives a teenager a safe method of rebelling.

What a perverse and controlling argument, Marniasmum. "Let's manufacture a false rebellion for teens to distract them from real reasons to rebel against pointless authority."

They're not really being given a safe method of rebelling when the school simply remove them from lessons and teach them in isolation, give them after school detentions or send them home until they comply

Surely giving them a uniform that they actually want to wear would save everyone a lot of aggravation

Uniform as a safe means of rebellion is a very well-known argument. I am very surprised you have not heard this before
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29047752

Of course I've heard it of it. That doesn't mean it isn't BS!

Dreamgirls234

The point is most of the girls just want to wear trousers

This school's argument is that they couldn't let girls wear trousers if boys weren't allowed to wear skirts. But why does it matter if boys are allowed to wear skirts, anyway?

But in reality none of the boys would choose to wear a skirt as they knew they would be ridiculed so the bullying point would never materialise (over a boy wearing a skirt anyway!)

The boys-might-want-to-wear-skirts is a non-argument. So what. My guess is that it won't be a big problem.

It's just impossible to articulate why a girl should not be allowed to wear an item of clothing that has been conventional dress for girls and women for decades without it being sexist. Why does a school require this? What sort of discussion ensues about this? What is the real reason? The real reason is sexism.

All these rules are ridiculous.

One of the main reasons for choosing my ds's school was there is no uniform. Kids wear whatever they want and so there isn't all this palava over trying to enforce ridiculous rules on uniforms.

It works well at our school.

That's the same policy as DC school. It means there are two clear uniforms. Trousers, shirt and tie. Or skirt and revere collar blouse. Wear whichever you like but no mix and match. Fair to me. But I like a rule.

OP, just read about gold tie. Wondering if it's the same school?

At my school, if you got caught walking home without your blazer on (even in 22 degree heat) you got detention. Girls could wear trousers, but they were the boys ones. Not made for the shape of girls and therefore looked bloody awful. Never in my 7 years there did I see a girl wear trousers.

Just seems a bit too extreme. My friend had to dye her hair back to her natural shade of brown from blonde in order to be allowed to be Prefect (she had been voted into the role)...

YANBU

My DDs school...

Girls must wear
yellow blouses, long sleeved if they have a top button, must be worn with a tie (worn between October and April)
OR yellow short sleeved, open blouse, no tie or yellow polo shirt but only between April and October.
OR they can wear a yellow summer dress. It used to be a green summer dress. One year the head decided to change it 3 weeks before they are 'allowed' to start wearing them.
Cardigans most be knitted NOT jersey and MUST be buttoned at all times.
Tights can be green or black, no white, no patterns
Socks can be white or green, not black, again, no patterns.

Any deviations from these rules results in it being noted on the whole school newsletter, and a quiet word from the class teacher to the offending parents.

FFS!

One more year of primary to go.....

OOh yellow school uniform! How delightful.

OMG yellow uniforms look hideous.
Dd's High school choices for sept are both strict on uniforms, I'm dreading it. One only allows plain grey skirts (£45 each called kilts on the website) shirt, tie and blazer (£95 for Dd's size) at all times, unless given permission to take it off. Also only available from the schools own onsite shop. (shirts can be from anywhere)
The other only allows boys type trousers or a skirt, logo polo, logo cardie or logo sweatshirt, all kept on unless given permission to remove. All only available from a small shop in town at very high prices. Even the PE sweatpants have to be black with a white stripe down the leg? I mean who cares if theres a stripe, plain black would have been easier to find.
What have I got myself into?

YABU. This is pretty much in line with my DD's school. You either support the policy ...or you don't. You don't get to pick and choose which rules you obey otherwise it would be anarchy

i dont see the problem with the shirt a shirt is a shirt .but i must admit i dont like seeing girls in trousers going to school but thats just me .

Dd's blazer only cost £36 and the tie £5 and the rest of the uniform can be bought from wherever you like....hers is mostly tesco I think although her cardigan is from the uniform shop as the last one I got from there was great quality.

She says most teachers let them take the blazer off in class if they want to and they have to be off for tech and home economics.

yes but pointless stupid rules are just asking to be broken

allnew: anarchy if people wear buttoned up white shirts with skirts? I've heard some ridiculous things in my time, but that almost certainly takes the biscuit. Do you seriously contend the school would fall apart if this rule were disobeyed? Sending out that letter will have involved some teacher or other staff member solemnly making a note of OP's DD's crime, probably telling her off about it, then notifying the office and the office organising and sending that letter. Is any of that conceivably a sensible use of school time and money? Might it just be an idea to use it for, oh, I don't know, some luxury like teaching the pupils?

leccybill

I'm usually all in favour of strict uniform rules but I've been teaching at a small multicultural primary school lately with lots of refugee children (with more arriving daily). Rightly, the uniform rules are quite relaxed. I was looking at them all in assembly in a hotchpotch of polo shirts, formal shirts, ties, cardies, jumpers, skirts, pinafores, trousers in grey, black, navy, you name it.
But they all sat proudly and looked thrilled to be at school. The learning in this school and the attitudes are fabulous. It made me think really - it doesn't really matter does it.

What a refreshing outlook

The uniform in DS's school is optional. In practice everyone wears it, but on the odd day we have a wardrobe malfunction (eg DS ripped the crotch of his only clean pair of trousers at breakfast) it's fine to turn up in jeans for a day.

Thank fuck for common sense!

What on earth is wrong with trousers april

truly bizarre comment