Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's not hard to adhere to uniform rules

804 replies

Puzzledconfusedandbewildered · 06/09/2016 16:49

Yet again in the fail a school has had protests from parents (and police presence) due to 50 students being turned away on day 1 for breaching the uniform rules

Aibu to think the rules are the rules and if you want your child to attend that school you adhere to them?

OP posts:
Gottagetmoving · 08/09/2016 13:55

You have rather quoted me out of context, Gottagetmoving

How?

CecilyP · 08/09/2016 14:01

My post was in response to your contempt for the lack of intelligence of the outraged parents. I do know that you were not seriously suggesting their kids be denied an education.

PumpkinPie9 · 08/09/2016 14:42

Can't believe the Daily Mail are still turning up at the school each morning on day 3. I feel a bit sorry for the new head having the DM outside inflaming the situation when he's just trying to make a good start. I bet a tiny handful of kids don't pass muster now but the DM are making it out to be a huge standoff/battleground.

Curlysue87 · 08/09/2016 14:58

My sons school is very strict on the whole uniform and its nearly all logo'd so very expensive. you can't even get the trousers from somewhere like asda as they will be a different shade of grey so instead of paying £6-7 I have to pay £16. I don't get why uniform has become so strict it has no impact on learning if you haven't got the right shade of grey trousers but at the same time when they leave school/college they will most likely have to have a uniform for their job. I'm on the fence with the one I see why schools do it but as a parent who has to pay for the uniform I think it's a little ridiculous.

bookbuddy · 08/09/2016 14:58

I don't agree with people saying trainers for medical reasons, trainers can actually cause more issues. Well fitted orthopaedic shoes would be a much better choice for those with medical problems. In most jobs there is a uniform better to prepare your children for adhering to uniform rules imo.

Balletgirlmum · 08/09/2016 15:00

And the cost & waiting list for well fitted orthopaedic shoes would be negligible I gues???????

RavenclawRemedials · 08/09/2016 15:01

It's not all straightforward in the USA
They might not generally have uniforms but 'dress codes' cause all sorts of arguments and are not always as clear as they should be.

Lancelottie · 08/09/2016 15:04

'Most jobs' have uniform? Really?

Anyhow. Feel free to take the issue up with DD's specialist, who was the one who said he'd recommend trainers above most 'school' shoe styles, and wished school would allow them. (Have you seen the price of well-fitting orthopaedic shoes, incidentally?)

SenecaFalls · 08/09/2016 15:30

Dress codes in the US don't cause all sorts of arguments. Some arguments every now and then but not "all sorts." Most schools that I am familiar with have just a few rules, no offensive language on tee shirts being the main one in the school my children attended.

And I can only imagine the outrage if a state school in the US tried to enforce a rule that said girls could not wear trousers or that in hot weather students had to wear long sleeved sweaters or blazers.

RockinHippy · 08/09/2016 15:43

It seems to be for wearing trainers instead of shoes (one Child cites having a hip replacement as reason for wearing trainers...I'd have thought good fitting shoes would be better for him personally)

If this is the sort thing they are sent home for, then the school is totally in the wrong

My DD needs to wear trainers for medical reasons, high top trainers at that - this is backed by medical letters, well fitting trainers are FAR better than well fitting shoes in this sort of situation & that comes from her physios & doctors

Some DCs also struggle with overly stiff starchy fabrics that don't have any give in them, again for medical reasons - it can cause them pain & at best discomfort, which is hardly conducive to concentrating in class.

One of the reasons we finally got DD into our first choice school was because the allocated school uniform was overly formal & would have been miserable for her.

Getting school uniform over the holidays might be possible - suddenly needing medical letters not to wear said new uniform can take far longer, so the school needs to be far more flexible in its approach & sending kids home who have medical reasons for not complying with overly pompous school uniform changes is IMHO pretty disgusting

I

honkinghaddock · 08/09/2016 16:02

Ds's well fitting orthopaedic shoes cost £130 to buy.

Arseicle · 08/09/2016 16:08

Just read that they are sending kids home because their trousers are "too baggy" as well as too tight....so you're not allowed to buy them stuff to grow into a bit, so you're going to need more uniform through the year?

Are they on commission from the uniform shop or something?

Gottagetmoving · 08/09/2016 16:35

My post was in response to your contempt for the lack of intelligence of the outraged parents

You would have to be lacking in intelligence to be shocked when a threat of action is actually carried out when you ignore the warning. What's the point of being outraged when you have been forewarned?

MrsDeVere · 08/09/2016 17:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

101waystoworry · 08/09/2016 17:28

Why can't parent's just put their children in the right uniform? Or am I missing the point, it teaches their children to disrespect the rules also. They did have all summer to get the right stuff!

PanGalaticGargleBlaster · 08/09/2016 17:39

You would think 101.

Grey trousers, black shoes, white shirt, school tie and blazer.

How is that hard, the vast majority of pupils rocking up to school managed to somehow abide to these new uniform rules.

Nataleejah · 08/09/2016 18:06

Ok, i get that some people are simply deluded that uniform somehow makes everyone equal or prepares for the world of work.

But what i don't get why the schools keep changing the uniforms. What was fine last year, somehow becomes wrong next year? Where's the sense in that?

Effic · 08/09/2016 18:16

But it's not about the uniform? I really don't understand why parents find this so hard to understand??? School's only work if everyone follows the rules. There are a set of rules and you follow them. You don't get to choose which rules to follow and which not. If you are unhappy about a rule you either don't send your child there or, if you have no choice of school, you attend a parents meeting/speak to the parent Governor and, if enough parents agree, possibly get the rules changed. You can't have a successful school system if individual parents and children get to decide which rules they like and only follow those but ignore the rules they decide "aren't worth following."

yougottheshining · 08/09/2016 18:19

Ah but Nataleejah you see not only does uniform have magical powers, rendering those who wear it automatically polite, respectful, knowing their place and doffing their (regulation) cap to their elders as they offer up seats on buses to them, but the magical properties swap from one set of clothes to another. So you see, in 2015 it might have been okay to wear grey trousers, but those same trousers now will see your dc heading for a life of delinquency, drug addiction and probably Bad Aids as well. It's 2016 so this year they've got to be black. I don't make the rules!

yougottheshining · 08/09/2016 18:21

If it's not about the uniform then why are kids with buckles on their shoes being sent home?

mathanxiety · 08/09/2016 18:22

I agree with Seneca's observation. Children in the US wear civvies for their entire school careers. They are not tempted to suddenly start playing up over clothing.

You occasionally get the odd offensive slogan on a T-shirt or see through tops, etc.

Generally, if a student seems to be acting out in a way that is becoming detrimental to their progress and the progress of others, US schools are well equipped with counsellors, deans, and other special disciplinary staff. Someone continually flouting the dress code would be dealt with, perhaps referred to the school social worker or psychologist service. Or if there are other problems they might be assessed for some sort of emotional disorder and put in a programme within the school for teens with issues.

Nataleejah · 08/09/2016 18:27

You can't have a successful school system if individual parents and children get to decide which rules they like and only follow those but ignore the rules they decide "aren't worth following."

Maybe schools should stop making up ridiculous rules just for sake of rules, that's just a waste of everybody's time, energy and money.
Teachers often moan that their work is hard, that they have no time to check students' homework, but sure they must be not that overworked if they can police colour of socks.

MrsDeVere · 08/09/2016 18:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

merrymouse · 08/09/2016 18:34

I thought that 'kipp' schools in the US had school uniforms, and I think many schools in disadvantaged areas in the UK, rightly or wrongly, are trying to copy the Kipp ethos.

merrymouse · 08/09/2016 18:36

conversely, many successful schools have very lax uniform codes - although you could say their pupils are being aspirational because they are dressing like university students. However,