To find it outrageous that school inspects the DC's trousers

[BlackTrousersAreBlackTrousers]

And makes them change immediately into school regulation trousers if they are not the right 'cut'.

Black trousers are black trousers surely. DS wanted the 'skinny' type which are not actually skinny but less flappable than the standard fit. All the rage, plenty of DC wearing them. Store sells them as school trousers. They are school trousers.

School decides they are 'jeans'.

AIBU to think they should take their head out if their arse and concentrate on educating the DC rather than making them line up for 'inspection', as if they are army recruits?

Lower school HAS to wear trousers only sold by school uniform shop. They even put a colourful line down the side, like they are an army brass band, so they cannot sneak on reasonably priced trousers - £18 as opposed to £6 supermarket ones.

It is obscene. Why are they allowed to get away with it?

Before some idiot pipes up that I should disrupt DS's education by moving him if I don't like 'dem rulz', schools are a public SERVICE not a vehicle for boosting the ego of some limp dicked, power crazed twat .

I think parents can choose to buy what their school wants or what their dd/ds wants. If you choose the side of the school it shows that their rules matter and that you are aligning as parents and teachers together..
not aligning against the authority that should be respected.

Uniform is for unity. It's ok if your mum is willing to break the rules but what if she's not. Why should you be punished for following protocol.

It is a question of money too. I grew up with having everything I needed clothes-wise, but I had friends whose mums struggled to wash their uniforms or they had holes. If there was no uniform divisions would be even worse. Also the last thing kids need in the morning is thinking what am I going to wear!

School uniform is very outdated. You won't find many suits or uniform in new media jobs. My husband's company has no dress code whatsoever - IT company.

I assure you that there is an unspoken dress code in “new media” companies, depending on your job function. Even amongst the engineers. You mustn’t be close enough to the business to understand it.

Most jobs that require a uniform are low-paid and low-status.

Oh yes, those FTSE100 chiefs in their dark suits, ties and lace up shoes are in rather lowly paid roles - what a shame for them and all the other identically dressed men in the City.

I think one huge difference in work and school uniforms is that work uniforms are usually provided by the employer.

I think one huge difference in work and school uniforms is that work uniforms are usually provided by the employer What job do you work in, that most certainly is NOT the case in all jobs.

YABU.

Just buy your child the correct uniform, fgs.

So glad I'm in the US and don't have to deal with uniform.

Somehow kids here manage to do jobs with uniforms later in life without having them at school. How on earth can that be?!?!

You're outraged by it?? You're not at school any more. This is your son's issue to deal with, not yours. Forever schools have set school rules and forever kids have tried to break them. That's the order of things. They need something to rebel against and uniform is a safe thing to experiment with. Why your outraged about it, I have no idea. Are you not busy?
My sons' school has exactly the same rule and are equally as strict about it. So the kids have to be more creative about how to customise their look at school. Trust me, they manage and not social pariahs by any means. They get the fuck on with it. Marks and Spencer's have slim trousers that are just about acceptable by both parties.

They're there to learn...about life too. Take a step back and let him fight his own battles on his fashion sense.

catkind
I know.
I'm a doodler all the time in staff meetings.

That said, it's not happening in exercise books where there are expectations of presentation.

As a say to students, it's all about time and place.

Forever schools have set school rules and forever kids have tried to break them. That's the order of things.
This. The difference is that generally it's the kids who want to push a bit, not the adults in their lives taking them shopping and willingly kitting them out in non uniform stuff and then being outraged when school say anything.

Most of our pupils come in wearing appropriate uniform. We still remind our students to tuck their shirt in /wear their tie properly. You know, the things we did as kids.
The shift that had happened is an increase in ^my child doesn't like the rules so they don't have to follow them and if school say anything then I'll back my child and demanf a meeting with the school'

I've had one demand for a meeting already this half term and we've been back 2 days. Apparently homework set over half term (with a few days prior to the holidays) was fine not to be done because they were busy and mum thought it was too much. It's probably no surprise that in the last month or so that child has been shifting from a well behaved child who works well to a child who can't be bothered and knows home will back them.

Not enough parents parenting Maisypops. Too busy wanting to be their child's best mate.

Chocolate, you have a very peculiar idea of what will and will not break the bank. Just because you have £17.75 to spend on a bottle of wine, don't assume that everyone does.

I'm not "assuming" anything. When you decide to have children, you must realise that they come with certain expenses attached, surely. School uniform is probably one of the most predictable, for every child must go to school. It's hardly a surprise, is it?

If someone can't afford £17 for a bit of school uniform that they knew they were going to have to purchase, they really have no business having children in the first place. I expect these are the same people who expect others to subsidise their choices to breed when they can't afford to.

If someone can't afford £17 for a bit of school uniform that they knew they were going to have to purchase, they really have no business having children in the first place.

Do tell us exactly how anyone can anticipate that several years in advance. Or should we all simply avoid having children just in case we may lose our jobs or businesses in the future, or have sick or disabled children so that we can't work, or suffer life-changing injuries or illnesses ourselves, etc etc?

Nice sweeping assumption about someone you don't know there, and congratulations on the Nazi post, you are Godwin and I claim my five pounds. Idiot.

How on earth do people who can't afford a very basic school uniform expect to be able to provide for a child in other areas of their life? Children aren't a right. If you can't afford them, don't have them. I'm not talking about luxuries here, am I? It's basic stuff.

Uniform is for unity

That says it all in respect of unthinking obedience. Pupils don't feel more or less loyalty to a school because they are made to wear a particular style of trousers or shoes. Inasmuch as unity is required in a school, a good headteacher and staff can build it without relying on what people are wearing.

A £17.75 cardigan is not by any stretch of the imagination "basic stuff", Chocolate.

The cardigans for my year 2 daughter are £17.75 each which is ridiculous

^That's less than the price of a takeaway or a decent bottle of wine. It's hardly bank-breaking, is it?^

Dont be ridiculous, who pays over £17.50 for a bottle of wine on a regular basis?

If someone can't afford £17 for a bit of school uniform that they knew they were going to have to purchase, they really have no business having children in the first place.

And its not just £17.50 its £17.50 x 3 so you have enough for the week to wash and wear. Not to metion in primary where jumpers are often paint covered and need washed after one day, lost or taken by other kids and never returned. Then there are the t shirts, the trousers/dresses and shoes.

Stop being so patronising, sitting in your ivory tower sipping you expensive wine doesnt make you better than the rest of us.

And I bet the op hasn't approached the school and asked for financial assistance or second hand uniforms which a lot of schools will help with.

My friends school has neither, everything has to be bought in the 'right shop' new, no exceptions.

Parents who bow to their kids every whim are part of the problem in schools today.You have the uniform list I presume? Just follow it and tell your little snowflake to wear the correct uniform. Why are you wasting money on trousers you know aren’t part of the uniform ?

And? What's your point? School uniform is a basic provision for your child. Everyone in the country knows that if you have children they must go to school, and if they go to school they must wear a uniform. It shouldn't be a surprise that you have to find the money to pay for things like this.

I taught in a town school in the 80s where they were having quite a lot of behavioural problems especially among the older boys.
After lots of attempts to improve things a deputy head came up with an idea. Change the uniform policy so that every boy had to wear grey socks, no other colour. Girls had to wear white socks. Socks would be checked daily as pupils went into registration.
Astonishingly within a couple of weeks behaviour in general improved radically as the students attempted to circumvent the new rule! The most popular was to wear the ‘wrong’ socks under the regulation ones.
I was very sceptical at first and left at the end of that school year , but I heard that it made a real difference long term.

What I find rather irritating is that the regulation skirt will cost £21. In M&S it is possible to buy TWO pairs of boys' trousers for £15. If they introduced regulation trousers, then I'd be a little more understanding!

You choose the school. it has a uniform, end of. Don't like it go to a different school.

Ha ha ha! My friend didnt get to 'chose' the school her kids went to at £300 per kid for uniform. Get real!

Blame the government and it's lap dog OFSTED. So glad dds were able to go to a school where they could water make up and a polo shirt and dye their hair if they wanted. Been downgraded since it isn't an academy chain and make up etc is now becoming an issue. At least ds who has to wear a strict uniform will get it paid for when he starts y7.

We had a choice of primary schools with my eldest (have since zoned so not the casr anymore) but part of our choice was having a uniform. The shirts are branded and about £17 each but shorts/trousers just need to be navy, shoes can be black/white/blue and trainers ok. Also a very good second hand shop.
I recall doing an observation exercise at a primary years ago and was appalled at the number of girls in completely impractical shoes (couldn't run could hardly walk) at least uniform restricts this.

My friend didnt get to 'chose' the school her kids went to at £300 per kid for uniform. Get real!

I have 0 sympathy for people who claim they have no choice. How do you think the rest of us managed? We made a choice, moved, and moved again to make sure we were in the right catchment area for our chosen school. It was a choice between a great house, or a great school. There's a choice. Prioritise what is most important for you, but don't complain about the lack of choice.