To wish schools didn't have uniforms?

[bluebird14]

I hate them

reluctantbrit that really says a lot about your school and its population... My DDs were not allowed Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp and the like until they were 13. It wasn't an issue. They didn't get smartphones until they were 13 and 15. Again, not an issue. They were not outcasts or pariahs at all.

@ikeepaforkinmypurse

In my experience, the more well-off children tend to wear the most used uniforms, they genuinely don't care and neither do their parents.

Presumably not held together by staples like one of the children I went to school with?

probably not. You could say that the worst uniforms are worn either by the poorest who can't afford better, or the well off who are not bothered about buying replacements when the kids wreck theirs.

I don't mean to sound sarcastic, sometimes it's heart breaking to see family proudly showing off kids in pristine uniforms they can ill-afford, when they could have just as well bought them in the second hand sale but they feel they would have failed their kids.

DDs at secondary school with no uniform. I'm happy. They're happy. They feel comfortable and happy in their own clothes. I don't have to get involved with petty rules about whether a certain brand of trousers are allowed. They wear fairly sensible clothes that also look nice. no bullying, but dd2 is very careful not to wear anything that stands out too much, both dds are able to get dressed in the morning without any bother.
Some downsides are:
A new pair of dd's jeans got stolen from changing room,
nothing to unify them as a group if they are in a concert or showing parents round at an open day,
children (girls especially) wear clothes that mean they have to be more careful with the sun. In primary school, I've seen children be sunburned after lunch that wouldn't have been in a polo shirt.
If you take children out on a school trip they are not so easily identifiable

I love uniforms. DC’s school has a strict but not expensive uniform. He has 1 pair of trousers and 1 blazer. These have lasted all year, and over the summer i’ll Only have to replace the trousers, the blazer is fine. A multi pack of shirts, very cheap, and a pack of socks too. This is much cheaper than the multiple sets of clothes he’d need with no uniform! Plenty of time for him to wear other things weekends and holidays.

The 1 blazer thing is minging. Sweaty teens, urgh

I don't mind sensible uniform (trousers, sweatshirt and polo shirt) but I hate ties, blazers and white shirts that keep going grey round the cuffs.

I'm fairly meh about having a uniform or not but I think if they have one it should be
as practical and straightforward as possible.

I hate the thought that uniforms being there to avoid instances of bullying. Kids need to be taught that bullying is wrong regardless of what someone is wearing!

It doesn't work if that's the case, given that the vast majority of British schools have uniforms, and also have bullies.

I disagree. They look smart; give the school a sense of unity; there is no angst about what to wear in the morning; cheaper; and a great leveller since everyone is wearing the same, not some turning up in designer brands. I sometimes think schools are a bit petty about saying you have to keep your blazer on till it's about 30 degrees, but generally I'm all in favour of uniform.

I think the unity and pride in the school thing is nonsense tbh. You only need to ask the majority of kids what they think of their uniform to realise it really doesn't contribute to the ethos.

Most kids I've taught who have expressed an opinion are baffled by the idea that what they are wearing could affect their learning. They know that if they go to college or university they will be wearing their own clothes. If uniform is so important, why isn't it necessary there? Or in schools in the vast majority of other countries? Or in the majority of jobs? It's an anachronis and they know it.

There's no way that uniform stops bullying. Even with children dressed in uniform you can still see the, erm, less fortunate children. They still stick out like a sore thumb.
It wouldn't make a personal diffrench to me to have uniform or not, although I'd prefer to not have to traipse around kitting them out in school wear.

I hate school uniform too, as a teacher, much prefer being in FE colleges with no uniform.

The only way uniform would be an equaliser is if it was provided by and laundered by the school.

Italy has the right idea IMHO, for younger children anyway, they have a smock type garment that goes over their clothes. It's a bit like an artist's smock.

What you wear underneath depends on the weather.

Sugar - with uniform, the more fortunate also stick out like a sore thumb, if they are in the minority.

Pointless unnecessary and lining the pockets of all these suppliers to the horrific cost of parents

It just seems so easy to mandate a uniform. I really can’t see how getting rid of uniforms would save anything for parents, you’d have to spend on actual clothes, all the seasons, extra clothes for concerts/special events. It adds up, but maybe you don’t see the cost when it’s spread year-round, but back-to-school shopping is an utter nightmare and you can’t even recoup costs by selling them on.

My DS' school has own-trousers-day once a week every week, own clothes sometimes for a full week most terms, and quite a lot of own-clothes-or-pyjamas fun days as a class reward. Last week we had a week of sports and sports wear (mainly just PE kit to be honest with a sports t-shirt and some shorts the other days).

I gather there's the odd silliness about sensible clothes and especially shoes among older children, but I have never heard of bullying. And all the parents can tell which DC in my DS' class has 6 older siblings and is wearing the uniform they all wore. Not such a great leveller.

Normalise non-uniform and everyone will get bored of it and everything will be fine.

I find it impossible to get second hand uniform (DS is uncomfortable in non-cotton clothes and the trousers and jumper are both slightly unusual colours - basically not black and navy it seems is unusual in our area!) so I'd love to be able to get a load of second hand non-school clothes and send him in jeans or joggers and NOT WHITE TOPS every day. He could wear his funky t-shirts I've made (that are NOT WHITE) every so often and he'd be happy too.

And we wouldn't have the battles over socks (I can't find any school socks, I'm going to wear these. No you aren't, have you looked? Yes I have. Well obviously not with your eyes).

Having a child with asd and sensory issues I hate them. Primary school were flexible so he could wear jogging bottoms but secondary won't be so I'm not looking forward to how he copes in Sept with trousers, shirt, jumper, tie and blazer every day.

Sorry that should read not grey and navy - we don't have grey trousers and we don't have navy jumpers - and everyone else seems to have one or both.

Titsy yes that's our issue with getting second hand - nobody much buys cotton and sells them on - so we have to buy new even though it's very environmentally unfriendly.

This week my DC have had healthy schools week which has meant going in their PE kit all week. It’s been such a kerfuffle getting them dressed and into trainers compared to getting them into uniform. No idea why it’s so much more difficult but it is.

I like the fact uniform is a set thing so there’s no arguments in the morning over who wears what. I can just picture my DD’s having a meltdown fighting over outfits. Fuck that shit.

I prefer it. But my kids are still in primary so it’s just white polos, trousers or shorts and a jumper.

It’s far easier getting them ready in the morning and stops arguments.

I’ll save my outrage for when they’re at secondary school!

(Have to say though, those of you saying you ‘never witnessed bullying’ at you school with no uniform are deluded if you don’t think it happened).

I prefer uniform. I buy good quality clothes so don’t want them getting ruined at school, it’s easier to top up uniform throughout the year if needed.

there is a facebook group where you can buy/sell cotton school uniform!

Basic school uniforms are fine IMO. My son's uniform is a polo shirt, dark Grey trousers /shorts and jumper. There is a website selling shirts /jumpers with the school badge but they are quite happy with children wearing non badged shirts, which can easily be purchased from the local supermarket clothes section. Nothing wrong with school uniforms per se, it's how far some schools go in enforcing the rules that can be a pain.