To wish schools didn't have uniforms?

[bluebird14]

I hate them

[Plsbemyturn]

Another vote for uniform, in fact I am glad. Much less fuss overall.

[topcat1980]

"But... you know... she wears jeans so she's a bad example...?"

If thats not part of the dress code, yes. But again you are looking at individual cases rather than the whole picture.

"DD is at a top 20 US school. Kids wear PJs to class. They still get into MIT, Westpoint, the Air Force Academy..."

Ah yes, you know the ones that you pay for through your local taxes. As a teacher I wouldn't want kids in my class room in pyjamas it shows that they aren't taking it seriously. Oh and your kids might get into those places, but its cause of the privileges you bought them not their ability.

"FWIW from what I gather, those schools in the US where dress codes have been an issue have always been about what girls wear -"

Or the ones I worked in.. Gang colours were an issue, as were other things, but yeah, again make it very specific.

[LittleLionMansMummy]

I don't mind uniform, but when they get out of primary it becomes very expensive. Ds goes up to juniors in September and they insist on very specific logoed jumpers and PE kits (and t-shirt and a hoodie). There are two suppliers currently, one is Tesco Direct which ceases trading in 3 days (relatively cheap) and one other supplier (twice the cost). We've spent £60 so far and still have items outstanding. We can afford it. But there are one or two of ds's friends from single parent and less wealthy families. I really feel for those parents and despite saying uniform puts everyone on an even footing, it doesn't when some will have second hand or ill fitting clothes because kids growing quickly and their parents can't afford to keep up.

[Semster]

If thats not part of the dress code, yes. But again you are looking at individual cases rather than the whole picture.

You are determined to miss other people's points aren't you?

"DD is at a top 20 US school. Kids wear PJs to class. They still get into MIT, Westpoint, the Air Force Academy..."

Ah yes, you know the ones that you pay for through your local taxes. As a teacher I wouldn't want kids in my class room in pyjamas it shows that they aren't taking it seriously. Oh and your kids might get into those places, but its cause of the privileges you bought them not their ability.

There's so much wrong with these statements it's hard to even know where to start.

Yes, we do pay for colleges like Westpoint and the Air Force Academy through taxes, although not local ones. I don't think there are any colleges in the US paid for through local taxes?

If you think the kids at DD's school aren't taking school seriously because they're in PJs then you truly are blinkered. I do wonder how you explain them getting such high scores on national tests despite 'not taking school seriously'.

If you really think kids only get into MIT/Westpoint/Air Force Academy because of the privileges they've been bought then you're extremely poorly informed.

[topcat1980]

I"f you really think kids only get into MIT/Westpoint/Air Force Academy because of the privileges they've been bought then you're extremely poorly informed."

Go look at the socio economic breakdown of their students and you'll find that its true. People love to ignore their privilege but the data trumps this.

"I don't think there are any colleges in the US paid for through local taxes?"

If your daughter is at a top 20 school, in terms of being at school in the US, then your local taxes pay for that school.

If she is at a college and you have called it a school then you are conflating Higher Education with tertiary.

There are dress codes in most high schools in the US. There might not be in privileged areas.

Oh and if students here attended a university class in their pajamas I would definitely not think that they were taking it seriously.

[Tringley]

There is no chance I'd send my DS to a school with a uniform. Thankfully in Ireland many of the new schools have a no uniform/ students and teachers on a first name policy and there are primary and secondary schools of those kind in my city. So those are a feasible option for us. Though he's going to a forest from the autumn so I have had to buy extra waterproof stuff. He has decent waterproofs already but he'll be spending even more time outdoors at this school than he would with me, so I've splashed out on extras in the Aldi clearance section. Hooray for heatwaves!

[FASH84]

I'm pro uniform in schools, it can be an expensive outlay but is good value given how much they wear it. Children should learn they can express their individuality away from their physical appearance. It gives a sense of school identity and teaches children they can't always have what they want and sometimes there are rules to be followed whether they agree with them or not, that is life. It also stops their nice clothes getting ruined at school. If a child is clean and tidy in a well ironed uniform, their socioeconomic status is less evident reducing opportunities for teasing over material things. The children who are noticeably different in my experience are those who come in with their hair not brushed and in dirty uniforms, that isn't about money that's about parenting. My school also insisted on plain black coats, bags and PE trainers, no designer logos allowed.

[LoveLifeLive87]

I just wish they would have non uniform day every Friday, then I could get a head start on washing the uniforms for the following week!
4 x DC x 3 sets of uniforms each + summer dresses = 2 hours ironing every Sunday, just for the uniforms alone!!!

[Stoveding]

We didn’t have uniform in primary school and honestly the only kids who were judged were those whose own clothes smelled and weren’t washed.
There was one particular family and they all smelled and were teased
That would happen with uniform too.

We were so busy running about and playing and 70s/80s parents didn’t seem to doll up their little ones then.