Secondary school uniform

[Bumbelinadance]

AIBU to say I just kind of feel the focus should be on educating children not their appearance . Ds just started secondary school Who decided a fully buttoned up to the top button shirt and tie was required
...? He hates how that feels all day. Restricting !
He is in a regular state school , yet his uniform was so expensive my parents Kindly stepped in

Surely it up up to the children to decide what path they go down as adults surely ?They can suit it and boot it if they choose to go into a profession where a certain dress code is required .
Comfortable trousers or joggers / skirts if preferred at a reasonable price and a school logo jumper might shift the focus from appearance to learning

I am all for a ban on designer logos and trainers to avoid a haves / have nots scenario
But I really dont get the English uniform obsession

Also I feel hugely amazed by our teachers and support them fully , feel the profession like most of our key workers ( ambulance drivers, nurses , police etc) is underpaid and under appreciated
But I don’t think their job should be to enforce a terribly old fashioned view that an 11 year old should wear a blazer. I also feel very strongly my child should be allowed to express himself as he wishes with his hairstyle and dress PROVIDED HE REMAINS POLITE AND RESPECTFUL TO HIS TEACHERS / ADULTS and meets the schools expectations with academic effort and behaviour
If he wants tramlines in his hair how does that affect whether he gets an a or a d grade ..?

They are there to learn
Achieve their potential
Be told they can be an astronaught if they work hard enough
Not told their appearance defines them

It isn’t really accepted in the workplace so why is it happening in our schools ...?

Myfrei Ds in the USA send their kids to school in clothes they are comfortable in ,so they can focus on learning

I see your point but I personally disagree. I think looking smart is important and it’s important to teach children. You say you admire ambulance drivers, police & nurses.. all of those are uniformed and I tell you police uniform is not comfortable, I’d be shocked if those thick lined overalls paramedics wear were either tbh. I think it’s good to teach our children to dress smartly and take pride in themselves. I know that won’t be a popular opinion but I hope it helps you see why ‘English have an obsession with uniform’

Thankyou dark passenger
I fully respect your view
I don’t agree
But share your high opinion of these professions

I agree with TheDark here. School uniform is very important and effective.
It can break down class issues, promotes a sense of belonging and focus.
Many jobs and professions have a uniform and if they don’t there is at least an expected level of dress.

I agree OP, I remember being at school and being uncomfortable in uniform it makes it hard to concentrate sometimes. Looking smart is fine and I'm all for it but some schools take it too far. Kicking my kids school are happy with smart trousers, shorts, skirts, dresses, polo shirt, cardigan, jumper, shirt and tie they even seem to be ok with completely black trainers which my oldest always wears. My youngest who just started wanted proper shoes, I tried to persuade him to have black trainers for when he is out playing and running about he was for none of it this year. I'll bet next year he changes his mind.

Just reread your post bumble are you seriously suggesting that as long as kids (and yes they are kids at 11) are polite and respectful they should be allowed to dress, and wear their hair in any way they choose?
That way madness lies!

Anything but heartache
Thankyou

I however don’t feel I need to be told to dress in identical , restrictive and expensive clothing to feel belonging and focus to my colleagues

What we achieve together does

See when kids all wear uniform they won't get picked on for their clothing. They get bullied for wearing glasses, being short, being gay.. anything that makes them different. bitter

Our highschool didn't have uniform. Nobody cared if you didn't have brand name clothing. And it stopped nobody getting good grades.

Ain’t nothing but heartache
WithIn reason
Yes I am

Got to disagree bumble
You say that their appearance shouldn’t define them, that is exactly why I believe uniform is a good thing.

As an employer of apprentices and other staff, I would always put kids who are smartly & professionally dressed at the front of the interview list, because those trainees will be in face to face contact with our customers.
They don’t only have to look smart for the interview, they need to feel relaxed and able to work 37 hours a week in the clothes/haircut. So high schools need to get them used to the needs of the work place.
Not suits necessarily but certainly collar & tie.

Aint nothing butbeartache

Shall we agree to disagree

I prefer them having a uniform. I was never uncomfortable in a uniform and neither were dc-because we wore it from reception so knew no different. It saves trying to decide what to wear each day, it looks a lot better than a polo shirt and jogging bottoms etc. In fact two high schools near ds’s school have now changed their uniform from polo’s and jumpers after having a consolation with parents and kids, who voted for a blazer and tie, because it looked so much smarter.

*consultation

My daughter has been wearing a fully buttoned up shirt and tie since primary 1... since she was 4, about to turn 5
I love these type of uniforms. Dressing well gives you pride. And it's the same in the world of work whether we agree or not.
Also... key workers you've named, police, ambulance, fire service... what do they all wear??

I have not worn a tie once in the 25 years since i left school.

We have a school in our City, it's one of the top 5 performing schools, they don't have a uniform & very few restrictions on dress & appearance, it's an amazing school, very oversubscribed, low rates of bullying & exclusions. My DS's school very strict on uniform, lots of restrictions on dress & appearance, it's an awful place, most of the kids are unhappy, nobody has a good word for the school, bullying & offending are rife, more like a prison than a school. Multiple exclusions are common each year, most pupils didn't choose the school but were sent there & lost appeals for other schools in the area.

I went to a school without uniform, it didn't make a difference, there was no bullying about what you wore & our parents didn't have to spend hundreds of pounds each year on uniform & shoes from certain suppliers, it costs me an average of £300 a year for school clothing that is poor quality & doesn't last, including £75 on black shoes that my DS hates as he has massive HH width feet, they are wrecked in a term, if he could wear trainers they would last so much longer, plus as he is very broad & tall we have to order his school stuff & can't just go & buy it at the shop.

There is nothing more meffy looking than a polo shirt. Thankfully my dc’s primary has proper shirts and ties.

bumble I will happily agree that we disagree

When I went to school around 50% of secondary schools had uniforms and I don't remember any of the kids having problems adjusting to uniforms when needed in adult life - just as they had no issues adjusting to working 9-5, or shifts, or commuting or any of the other thousand of things that are different at work to school. Personally i have never worn a uniform in 35 years of working.

This obsession with school uniforms is relatively modern - when my children were at secondary school 15 years ago they had uniform but it was no where near as strict as it is now - there was no uniform at primary school.

My grandson is autistic with sensory processing disorder - the rigid primary school uniform made school life unbearable for him. He struggles with socks - they were a real problem. We found a brand he could tolerate but they did not come in black but dark grey - the school would not accept them as fitting their rules. They decided to switch from polo shirts to proper shirt and ties - this would have been impossible for him. The clothing issue was not the only factor but one of the major reasons for us Home Educating.

Many autistic children struggle with school shoes, trousers etc - a few years ago they would make concessions and allow black trainers or jogging bottoms but this is increasingly becoming rarer.

The idea that kids with special needs are not be able to access school because the colour of their socks is slightly wrong is disgusting.

100% agree with OP here. My daughter didnt go to school for her last 2 years we home schooled..she attended our local college for maths and english gcse no uniform required and has done better than most of the kids that were in her year.
She had her hair how she wanted, dressed respectfully but comfortably now about to do a course and works part time and wears a uniform for work, plus wears a polo top with college logo.for her work placement. So the argument that it teaches them about work place etc is wrong. I think the focus should be on learning and teaching not enforcing draconian uniform rules, and stunting individualism.
In some schools the rules on shoes, uniform, hair, toilets etc is like some kind of prison..even prisoners dont get treated so harshly. No child can learn if they need the toilet, are uncomfortable, too hot, restricted or can not express themselves, and teenagers do that by having their hair different, personalising their wardrobe, wearing make up etc

How did going to the toilet get thrown into the mix?!

I think uniform is a good idea, although find the cost of some of the items ridiculously expensive. My youngest daughter has just started Year 8 and the cost of her summer dress was £48 - ideally she would have had two, but we could not afford it.

My main gripe with the school uniform is that, during the really hot weather, students were still expected to wear blazers and, in the case of boys, either a long-sleeved or sleeveless jumper. That to me seems ridiculous, especially when teachers are wearing short sleeved shirts or summer tops.

The stress I felt at the wear what you want days. Agonising on whether or not my outfit was 'cool' enough (it wasn't) my shoes acceptable (they weren't) uniform is a leveller- there is no upmanship, fashion, or opportunity to abuse kids for their outfits. I fully support them for this reason.

It's about feeling equal. Simple.
No fancy trainers etc.
I agree with it whole heartedly.
Yabvu OP.

Aintnothingbutaheartache because its yet another example of daft rules that serves no one. Ive never been told i can not go to the toilet in any job. I do not expect children to be stopped either, couldnt concentrate on learning if i needed the toilet.