To hope schools scrap uniforms

[greengoldfish]

It can’t surely be possible to wash blazers and heavy kilt like skirts on a daily basis.

AIBU to hope this means an end to uniform, or if not, a return to some comfy jogging bottoms, polo shirts and cardis/jumpers?

[quote FishyDuck]@bookmum08

It's about instilling a sense of aspiration and ambition in the students. High-paying roles in areas like finance and law all require a smart dress code. DH is a solicitor and at his place it is even frowned upon to wear a shirt without cuff links, brown shoes or a blue suit.

Particularly in deprived areas, we may as well just tell the DC that they have no chance of succeeding in life if we allow tracksuits and polo shirts. They are not appropriate attire for work and are certainly not appropriate for school.[/quote]
The sort of attitude at your DHs firm is pretty niche even within law.

My DD’s blazer is from M&S and is machine washable. It does dry overnight on a
on clothes horse if something spilled on it I generally just wash it at the weekend. Her kilt is also machine washable and is very lightweight so drys overnight on clothes horse in a few hours.

I dont see the point in school uniform at all. Most other countries manage fine. If someone is a bully, does anyone think that because someone is wearing the correct clothes, the bully will magically not bully any more? They will just find another reason.

And dont get me started on ties. Especially in the midst of covid, useless bits of fabric which have no actual purpose, flapping around, coming into contact with all and sundry should be banned

@NoMoreReluctantCustodians

I dont see the point in school uniform at all. Most other countries manage fine. If someone is a bully, does anyone think that because someone is wearing the correct clothes, the bully will magically not bully any more? They will just find another reason.

And dont get me started on ties. Especially in the midst of covid, useless bits of fabric which have no actual purpose, flapping around, coming into contact with all and sundry should be banned

I do sometimes wonder what the point of ties are at all.

Nope! Strict and smart uniforms help instil a work mindset in the DC

It's about instilling a sense of aspiration and ambition in the students. High-paying roles in areas like finance and law all require a smart dress code.
If all this were actually true then countries with no high school uniform wouldn't have any successful people would they, and yet they do.
My sons are both hard workers, one doing very well in the financial setor thank you. Neither wore a uniform ever.
Same goes for all their high school friends. Lawyer, policeman, Cook, and a minister amoung them.
Sadly cramming kids into uncomfortable clothes does nothing to help them succeed in life.
Parental involovement and encouragement and emphasis on education and respect for others is what works.

Our school have scrapped school uniform for at least the first half term, children can go in home clothes.

I hope not. Or at least I hope there is choice. Our uniform is not expensive. Only the ties and jumpers/blazers have to be bought from a specific supplier and they wash well. 6th form have a jumper and the rest of the school have a choice of jumper or blazer. They could just do away with the blazers if washing is a worry. I know the evidence re pros and cons of uniform is highly debatable but personally I find it easier and cheaper to not be worrying about what they are wearing for school every day.

I find it easier and cheaper to not be worrying about what they are wearing for school every day. Are you finding it hard to choose clothes for them now? Do you find it hard to dress them in the school holidays?

Yep, nothing to stop anyone from wearing polo shirts/school trousers/blazers/boaters if they so desire. And after all they are apparently practical so why wouldn't you, even if you didn't have to?
If the school wants clean clothes everyday then I would want uniform, it's easier to wash and dry. Polo shirts as they are allowed them in summer term at his school so why not year round? Otherwise, I would prefer none, DS doesn't care for fashion, no issue with no uniform here. He doesn't have enough home clothes for clean everyday though and I wouldn't want to stock up on more clothes unless it was a long term change to no uniform.

I washed my uniform once a week when I was at school. I only had one shirt.

Also, who washes a blazer daily??

I think a school uniform makes life easier and avoids a debate over whether x is appropriate for school. My 5 yo twins dress themselves and come down in some interesting outfits. I'm a bit slack with that sort of thing and let them wear what they please even when it's a bit ridiculous or weather inappropriate. It's not like we go anywhere these days so it's easy to change. Come term time they'll share a school wardrobe and all clothes have to be picked from there.

Then I changed to a new school for 6th form which had no uniform and we had regular conversations wishing there was one because it would be so much easier

So you’d rather someone else made your clothing choice for you? Are you incapable of selecting the correct clothes for the weather/activity?

Mine are in non uniform at the moment

Boys tracksuit bottoms/T-shirt
Girls leggings/T-shirt
Both have trainers

All the kids wear the same

As for rich/poor divide - a Polyester blazer don’t hide the money! Plus the way schools allocate places the rich go to rich schools in nice area - the poor kids don’t

I would say our school uniform is easy going, polo shirts/ shirts, logoed fleece or jumper. Any sort of sensible school bottoms skirts, trousers, shorts. Dark shoes or trainers. I think it'd be much more objectionable if it was strict, expensive or tricky to source.

@ChaoticCatling like I say, all of you who want to dress your kids in polo shirts etc would be completely free to do so if uniform was scrapped.

I remeber being at school having the uniform debate and the majority of us agreed we wanted a uniform. It does equalise. (although we weren,t as strict as my kids school) It also gives you a sense of belonging. In my career I have seen people genuinely excited to get the uniform as their is the pride and sense of achievement in doing the job and representing the company.

Yabu. It is so much harder and more expensive NOT to have uniform. Most of my dc uniform is second hand, they look smart in their blazers. When they have worn mufti recently it has caused a lot of stress, different outfits needed every day, worry about bullying or looking 'cool'.

I like school uniforms, I live in the UK.
I wore a uniform when I was at school and it made life a lot easier for me and my friends. We all agree a uniform was a good thing for us. Non uniform day was the worst day of the year because I went to a posh school but wasn't well off and trying to find something half decent to wear was awful.
To be honest I don't get the issue with wearing a uniform and washing it. You'd have to wash normal clothes surely? My kids wear polo shirts, skirts, pinafores, trousers and cardigans so all easy stuff to wash and cheap to buy.

@ChaoticCatling like I say, all of you who want to dress your kids in polo shirts etc would be completely free to do so if uniform was scrapped.
My 14 year old was happy enough with uniform that he never bothered changing after school, just into trainers and a hoodie with school shirt and trousers if he went out. He wouldn't want to wear it if others weren't though. I would have to buy him more home clothes, and I am a sole parent on a low income. Scrapped for a full school year, fine, a few months and I'd just tell him to alternate clothes so it looked like I was washing them daily.

@Itisbetter

I find it easier and cheaper to not be worrying about what they are wearing for school every day. Are you finding it hard to choose clothes for them now? Do you find it hard to dress them in the school holidays?

No, but nobody cares what they look like in the holidays do they? And I didn't say it would be hard, just less easy. Assuming that schools without uniform still have a dress code, and wouldn't be happy for my son to turn up in the faded Guns N Roses t shirt and ripped jeans that he is currently pretty much living in, then I would have to purchase a new wardrobe for him. It would almost certainly cost more than a multi pack of white shirts and a few school trousers from M&S and be more difficult to reach agreement on. The next nearest secondary school to us doesn't have a uniform in 6th form.The friends I have whose children go there have spent a lot more on school clothes than I have, and have had more disagreements with their children - and on occasion with teachers who interpret the term "office wear" differently. If I am going to have to buy school clothes that my teenagers still don't actually want to wear, then I would rather they were as inexpensive as possible and their nature was non negotiable. If pupils could genuinely wear whatever they wanted it would be different, but I don't know of any schools where that is the case. And even then, I bet there would still be "you're not going out dressed like that" moments in many families. No, it would hardly be the end of the world but personally, I find it easier not to have any hassle on school days.

My Ds goes to a none uniform school , I find it cheaper , the novelty of what to wear soon wears off.

He is comfy and never discusses what anyone else wears.

He wears trainers which save me a fortune on school shoes that never last .

I don't agree with DC wearing polo shirts and tracksuit bottoms etc to school at all. Both items are leisure wear- they have no place in a professional workplace so they certainly should not be worn in school.

In my opinion all DC should be in blazers, shirt, tie, smart trousers and smart black school shoes. With shirts tucked in, top buttons done up, shoes polished and blazers on at all times.

It sets the right tone for the day- the DC are ready to work and understand why they're in school. Wearing leisure clothes inculcates a leisure attitude.

@ChaoticCatling if you really find it more expensive to buy one set of clothes rather than two, like I say just dress your son in polo shirts and dress trousers all the time.

It isnt about wealth, it's the equality, discipline, routine. It gives the army school an air of authority because they are not in home clothes. Maybe a bit dull but I'd rather that then get judged by their peers or judging others by what they wear.

If I were in charge school uniform would be a winter type school jacket Oct to April as I’m in Scotland and think it’s absurd they make children and young people wear blazers when it’s raining and snowing. Shirts and ties and black trousers for boys and girls no skirts shorter than blazers, everyone the same. Better for the weather as well.

@ChaoticCatling if you really find it more expensive to buy one set of clothes rather than two, like I say just dress your son in polo shirts and dress trousers all the time. I don't 'dress' my 14 year old , not many teens are going to wear school uniform if others aren't, as they would stand out. He already has the two sets, it's not a case of buying them. He doesn't have seven changes of home clothes. Just saying, no uniform in the short term and he will not be in clean clothes daily. Long term and I would buy more,.