To hate school uniforms nowadays?

[Whatisthisfuckery]

I’ve just been to get DS’s new school uniform. DS is going into y8, and for reasons beyond my control this will be his third secondary school, so it’s the third uniform Ive had to buy. That’s threee lots of over £100, and that’s just the branded stuff, not the trousers and shirts and shoes.

This is mad. I’m on a low income and struggle, even though I’ve only got one child. If I had more I’d have to save for most of the year to afford it. The fact that I’ve had to buy three lots in 12 months has crippled me financially.

I know schools like to have a corporate image nowadays, but the amount of branded clothing they expect people to buy is ridiculous. £32 for a blazer, and when DS grows into the next size it’ll be £36, and same with the other stuff, when he grows a bit that’ll all cost more as well.

While I’m on a rant, I really hate the horrible clip-on and velcro ties. I assumed it was a safety thing, you know, so kids can’t strangle each other, but the guy in the shop seemed to think it was so kids didn’t have thin ties or little short fat ties etc. I know it must be annoying for a school if the students are doing crazy things with their ties, but on the other hand it feels as if kids aren’t allowed any modes of self expression. Also, shouldn’t they actually learn to tie a tie?

AIBU to hate the amount that school uniforms cost nowadays, and AIBU to lament the loss of the little bit of self expression we had when we were kids?

I agree that it's too expensive, but having worked in a large state secondary school for some years now, I understand why schools have gone down the standardisation route. Prior to this, boys were coming in in black jeans which were so low slung that sometimes they were actually resting below their buttocks, and girls were coming in in black leggings, or tube skirts which didn't actually cover their gussets, shall we say, when they sat down on the school chairs. Gross and unhygienic to say the least. No matter how often it was re-iterated that skirts should reach their knees, they just totally ignored it. If we pulled them up on it, their parents waded in, defending it.

Give them an inch, and they'll take a mile. Even now, we say logo'd trousers, but they know they can get away with non-logo'd if they keep their heads down and sit at the back. Girls still roll up the waistbands of their skirts, but at least there is a chance of the skirts covering their gussets when they sit down.

Can you need seek to swap branded stuff with anyone, no school shop

The cost of uniforms is problematic and I agree that that's not fair.

I don't agree that uniforms should allow scope for individuality. Uniforms should be uniform; the clue's in the name. I'm all for a cheap uniform, but it should be distinctive and identical - would have no problem with saying it has to be bought from Asda or Tesco rather than a school supplier, with a distinctive badge sewn on. I have no problem with strict rules regarding hairstyles and shoe styles either. Mine never had trainers until they were secondary age (they had plimsolls for PE), because I couldn't have afforded them as well as school shoes, and the style of standard school shoes was smart and suitable for wear outside school. I wouldn't have bought them trainers and said I couldn't afford school shoes.

There needs to be an overhauls of the system to stop state schools being allowed to force expensive uniforms as the only option. It is less of an issue in Scotland, although I think some areas do have it.

Our school insists you have something with the logo on. They offer polo shirt and sweatshirt or shirt and tie option. Logo polo shirt is expensive, but the school tie is £5 and they are now giving all first years a tie for free. This means that all shirts, trousers etc. can be bought from supermarkets making it much cheaper.

I'm always horrified to read about these academies in England that have logo skirt and trousers. It is so unnecessary, and what comes from letting private companies run schools.

I think it would be better for everyone if uniforms became:

Plain jeans - no rips
White or Grey T- shirts
Navy or Grey hoodies
Trainers.

Expensive uniform in secondary school should be banned! The local secondary school here now only allow children to wear trousers or skirts with their logo on which are crazy expensive. As well as the jumpers & blazers!

My parents couldn’t really afford it when I was at secondary school. They paid it but it wasn’t easy.

My two are primary school age and the only labelled uniform they need is jumpers and cardigans which are only £9-£13 a go so not too bad at all. I’ve got all this to come in a year or two for DS 😬

I have just kitted our my y6 with school uniform all from Sainsbury’s bar the school cardigans at £9 each she has two of those.
Dreading next year the pe kit alone is astronomical altrhough the only other branded things they mess is a blazer a jumper and a tie.
I have 7 school blazers here as my boys both went to that school but none will fit her she’s age 9/10 and they all left school over 6”4
Have put them on the local community page for free if they can help anyone else out

Yanbu.
I have twins going into y7 so had to have everything new. I've been saving for months as I live on disability benefits and remembered how expensive it was when eldest one went.
To top it off this week we've had another email requesting we supply lots of extras such as whiteboard pens, art equipment on top of standard equipment as they can no longer provide these for the duration of the pandemic.

Gosh, I hate school uniforms so much.
Hated them when I had to wear them, hated buying them for children. Old fashioned, expensive and beyond naff.

Except for gingham dresses in summer. They’re lovely.

@LemonBreeland

I agree it needs to be overhauled, I have no issue with uniform, What I do have a problem with is the extortionate costs.

For example my sons just below Average state school with a high number of FSM.

Logo Jumper STARTS at £20 each

Logo blazer starts at £40

The girls logo skirt start at £20 ( the boys can just wear plan ones from anywhere thank god!)

The tie £5.99

The PE socks.. yes the PE socks £6 ( I totally get this at a private or grammar but a community state school, and a not so good one at that?!!)

PE polo £15

Logo bag £15

The PE tracksuit is the biggest mick take at £43! I can get him a Nike or Adidas one for cheaper if I go to the outlet! And you can also get the non compulsory summer shorts for an additional cost.

Then in addition to all that you need to buy plain white shirts, trainers for PE, black shoes and grey socks. All
The above is compulsory. Other than the blazer, tie and tracksuit you will need more than one of everything else, before you know it you’ve racked up a small fortune.

The LA give £100.. other than a blazer, a single jumper, a single skirt or trouser one pair of shoes and a pack of blouses or shirts and at a push the bag.. how on earth can someone with say 2 children on low income afford all that without a struggle. It’s not as if the school are understanding of parents financial situation when their child turns up to school without the £43 tracksuit for PE, in fact they get a detention.. it’s absolutely nuts.

They could easily have the same without all the logo malarkey on everything as the reason it is hiked up prices is because of everything having the logo.

My eldest DS was even worse in terms of prices.. were taking 10 years ago and his blazer then was £60 and I had to a get rugby kit Including mouth guard but to be fair the quality was much better and at the time they didn’t insist on wearing the jumper so in Y8 onwards I didn’t bother buying it, unlike my younger DS school that insist you are kitted our head to toe in all the uniform at all times.

I remember the little thin ties being s trendy thing back in the day. However will the cool kids express cool now?

Yes Slim Jims that was the cool way to wear your tie. You definitely didn’t want a Kipper, which is the fat tie

No logo skirt or trousers here but:

Blazer £32.50

Tie £6.95

Rucksack £10

PE polo £14.95

PE shorts £16.50

PE outdoor top £20.50

PE socks £4.95

That’s just the compulsary logo stuff. Another size up and everything but the socks, tie and rucksack will go up by about £3-4 each.

YANBU - school uniform is bonkers and there's no need for it these days. The "arguments" that support it don't really work when hundreds of other countries seem to manage perfectly well without it!

@Whatisthisfuckery

I mean come on how can they justify £16.50 for PE shorts! I can’t remember exactly how much my ds school said their shorts were but I do remember it wasn’t a single figure sum.

I think State school uniforms should be a choice between black, grey and navy for trousers skirts shorts etc, white or pale blue shirt, any colour pullover/sweatshirt stocked by average supermarket ie ASDS Sainsbury's etc, school tie and or sew on badge purchased from school maximum price £5,( badge can be sewn onto a standard colour blazer or sweatshirt black shoes you can run in without logos
PE kit plain shorts / gym leggings and round neck t shirt ( in school or house colours) maybe tracksuit
pair of trainers suitable for all outdoor games pair of non marking
pumps for indoor games, any swimsuit designed for swimming not sunbathing one piece not bikini any team uniforms tabards etc to be provided by school or sponsors but teams can be distinguished by red/blue tabards waterproof coat

primary schools I would make even simpler black grey navy basics , coloured polo shirt and sweatshirt can be logoed but a basic sweatshirt in school colour also acceptable. waterproof coat and sensible shoes that can run in, no rules about coat/ bag or socks/hair accessories or shoe colour, PE kit shorts t shirt and trainers

@TeacupDrama

You are applying wayyyy too much logic and sense here. Clearly the powers that be are more concerned about the kids looking the same rather than the fact they are making families struggle financially.

My DS school has literally just started a secondhand uniform “shop” which will open in September, that was because the current Y7 parents were all kicking up a fuss about the extortionate prices combined with the light fingered sods that meant many parents before the pandemic had to replace jumpers, blazers, coats etc at full price only to then a few months or weeks later not wear it again due to lockdown

Can't see the point of girls wearing ties

It's amazing that this time of year (well not so much this year...)1000s of kids will be attending Summer Camps. These usually have an educational theme - Drama, Sport, Art, Coding etc. But kids don't have to wear a uniform for that do they? Why not? Surely if you want children to follow rules and learn something they have to be in a uniform don't they? At least that's what the schools claim.

billycat my girl likes to chew her tie. Mmmm...soggy tie.

My DD is going into y7 and her uniform all still fits which is good considering she only spent 6 months in it, I only have to buy school shoes. Since girls slow in height sooner than boys, her uniform could possibly do her for a while yet. The primary school uniform is worse quality and does wash well at all, fades very quickly.

Our local state schools has a very straightforward uniform, black trousers white polo shirt, black jumper. The jumper and polo shirt can have a logo or not. No blazers and ties. I think Blazers are expensive and uncomfortable and don't think they look particularly smart half the time. I also think they look very old fashioned. Also, ties are so hot during the summer months?

Thinking about it, the schools in my area that have a blazer and tie uniform are usually the ones rated 'Unsatisfactory' by OFSTED. Almost as if a stuffy uniform compensates for the poor standards of education.

I agree too - I like uniform but I don't like expensive branded uniform. As pp's have said, perfectly acceptable to have specified colours and perhaps one branded item like a tie (but why - nobody wears them anymore except for weddings and funerals).

When my son started secondary school he could just wear shorts and t-shirt from the supermarket for PE. Then the school decided to introduce a branded PE kit. I was pretty annoyed, it was expensive. But I will say it washed and washed and washed and wore really well, so it probably was worth it and was more ethical because it wasn't throwaway. He had it for three years (fortunately he didn't grow too much in that time - or the shorts were round his ankles to start with :) )

I hate them too. Nasty fabric and really uncomfortable. Ties for school are nuts in this day and age. Schools in many other countries manage fine without this rubbish.

I hate uniforms for kids. Yes they look smart, but what is it they have to look smart for? They're not in an office in a public facing roll so it's just ridiculous.

They should be able to be comfortable and dressed appropriately for the weather, not suited and booted in a hot classroom while they have to carry all their belongings around all day.