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?

*Can't see the point of girls wearing ties(

Can't see the point of the boys wearing ties either. Office workers don't wear them anymore, even in sectors like law and for the odd time you need to, you can wear one then. You can learn to tie one when you need to. I only wore one at primary school and had to reteach myself to tie one so I could teach ds to tie one on his first day at secondary as he didn't wear one at primary so the opposite to me.

I really can't see the need.

Yanbu, it's ridiculous!

Blazer, tie and PE top are the only logoed items for us, and it is a proper tie not a clip on.

However, my complaint is paying VAT on the blazer and PE top. They are uniforms for school- a place attended by children. So why is VAT applied? I have been paying it since yr8 and my 15 year old has had 3 blazers in that time. Yes, I know it’s because he is in adult sizing, and I accept it with home clothes, but it is a bit galling to be paying it on school uniform (just under £8 on the blazer I bought today, according to my bill).

@LaBelleSauvage in my experience, I have to police their uniforms as I cannot afford to take time off to collect them whenever they’ve “forgotten” a uniform item or whatever.

£38 quid for a pair of trousers. This is a state school. PE kit has cost me over £100 before I buy trainers and football boots etc. It really needs a stop to it

I think it's utterly bizarre that we dress school girls in adult male clothing. Why are girls forced to "cross-dress" to look like businessmen?

£85 for a school tracksuit today x 2. At primary level. Fucking hell.

School has decided it's PE kit until half term and then they'll review. Wouldn't mind but they announced this on the Monday after the second hand school uniform sale took place and I'd been massively organised for once and sorted any new stuff that was needed early and labelled the lot so it can't go back. FML

Alice oh yes. My daughter hates the feel of having to tuck in her shirt. I haven't worn a tucked in shirt since - ooh - about 1989.
I have however worn blouses which are not designed to be tucked in and have shaped edges (and often boob space). Much more flattering than a tucked in shirt. I also have worn polo shirts for work which again are designed to not be tucked in. A 'male' style shirt tucked in pretty much only looks flattering on males with flat bodies. Why do we insist on making females who have boobs and pre teen boys who often still have that puppy fat wear them?

OP- may be worth checking if the school runs a second hand uniform sale when you need to size up? Or see if you can befriend any parents with older children who might pass on theirs?

Hate blazers. Utterly pointless. When I went to school you only had to buy a school tie. The rest was supermarket black trousers, white shirt and navy v neck jumper. Super easy and cheap

@Whatisthisfuckery

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.

Ours is pretty much the same, £103 without the rucksack but with two pairs of shorts. £16.50 for PE shorts is crazy, ours are £9 each but need two colours (PE and games).

I'm lucky I've only had to replace the blazer and the shorts now for year 10 and I got the shorts from the uniform pool. If I had to buy uniform three times in a year I'd try the uniform pool first for certain!

DS and DD's HT has said it'll be joggers and t-shirt/polo shirt until January. With plain jumpers if needed.

I know her from working with her years ago and I'm very much hoping she's starting the process of taking them back to navy trousers/skirt, white shirt or polo shirt and red jumper/cardi plus optional tie. That's what the uniform was until 10 years ago. The previous head had massive dillurions of grandeur and felt the uniform should "match the building" (load of bollocks, it's a nice old building, but it's in shit shape) and brought in logo-ed everything that costs a bloody fortune.

In a lot of cases it’s because the Academy chain is also part of a uniform supply company or at least has links with them.
Therefore they don’t want you buying a cheap one from Asda because you are not putting money into their pockets.
This is a sign of the privatisation of education but no one seems to care.

@Waveysnail

Hate blazers. Utterly pointless. When I went to school you only had to buy a school tie. The rest was supermarket black trousers, white shirt and navy v neck jumper. Super easy and cheap

I disagree that they are pointless. DS hates jumpers that go over the head but loves his blazer for the pockets. I bought big in year 7 so he's only on to his second one now for year 10.

whirlwind my daughter finds both a blazer and jumper pointless because school buildings are never cold enough to need them.

@billycat321

Can't see the point of girls wearing ties

Why just girls? They are just as pointless for boys!

What are the reasons beyond your control?

He’s surely not grown through three blazers in a year.

If he’s losing them then you don’t have a uniform problem, you have a DS problem....to quote an old mumsnet favourite

@bookmum08 Yes they do melt. I had a ceremonial bonfire for my (much hated) school blazer and it just shrank into a melting mush before we were all overcome by the fumes.

Come to think of it - it’s amazing most school uniforms meets the health and safety requirements for practical science experiments?

bookmum08 Wouldn't she need a hoodie to wear outside at breaks in the winter without either blazer or jumper?

I'd like a choice of either with button up shirts, or ideally polo shirts with a choice of sweatshirt or zip up jacket.

@timesareachanging

What are the reasons beyond your control?

He’s surely not grown through three blazers in a year.

If he’s losing them then you don’t have a uniform problem, you have a DS problem....to quote an old mumsnet favourite

The Op says that the child has had to moved schools, rather rude to ask the reasons

Blazers and ties are so out of touch with the real world. And total torture for some young people.

My DD is autistic, and one of the reasons she won’t be going to secondary school is the uniform. Polyester Blazer. Tie. No jumper. Bonkers.

She’s going to an alternative arts academy instead. She can wear what she wants there and discover who she is via a strength based individual curriculum.

To me, the cookie cutter cheap and nasty uncomfortable uniforms are representative of everything negative our education system has become. Forcing everyone into a box. A crap one at that.

Branded overpriced gear and overly strict obsessions with tie-size adherence whiff of an Academy to me. Little mini-businesses - profit first, salaries for the CEO next, kids somewhere at the bottom.

If you didn’t have to spend money on uniform, your child would still need clothes for school. Not many would be happy with Primark or H&M so you’d definitely be spending a lot more on the ‘right’ brands, the ‘right’ names and the ‘right’ styles which would undoubtedly be the ‘wrong’ name by the end of the year or even term.

But at least you would get decent wear out of the clothes - you wouldn't be faced with having to replace perfectly good clothes that have only been worn for a limited period during school hours because your child has had a growth spurt or the school has decided to change its uniform totally arbitrarily.

Other countries manage fine without school uniforms without parents having to spend a fortune on branded stuff. If they choose to do so, they can hardly complain. What tends to happen in practice is that the kids all end up going in in jeans and comfortable shirts and tops most of the time, maybe changing to shorts and cotton dresses and skirts when it's hot. So much more sensible.

On “non uniform” days at DDs school they all just wore jeans and hoodies and it looked so much nicer and more appropriate than the tiny skirts and sheer tights of actual uniform.