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?

@Shalliornot

That price for one pair of trousers?!? Cheeky sods!

Unless your child is built like giant haystacks I can’t
Imagine how any state school uniform shop can charge this.. what’s on it? Is it literally bells and whistles.

Completely agree. My son has autism and the sensory issues caused by the pe kit and the tie and the jumper are not funny. He's made it through year 7 but he's been uncomfortable every single minute of every day. School would make allowances but he doesn't want to stand out. The uniforms are not designed for child comfort - surely that would be best for child learning??

Other countries seem to cope without uniform but to be fair, it stops all the brand bullying and makes dcs easier to identify in a hurry.

I’ve just bought an entire set of uniform - blazer, trousers, 2 ties, 2 sweaters, sports kit, hoody etc for £50 secondhand. The previous owner only wore them for half a year because of cv19 then grew out of them so they are almost new.

I’ve just got to switch the labels then should be a bargain I hope.

Complain to the school. They are setting the uniform. Our school does not discuss uniform full stop. You don't like the uniform? Their answer is move your child or put up with it. Thing is all the schools in the town have a collective uniform policy there is no choice and no discussion!

Whirlwind she would be over the moon if she could wear a hoodie.
That's another thing I don't get. Hoodie = BAD
Duffle coat with giant hood or hiking style coat with giant hood or even pac-a-mac with giant hood = oh that's fine.

@FlamingoAndJohn

I can’t speak for other areas but in my borough the Academy school prices are the same as the LA schools, and some of the academy schools don’t expect a logo school bag so works out a bit cheaper.

The state LA school that is one of the worst performing in the borough with high FSM pupils has the most expensive for uniform... it’s makes no sense.

I also agree where someone’s upthread said they charge VAT, which is cheeky as it's not exactly a luxury item especially when forced upon the child/parent. I only know of one London secondary state school that doesn’t wear uniform and they are always oversubscribed so unless you live within a 0.5 mile radius you’re stuffed.

@Pobblebonk

Exactly, yes we all have to buy clothes for our kids but in their own clothes they get more wear out of it. I resent paying £43 for a PE kit he wears once a week. Actually if you include the polo top its £58. My gym leggings and tees only cost me £25 in total and that all Adidas or Nike ( I love outlets , lol)

@bookmum08

Whirlwind she would be over the moon if she could wear a hoodie. That's another thing I don't get. Hoodie = BAD Duffle coat with giant hood or hiking style coat with giant hood or even pac-a-mac with giant hood = oh that's fine.

Yes and denim jacket bad but denim style waterproof hiking style jacket - very good and practical. Leather jacket is also evil along with boots - never understood what the hell is wrong with boots in the winter - even ankle boots for boys - nope! Navy tights with black shoes, black tights evil. Boys can wear any black trousers, girls have to wear school branded trousers (so ugly and unflattering only the muslim girls wear them) or branded skirts. Boys can do gym in shorts, girls have to wear a leotard and tights but also need shorts for other sports like hockey because we need a different outfit for different sports - getting ready for sex discrimination early.

The uniform issue is symptomatic of the wider problem with the culture of many modern schools, particularly academy chains. Managerial "super-Heads", remote and non-teaching SLT obsessed with corporate identity and chasing Progress 8 scores at the expense of the children with whom they rarely interact. Heads who know nothing whatsoever about how children learn, think that reducing everything to rote-learning produces better results (it doesn't) and that dressing all the kids up like extras from Tom Brown's Schooldays will magically solve discipline problems. Uniform being used as part of a campaign to force obedience for the sake of obedience - children who have politely asked if they may remove a woollen blazer in 30 degree heat not only refused, but given an official warning for asking.

Uniform is the tip of the iceberg here. I feel relief every day that my two have finished school and are out of the madness.

@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.

Have you gone on local Facebook pages and asked if anyone with a child in the next size up could give you their old stuff?

Have you gone on local Facebook pages and asked if anyone with a child in the next size up could give you their old stuff? The stuff is such poor quality, one year and it looks like shit, the second hand sales market does not exist!

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.

Not if the school band branded clothing.

I agree it's insane.

Mine went to non-uniform high school in the US. They could wear anything they wished bar items with any wording or images that could be deemed offensive to any individual or group in the school.

The teachers were held to a higher dress code. No jeans, revealing clothing, offensive images or words. For the most part they wore business casual, tweedy professor, or young lawyer styles. Unlike BogRollBOGOF's school, formal titles were used.

There was a unisex PE uniform consisting of baggy nylon basketball style shorts and a cotton t-shirt, in school sport colours, available for under $10 in the school bookshop. If you forgot your uniform you could 'rent' one for 50 cents per item for the day.

Kids tended to dress appropriately for the weather, and wore closed toe footwear for labs.

There was no crazy brand name envy because contrary to what happens when mufti day is a special and unusual occasion that must be made the most of, nobody cared at all about clothes.

The cost was what any student or parent was willing to spend, and the clothes were worn at home during the winter and summer holidays as well as in school.

People worrying about expenditure on the 'right' brands, etc - that doesn't happen when kids are used to going to school in their ordinary clothes. Clothes become completely unimportant.

Every year at this time I'm reminded how glad I am that our schools don't have uniforms.

My lot are happy in Walmart, Primark, Target, Old Navy, etc. We sometimes splash out on American Eagle jeans for my two tall skinny kids because they stock extra-long styles.

They're living in shorts and T-shirts over the summer, and they'll go to school wearing exactly the same until it cools down and they switch to jeans and hoodies.

They generally wake up as late as possible each day and throw on the first thing they find.

Just bought it for the first time too for secondary school and has cost around £180 altogether. Ridiculous waste of money. Am frustrated too that I had to buy special tracksuit top, bottoms, shorts and tops. She hates the shorts as they are uncomfortable. They should just let you buy bits like that from Primark or Asda. I am also going to have to buy her a new winter coat as it has to be blue or black and her current one is khaki. I can afford it but am still annoyed at the amount we have to spend. I really feel for people on low incomes, it must be really hard. I have had no info or advice about second hand sales either.

Not many would be happy with Primark or H&M My kids are perfectly happy with cheaper brands - they don't go for flashy designer crap. They go to school on non uniform days in jeans (usually primark and H&M) and a top - often Top shop/New Look/H&M - no drama.

The only advantage to it that I can see is to make it easier and cheaper for parents to dress their kids for school. Yet it has been legally tested in court that schools use expensive uniform to discourage poor families from sending their kids to state schools.

@Shalaalaa

The only advantage to it that I can see is to make it easier and cheaper for parents to dress their kids for school. Yet it has been legally tested in court that schools use expensive uniform to discourage poor families from sending their kids to state schools.

Can you provide any details on this assertion? Legal caselaw judgements etc? And do clarify what you actually mean as to where families you labelled as poor supposed to educate their children? I am somewhat missing your point here. And incidentally are you suggesting that families are too poor to be clothed or too poor to have children? I am confused as to your statements posted. Some clarification would be helpful though I am guessing you are referring to social economic vulnerable families such as overseas refugees etc?

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia Go look it up yourself if you need case law - I’ll help the tears were somewhere between 2002 and 2006 - you’ll find it if you know where to look. Jesus sometimes MN gets ridiculous!

Not many would be happy with Primark or H&M

Not only Primark or H&M, but second hand Primark or H&M here. I have lost count of the number of times I have spotted high school students browsing the racks at local charity Goodwill.

Yes, I agree with you that it's too much! As a single parent I have been panicking about uniform and feeling utterly let down.

I struggle with every day so I fail to see why items of clothing that are cheaper for me should cost more, btw my dd is 13 and in a size 12 at 5"6 inches tall.

Have had to ask parents to help as have had to buy about 200 pounds worth of uniform. Yes it's honestly ridiculous as where you buy the uniform and a percentage goes to the school.

It's unfair on the most disadvantaged and some areas have a uniform grant available, I wonder wether you are entitled op? I am not but I didn't know my dd was entitled to free school meals until I checked the local government website?

I agree on uniforms but the jumpers and logo tops my dd have to have are not worth the money imo!!

22 pounds for a jumper, which is cheaper than most schools however my dd school will specify a certain type of straight leg trouser and skirts with pleats with a certain length which makes it difficult to buy unless you get the school ones (at around 20 pounds for skirt or trousers)

I used to get at primary a Jersey fabric but this is not allowed at secondary from supermarkets effectively making you buy from the school's recommended supplier at twice the cost.

In fact the school supplier doesn't stock my dd's size and I've been looking for ages so she will have Jersey pull on trousers not tailored ones! They don't ever think of parents and practicalities do they?

This summer is the first year I haven't had to buy school uniform, ds will be going in to the sixth form in September & there isn't any uniform. I'm just stocking him up with jeans, T shirts & a couple of pairs of trainers, no spending hours trawling the shoe shops for school shoes in size 11.5HH fitting either. Wearing a uniform isn't to benefit the pupils, it's just to put out a corporate identity for the school.

Jesus sometimes MN gets ridiculous! Not ridiculous at all, @Shalaalaa. Uniform expenses are a huge issue forever and ever, and are worthy of debate. If MNers can dig up the case law and show it to their school/LA, it might help the push to allow generic uniform items that would cost the household a whole lot less.

I'm in Australia, where uniform costs have been a matter of debate for decades and really should have been resolved by now. I do support the wearing of school uniform. At a time of major change in adolescent body and mind, a uniform removes one big question Mon-Fri and encourages parents to clothe their kids properly.

However, if all state schools allowed a range of basics in navy, grey or olive, with a white shirt, a polo shirt for sport and school-specific ties and sew-on badges, it would alleviate a vast, unnecessary expense.

Go MNers! Use your group force and make your LA choose that base colour. Let the schools customise it with a tie or whatever, to minimise the expense and nuisance yet still give their students a point of distinction.