Primary School closed bubble expected to wear school uniform at home for video calls

[BrainAyche]

YABU - they should wear school uniform at home for video calls
YANBU -let them wear their own (appropriate) clothes for home learning

My primary age child's school bubble has closed. They'll be having some video calls/lessons with school, and he's just told me they will have to wear uniform for the video meetings.
AIBU to think that is a bit daft? Unnecessary? OTT?

While I generally agree that uniform for schools is a good idea, for us personally, it is a faff and not having to nag my awkward child to put it on and hang it up every day would be a tiny perk to the challenging two weeks that is ahead of us.

AIBU to think stuff it, and let him wear what he wants?

[MsEllany]

We’re not quite at this stage yet (but almost certainly will be soon) - I think it’s a good idea. Keep them in the school mindset rather than home.

I think your problems are rather unique to your child tbh.

[MsEllany]

@Comtesse it’s not about discipline and telling them off, it’s to keep them more focused on schooling under difficult circumstances. I doubt they’ll take any action other than ‘please wear your school top tomorrow Jack’ or whatever.

[MoonJelly]

Yet schools all over the world manage to keep their pupils focussed without any uniform at all.

[IndieTara]

My child's school has been closed for 10 DST with online classes via Google meet.
They all have to wear uniform

[ohnothisagain]

@MoonJelly these kids are used to not wear uniform, plus not having a uniform has significant disadvantages (i went to school in a country without school uniform - most schools have a dresscode as well, so we mostly changed after school in non- school clothes anyway)

[Bear2014]

Seems bizarre to me. Our DD chose to wear her uniform a bit in lockdown but their 'uniform' is literally a school tshirt with normal clothes. I think it's pointless to get them into a full uniform for home learning.

[LynetteScavo]

I'd be so grateful my child was at a school willing to do live lessons I'd happily go along with it. I'm not keen on uniform, but if a school has it I'd have no issue with them requesting this.

[SahmedOut]

these kids are used to not wear uniform, plus not having a uniform has significant disadvantages

What are these disadvantages ohnothisagain? If they are so severe, it seems a bit strange the rest of the world hasn't cottoned on yet.

Our only requirements are that the Dc are dressed suitably. I.e. if it's raining we can send them in wellies and waterproofs, if it's snowing we can send them in snow boots and ski clothes, if it's sunny we can send them in shorts and a t-shirt and a sun hat. The only thing that is actually specified is no flip flops if your child has PE that day.

[iVampire]

I think it’s a really good idea to put some school rituals round school-at-home

[DietingSnorlax]

DS has been told that if he has to do home learning it will be via Teams but his video will remain off due to safeguarding reasons.

I don't really understand how schools can have different set ups with videos lessons, surely it's either a safeguarding issue or not?

[Jellycatspyjamas]

This sounds like a school with excellent high standards and I’d hope the headteacher would take strong action against any parent who refused to co-operate with the school’s policy on wearing uniform.

Really what “strong action” do you think she could take against a parent in their own home? Some teachers/head teachers are so bloody full of their own importance they forget who the actual parent is.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Might work to put them in the school mindset, not and unreasonable request and we would go along with it.

[onlyreadingneverposting8]

Some of these responses are bizarre. My children attend permanent internet school. I've yet to see inappropriate clothing (children based all over the world). They may be in pjs, not noticeable to me - but the idea that clothes make you ready for learning is frankly ridiculous. A child who is motivated, confident and enjoys his/her lessons will learn affectively. My 14yr old does virtually all his lessons (camera off as seems the way with the teenagers) in his pjs and is doing far better than he was in his state comprehensive. He's more relaxed, more confident and contributes more to the lessons.

[ineedaholidaynow]

@onlyreadingneverposting8 does your 14yo get dressed during the day if wears pjs for most of his lessons?

[UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme]

I wonder how my children, amd all the other children in the country we live in, tell the difference between school time and home time given we have no school uniforms at all, ever.

I used to teach in the UK and trot out all the ridiculous arguments in favour of school uniforms. I moved abroad 14 years ago and have teenagers of both sexes in the non uniform school system here. It turns out though, that children in school systems without uniforms actually spend vastly less time thinking about and being distracted by clothing than children in uniformed schools in the UK..

School uniforms achieve pretty much none of the things they're creditited with.

[WeAllHaveWings]

but the idea that clothes make you ready for learning is frankly ridiculous

Even adults on this thread say they feel more in work mode when wearing work clothes, I wouldn't dismiss the potential positive impact of feeling in school mode for some children. If this helps with engagement and behaviour of those children it will help the class as a whole.

A child who is motivated, confident and enjoys his/her lessons will learn affectively.

I am sure teachers would love a classroom full of these perfect children, but that is not the reality for most classrooms.

[nosswith]

Seems over the top for primary children. Agree it should be clothes you would wear were you going out of the house (minus coat) and not nightwear, but otherwise seems not necessary.

More important that the children are on time for their lessons, and parents are asked to allow time to connect to video calls. Don't turn the PC or tablet on at 9am for a 9am lesson.

[pinkbalconyrailing]

yanbu
but I'm no fan of school uniform anyway

[Wibblypiggly]

I’m old school I think. I think it makes sense. It gets them into school mode and out of home mode and instils a sense of discipline and respect.

I’m young and forward thinking in most way, honest!

[SarahBellam]

I would have zero problem with this. At least he won’t have to scrabble around looking for clothes, and it creates a routine of getting ready for learning. He will see his classmates the way he sees them at school - in their uniforms - and ready to undertake classroom type activities. I think the closer they can keep it to the ‘feeling’ of school the less interruption and greater the sense of continuity, the easier it will be for them to slip back into the classroom when they can.

[Ihatemyseleffordoingthis]

"I think it’s a really good idea to put some school rituals round school-at-home" do you? I REALLY don't

[ineedaholidaynow]

@Ihatemyseleffordoingthis why do you think that is wrong?

DS got into school ritual during the summer term, the structure of a live timetable really helped him

[MoonJelly]

Even adults on this thread say they feel more in work mode when wearing work clothes

Really? I feel much more in work mode if I'm comfortable.

I’m old school I think. I think it makes sense. It gets them into school mode and out of home mode and instils a sense of discipline and respect.

Yet, all over the world, teachers have no problem with instilling discipline and respect with no uniform rules at all.

I would have zero problem with this. At least he won’t have to scrabble around looking for clothes

Does he scrabble around looking for clothes in the holidays? Do you?

[TheNoodlesIncident]

My ds has just returned after a 14 day stint in isolation at home.

He freely admitted to me that he found it harder to work because he was at home and not at school. His school had said to wear appropriate clothing but uniform wasn't necessary, and tbh I would have appreciated it if they had stated to wear some uniform as it might have helped ds feel he was in an extension of his school and a better frame of mind for learning. So it might have worked for us, although obviously other children might not struggle with this at all.

We didn't have any video though, although in some classes the teacher turned the camera on so we could see them, our end was switched off so he could only comment by typing in the chat, so if he had been wearing anything silly nobody would have known. In most cases I bet you could put school stuff on above the waist and joggers or similar on below, and job's still good 'un.

(Incidentally, by being able to hear exactly what was going on in ds's classes, I can confirm that disruptive children are evenly divided between the sexes, and I know through hearing the same names in teacher's exasperated tones exactly who the troublesome ones in his classes were. I would be mortified if my child behaved like that in school!)

[ohnothisagain]

@SahmedOut bullying, fashion parade, theft come to mind.
My cousin is a (secondary) school teacher in a not very well off area in my home country, they now have a 5 page dresscode to deal with students being dressed inappropriately. It specifies minimal skirt length (underwear and bum not visible), maximum skirt length (can’t touch the floor), that nipples can’t be visible in either gender, that tops have to have sleeves for boys and girls, that shoes have to be closed, that knickers/boxers have to be fully covered in fabric that isn’t see through, bum cracks need to be covered, hair needs to be tied back for PE and science, hats not to be worn in lessons unless for genuine religious reasons, dangly earrings need to be for PE, ... I‘ve seen it, it’s ridiculous.

A simple (!!) school uniform of trousers/skirt and jumper would be so much easier, and many students are actually asking for it (especially in less well off or mixed areas), but there is and was resistance from older teachers and better off parents that children shouldn’t be uniformed (apparently that they all want to wear exactly the same expensive sports articles and everybody who can’t afford them gets bullied isn’t uniform but just how society works...).
I‘m not a fan of some stupidly elaborate and expensive uniform, but the basic version of supermarket trousers/skirt, shirt, jumper has a lot of benefits.