To think school uniform is a bunch of crap?

[Ahurricaneofjacarandas]

So to be clear, I don't think the principle of uniform itself is crap. However why are we allowing our primary aged kids especially to spend the majority of their childhood in such restrictive clothing?! It's almost always restrictive trousers/dresses at least and some in my area even proper shirts and ties. We have evidence in the importance of learning by moving in this age group. Most kids this age have a degree of sensory processing immaturity. Many even have spd and this is arguably discriminating against these kids. I do understand the importance of uniform and learning to adhere to uniform standards but can anyone give me a reason why the uniform isn't just a simple pair of leggings/joggers and a tshirt and hoodie? Maybe I've overlooked something but it seems to me it's entirely for the benefit of the school and their pockets not the children.. why do we accept this?

Yes, absolutely this.
It's just completely pointless.
Neurodiverse kids find it much easier to wear what they are comfy in too, which applied to my Dd.
Her non uniform school had a couple of rules, no sports colours no offensive logos, and basically clean.
That was it.
Everyone adhered because it was v easy, and parents loved it as it's so much cheaper.
The odd brand name applied to maybe Converse, or DM's, the odd hoody, or band merch t-shirt but kids have them anyway.
It was all teamed with Primark/Asda/ASOS/New Look clothes anyway so nothing outrageous.

All the schools in my area had it in the 70s and 80s. Although my DH said that he wore uniform, but it wasn't compulsory, so a lot of people didn't. My school was quite flexible on what you could wear in the summer.

And I switched schools in what is now Y6 and because I was only at the new school for a term and a half I wore the old school uniform to the new school. I can't see that being permitted these days.

It's a bit insulting to the Australians to say they have stuck with uniforms for colonial reasons a century (or more) after getting self-rule!

Yet for some reason schools - mainly secondary so far in my experience (and not private/grammar) still have very rigid uniform policies and parents still choose to use these schools

there isn't a choice - you get allocated a place and you either take it, go private or home educate. The latter two options aren't a choice for most.

Grrr, just today 7yo DS was worried about his PE kit because his jogging bottoms were navy blue not black - he'd put a whole in his black ones on Monday.

I told him it was fine, they were plain (no logos), and so dark I doubted his teacher would even notice, but if she did to ask her to speak to me about it.

He came out this afternoon and told me that she had noticed and told him that was "one strike", and if he got three strikes he'd lose playtime. FFS! If they were a really bright colour or covered in logos I could sort of understand it - though I'd argue that hardly affects his ability to do PE - but they're plain, dark coloured joggers!

I've sent a message via the school office saying that as the end of term is only weeks away, he will be wearing them till then, unless he outgrows them or damages them, and if that is a problem to please discuss it with me rather than punishing him for what is a parental decision.

What if we couldn't afford to replace them, FFS? Are they seriously going to punish a child for his parents lack of funds?!

Hole not whole!

I was saying this to my 12 year old this morning. On pe days he goes in his school branded trackies, school branded hoody and pe tshirt. I think this should be permanent uniform. It’s comfortable and reasonably hard wearing. But he is at a senior school that doesn’t have a blazer so that’s nice.

let kids be kids fgs.

My children have never worn a uniform. They attended schools aboard where we have hot summers and colder winters. the only rules were no obscene language or inappropriate images on clothing. And that was it.

Practical and comfy clothes were fab in primary. Sweatshirts, long sleeved tops, jeans, cords, sandals in summer, warm boots in winter, trainers etc. T-shirt’s, shorts or summer dresses on hot days.

Funnily never saw a teen complain about wearing a coat! Seems when they don’t have to wear a standard school one they embrace them.

Yep, @Tolson, I am absolutely raising my children to question nonsensical rules, and will continue to do so.

When I read threads like this it makes me so pleased DT’s went through all their school days with never wearing a school uniform. Amazing how well they have turned out?

@Tolson I would far rather a school with no uniform which thoroughly enforced rules around behaviour - including tackling bullying really hard. Priorities, priorities.

Rules around behaviour make far more sense than rules around logos on socks. And if we teach our children never to question rules that make no sense, we will be raising a generation of sheep even more ripe for dictatorship than people here are already.

@Parker231 my kids went through the UK system, fortunately in schools that were not draconian nitpicky hellholes obsessed with style over substance. They've managed to turn out pretty damn good nevertheless.

@Tolson the problem is if the parents have to provide the uniform and for some reason (and there could be dozens) they can't, schools shouldn't be punishing the children. It's nothing to do with questioning rules - it's about life and the fact that sometimes a pair of trackies in a certain colour just can't always be obtained.
On a local Facebook group I am on a woman was trying to get hold of secondhand uniform for her children.
It seems they had moved to the town unexpectedly and quickly and the child obviously had to change to the local school. This is a school that has branded blazer, branded jumper, kilt skirts etc (this is a bog standard not that great academy - not some fancy Grammar).It can only be bought at one supplier. The supplier had none in stock. It was the middle of the school year and they simply didn't have any. There were some secondhand bits at the school but none in the sizes needed.
The school would not let the children start until they had the correct uniform. Their poor Mum was having to cobble the uniforms together from strangers on the internet.
The children probably still had uniforms from their old school. Why couldn't they have worn those? Why couldn't they have worn non uniform. Two children were denied education because their mother couldn't get hold of a stupid blazer and stupid skirt.
That made me feel very angry.

Im a TA and i genuinely think that a generic coloured polo shirt and trousers or a skirt is adequate uniform. The important thing with uniform is to encourage an identity withn and without the school. Too much emphasis is put on badged stuff (which, generally, earns the school and communities nothing financially)
The priority should be on young people who are learning to be presentable and who are engaged with learning.

Im a TA and i genuinely think that a generic coloured polo shirt and trousers or a skirt is adequate uniform. The important thing with uniform is to encourage an identity withn and without the school. Too much emphasis is put on badged stuff (which, generally, earns the school and communities nothing financially)
The priority should be on young people who are learning to be presentable and who are engaged with learning.

@LadyMonicaBaddingham - why do they all need to look the same? DT’s managed to get all A’s wearing jeans and a hoodie.

Then the uniform rules need to be less strict. My DD's school request dark coloured bottoms for P.E. Can be green, grey, black, navy, tracksuit bottoms or leggings. It makes no difference to P.E if they don't look identical!

That's truly awful and goes to show where their priorities lie. I remember feeling so reassured, when my DD started school for the first time mid way through Y1, when they insisted her bright sparkly trainers were fine and to not waste money on school shoes. They put together a couple of sets of uniform from the secondhand shop and p.e kit and gave them to us for free, as well as a water bottle.

The government introduced a bill last year to reduce the cost of school uniforms (it recommended limiting uniform with school logos on and restricting the use of one uniform shop as a supplier so that parents could shop around) but those rules do not seem to be filtering through to schools yet. I like a school uniform but the cost for my child’s (state) school uniform is ridiculously high - she has 11 compulsory items that have logos on - even down to logo PE socks that costs £11 a pair.

Kids here in Germany don’t wear uniforms, and basically clothes just tend to be weather-appropriate. There’s far less emphasis on what children wear and widespread use of second hand clothes.

Why does the government have to spend time on the cost of uniforms when they’re completely unnecessary? Seems like a waste to me.

Thing is, that bill has no teeth. It's still only guidance. There's no provision in it for schools who break the guidance to be tackled, and until there is, schools will continue to take the mick. Part of it is financial desperation - which is down to government and its funding formulas - but part of it is also corruption - sweet deals with uniform suppliers. There's a reason why academies are worst for this sort of thing.

Until this kind of behaviour from schools is punished by an instant downgrade to special measures for any school caught breaking the uniform rules, nothing will change.

And ultimately, parents need to give their head a wobble and think more rationally about this belief that strict uniform = good school. Because it's bollocks.

I don't understand why people choose to send their children to school which requires uniforms, and then moan about their children having to wear uniforms.

Choose? Ha ha that's the funniest thing I've heard. 🤣