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?

• my dd's school I meant to say

I agree with the very simple and comfortable sort of uniform you suggest but not to no uniform at all.

No uniform leads to much more pressure over clothes and embarrassment for people who cannot afford the latest things.

Also, I have noticed that, counter- intuitively, on ‘non-uniform’ days it is more difficult to see individual faces as the mind is distracted by the array of different clothes instead.

Primary school uniforms started to be popular in the 1990s!

I loathe school uniform, though DS2 seems to use his blazer as a pencil case to the point he wants to wear it on non-uniform days. I'm not sure he even opens his bag!

Ds3s school is non uniform and it's so much better.

DS2s school hotly police uniform so any infractions land them in isolation for the day. I understand its about following the rules rather than the rule itself. But IRL there is an appeal process for transgressions, and I think that should be mirrored in school.

I have had kids at school with no uniform and ones with uniform. Uniform takes the stress out of what to wear in the high school years. They're all just the same. Some uniforms are not as nice as others and maybe could use a redesign to be more comfortable or whatever but I am all for uniforms on the whole.

I have also worked in places with no uniform and a uniform and I much prefer uniform so I don't have to think about it.

Yanbu

They have become a way of pricing children out of applying. Not to mention a deterrent for any child with sensory/asd/disabilities and therfore will probably need additional support which costs money , from bothering to apply either.

You cant argue that something is a leveller when walking through the front door costs you hundreds of pounds.

I say abolish logos. When the ability for parents to be able to have their kid not accidentally recognised as going to shithole high , I'm.sure the willingness to spend 30-50 pounds on a blazer will soon be gone.

Either ban uniform or make it 100 percent generic and affordable. Blazers are available in asda fir a tenner.

It should also be practical. All these layers required just to make each item remotely usable is ridiculous. You only need a blazer cos the shirts are see through. You only need tights because in order to fit anyone skirts have to he sized down if leaving th.too short etc

My DS's school is uniform-free. There are so, so many reasons why I love this. I'm now fairly passionately opposed to the concepts of school uniforms, having observed the benefits of seeing children being able to express themselves and accept each other every day.

Nope school uniforms are excellent and avoid an awful lot of problems. They should be 100% compulsory.

i have to wear a uniform to work as does dh so I don’t see any difference to school children

By that logic, I don’t have to wear a uniform at work so don’t see why schoolchildren should.

My daughter has just started at a SEN school. No uniform except an optional polo. 95% of the children seem to wear trackies, t-shirts and hoodies with trainers.
They are comfortable. They are happy.
My daughter has autism and the formal shirt, tie and blazer she had to wear before (even at her primary) - you could see how it was almost causing her physical pain. She was always bunched over.
Now she is practically skipping to school in her comfy clothes. It has made a massive difference. It's almost a miracle when I have watched her suffer in the past. Suffering because of some stupid clothes.
If schools want to have a uniform they should just have it that there is a choice from polo shirts, t-shirts, shirts or blouses, trackies, skirts, trousers, shorts, leggings.... whatever the child is most comfortable in but in a specific colour and bought from the 'school uniform' section of shops. The options could include a blazer and tie so if
a child really has the strange desire to want to wear a blazer and tie then they could choose that option.

School uniform should stay - but does not need to be how it is now.

I say this as a low income working parent - I can't afford to dress my children in the 'right' clothes 5 days a week. It's bad enough on non uniform day when my kids come home crying because they didn't have the right trainers or 'you wore that last time' comments.

It could just be black leggings and a plain white t-shirt. But it should stay.

Those who don't have a problem generally don't have an income issue buying clothes!

I bought high quality shirts, tshirts and skirts for my daughter and she was comfortable and happy. She loved her uniform and I think the principle of smartness is useful and important when done well. Where we holiday in Europe the children who don't have uniform are dressed very well and I don't think it would be like that here if we allowed no uniforms. As for joggers bleugh - just so people can feel relaxed about their expanding waistlines (or those of their children) and look like they are wearing nappies. No thanks. I think the uniform could be better but not into the idea of them being able to wear joggers etc. When they're not playing school is for pulling yourself together and focussing, that's where the uniform comes from.

Surely having the name of the school emblazoned on uniform is a safeguarding issue anyway ? I might not want members of the public knowing which school my dd attends !

I would happily see ties and blazers abolished. Completely pointless. Hardly any office job staff wear them now so why make children wear hot and restrictive clothing? In our city the top performing state schools are girls grammars, the only schools that do not require ties and blazers but get the highest exam results. It was great when the secondary kids had to wear PE kit to school 'because CoVID', a uniform that identifies their school but is comfortable to sit and work in. Ties and blazers in chemistry class is just bloody daft.

I am professionally qualified but chose a sector where strict dress code is not required, same with DH who wears jeans to work in his highly technical work place. In real life adults can choose a career with strict uniform or not. Making school kids wear blazers, polyester shirts and ties when they may never need to in their careers is ridiculous.

I'm half with you I think OP. Agree with uniform, agree about restrictiveness, but think you need to go a little bit more than you seem to suggest. Ties and shirts no, but trousers or skirts yes. Leggings and joggers are in my opinion lazy clothing for too many people, and for those without sensory or motor skills issues, I think encourages obesity or normalises it.

And men in joggers look disgusting largely, I don't want to see how inadequately endowed they are.

@Needmorelego this is the issue with my daughter. She's in mainstream and they won't bend and let her wear comfier clothes even though they are well aware of her sensory issues. We have appalling mornings where she rails against even attempting to put her uniform on some mornings.

I love school uniform! I never have to think about what DS will wear, the garments are cheap and durable, and although I had doubts about the small middle-aged-man trousers, they don't hamper DS in any way.

Secondary uniforms seem to be overpriced, but that is a poor choice by the school.

Personally, I hate polo shirts etc as uniform items- to me these are casual wear and not suitable for a work environment (which is what a school is). Smart uniform contributes to a professional environment and work ethic.

Nope, the only professionals in a school are the ones not wearing uniform!

I prefer school uniform however I do wish it was cheaper as I have 4 children so it’s very expensive unfortunately my children don’t like wearing the non branded jumpers and ask me not to send them in jumpers from the supermarket. All of the children wear the proper school jumpers so they don’t like standing out as not being able to afford the proper uniform logo so I imagine no school uniform would be even worse!

Some of you might find this Interesting:

cpag.org.uk/cost-of-the-school-day

I think school uniform does act as a leveller. However, I am concerned at logo clothing for schools ( ironically often more the case when there are polo shirts and sweatshirts). It makes the clothes very expensive. Surely the solution is to go back to standard shirts, jumpers ( not a massive fan of blazers) but sell school badges to sew or glue on the jumpers. We had that at school and it worked well.

I have two children with sen one cannot wear "correct" school uniform his stress levels at being mainstream mean he is no longer wearing boys school trousers he is wearing girls Jersey trousers he cannot wear shirts he wore one once and cried the entire school day point blank refused it the following day so he has an adapted school uniform his brother on the other hand wears a uniform fine BUT he cannot and will not remove his blazer or undo his top button this means he has been sent home for fainting on hot days he struggles massively on non school uniform days because its school and he should be in uniform he has also been known to wear his school shoes to school on non school uniform days because not wearing uniform gives him anxiety if he went to a school where everyone wore joggers tshirts and trainers he would adapt what he cannot adapt to is occasionally not wearing uniform

School uniform is the bane of my existence

I also really loathe the snobbery that having a job that requires smart dress is a superior choice to anything else. I don't think schools should be reinforcing that either.

I used to be very pro uniform and my dc are now grown up. Their primary uniform from age 4 was collar and tie. Initially it was just a navy jumper or cardigan and it was badged when the dc were arriving in a variety of blues and fleece, etc, and I entirely took the heads point because the children looked unspeakably scruffy. What did irk me though was the expectation that a 4 year old wear a collar and tie when staff turned up in spaghetti straps, tee shirts and flit flops/trainers.

Both DC had very nice uniforms at secondary but they were expensive - blazers £100 plus. Funnily enough the teachers in the independent schools reflected the formality of the children's uniforms.

However the older I get the less important I think it is and I think French children in jeans, sweatshirt and trainers look immeasurably better than their British counterparts in a polyester blazer and tie, with skirts rolled up to show off an expanse of bare leg down to ankle socks and ghastly shoes. Not an attractive look nor a potentially professional one.