Schools insistence on uniform rules are behind the times

[spanieleyes22]

I know I will be slated for saying this but just reading a thread from a poster who is disappointed that there is not a more formal dress code at work and so many people saying everyone is more casual in offices all over the place and suits are more worn by older people in the city. Yet schools seem to put so much faith in whether a boy keeps his shirt tucked in or how short a girls skirt is. God forbid they dye their hair or have more than 1 stud earring. Isn't it time for schools to loosen up wrt dress code? In the Scandinavian countries there is no uniform. Does this mean their teenagers are wild and don't learn anything. Why are we so hung up on not allowing teenagers to express themselves.

A majority of parents want school uniforms at secondary.

Sorry, I prefer school uniforms. One less thing to think about and they have a lifetime to express themselves. Also helps kids who can’t afford the latest trendy “gear”.

A basic uniform is a great leveller. I was poor growing up, a uniform was a godsend.

It is something that most of the rest of the world seems to manage perfectly well without. My kids were at a non uniform primary school and wore anything. There were never comments about what anyone wore. Now in uniform at secondary and obsessed with labels on shoes and coats.

I'd prefer no uniform but here we are. The local secondary school had trousers, polo shirts and jumpers when I moved here and it always looked really smart and I loved that they kept it comfortable and thought it was great to see school kids without blazers. Then they introduced them in time for DS starting, I'm gutted. All ordered from their supplier too, extortionate

I am fine with there being school uniform as a leveller.

At primary I think it should be trackies, t-shirts and a logo’d hoody. Trainers should be allowed. These are practical, flexible clothes.

At secondary I think a smart casual uniform is fine. Polo shirts with trousers or skirts. I couldn’t care less what length their skirts are or what fit the trousers are. Let them choose what suits them.

This is just such a myth, like the kids don't know who's poor

Bags, shoes, hair, teeth, snacks... There's a million signs.

Surely better to crack down hard on bullying and teach from a young age that such things don't matter!

I like uniforms as an equaliser but wish they were comfier and had better summer versions. The blazer needs to go in the summer. Dd spends every day holding it for no reason other than it’s a rule you have to have it with you.

They should stop the obsession with no hoodies, or at least issue school hoodies.

I loved uniform, hated that we didn't have it in 6th form. Would have much preferred to keep it, blazer and all, throughout. I hated choosing what to wear, still do.

If our nearest school didn't have uniform I'd be looking to drive further to one that did.

I thought academies were more strict with uniform than the schools they were. Especially when schools before they turned into academies didn’t blazers. Mine didn’t. Then for about 12-15 years, dropped the tie. I only wore the tie once for school photos

Talking standard skirt length, make up, shoes (not allowed trainers with coloured bits on them), trousers (not leggings). See pupils going to the academy where I live - girls wearing tiny skirts, trainers got flashes of white and other colours, make up - some girls wear far too much makeup that can’t see the contours of their noses and boys wearing skinny jeans.

I went on my school’s French and German exchanges - mid 90s. They don’t wear uniform but they wore standard clothing. They were not dripping in designer/sports brands like you see British kids on non uniform day. Maybe the trainers.

Why are we so hung up on not allowing teenagers to express themselves

If the only way you can express yourself is through your clothes then you have a pretty poor imagination.

I have no issues with uniform as a basic guide.

I’m completely opposed to draconian rules about labels/brands/hair length and think exclusion and/or punishment for deviation should not be allowed.

I agree. It's strange that school uniform is still regarded as practically essential by so many people in the UK when most of the rest of the world seem to manage perfectly well without it!

It's so much easier to have a uniform, but it should be more practical especially in primary- a specific colour tracksuit bottoms (generic) with a logo's polo shirt and sweatshirt looks smart but is also comfortable for learning.

A basic school uniform is a good leveller for secondary schools.

But I agree that loosening rules regarding hair colour, jewellery (obviously with safety restrictions for PE, Science, DT etc), hair style would be better

I just don’t get this thing that uniform is brilliant for the poorer students, I’ve spent easily double on school uniform than I would of ever spent on normal clothing and that’s not even taking into account uniform going missing, and don’t even get me started on the fact that they have a dress up day every bloody week!

I think primary school uniform for boys in particular needs to be far more comfortable and practical ie get rid of the ridiculous polyester/teflon mini-adult suit trousers and shorts and switch to PE kit sweatshirt material instead.

Girls at our primary can wear floaty gingham dresses and play suits or grey polyester skirts/dresses/pinafore (plus the Teflon shorts/trousers) but the boys are stuck with the bloody awful Teflon crap material all year round which absolutely makes my DS boil in the hot summers that we are increasingly getting.

Basically, I think schools want the public to look at their pupils in their supposedly smart uniforms and be impressed and think it must be a good school etc.

About 5-6 years ago, I was visiting a museum about this time of year in a city about 80-100 miles from me. There was a coach load of pupils from a school visiting at the same time. No idea where the school is. Their uniform was horrible. Light pink shirts, olive green with thin light pink stripes. Blazer was black, olive green and light pink stripes- all same width. Black trousers. If that uniform was at my school, I would have made my parents to enrol me at another school!

If anyone here knows which school I am talking about - surely to god there’s only one school with this awful uniform, please tell me.

I went to school in a country without uniforms. Most of us wished we had them.
I’m also not sure dressing more “casual” in the workplace has been a great thing overall.

Kids wear a uniform because at school you're judged on your attitude, personality and effort, and not on the brand of clothing that your parents can or cannot afford to buy you.

I'd be interested to know if countries that don't wear uniform have the same culture judging those on what they wear.

Non uniform days for some kids are VERY stressful!

It's not about the clothes though

Chosing a hair style, hair colour, jewellery are outward ways of expressing who we are which strict uniform rules hinder

Although, yes, clothes are also how we express ourselves. It's not a lack of imagination. It's well known. Hence subcultures like Emo, Goth, Chav, Kawaii, Lolita etc are all recognised by clothing

Simple uniform is fine.

Insisting on several pieces of over priced tat from one specific shop in town is archaic.

Given that this argument has been going on for decades, it’s not clear what times schools are behind. I predict it will go on for many decades more.

You lived my life did you?

I like uniforms but not excessive formality. Ties are a bit ott, insisting on lace up shoes is difficult for SEN. There’s too much punishment for untucked shirts (it’s hard on skinny or SEN kids and dishing out detention needs to be reserved for actual wrong doing not style lapses or forgetting pens.