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.

I'd have been so disappointed in that and if our vote hadn't gone to keep the blazer.

All the secondaries round here seem to have blazers. Primaries don't and they just have the polo shirt and jumper option. I'd rather DC had full uniform now but I can wait till secondary!

Not sure where you get the idea that it's only the UK that has school uniform. Lots of other countries have it too. There's a whole world beyond Europe. 🤷‍♀️

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_uniforms_by_country

Do they? I am not against a uniform per se, but I do think the strict uniform rules are really stupid and give teachers something else to do which detracts from actual teaching and learning.

Primary school uniforms are ok when it's just a polo shirt and shorts/trousers/skirt in a particular colour, but the secondary school uniforms with blazers and ties etc are just ludicrous and expensive.

Sometimes I see our local secondary school kids walking home in their PE uniforms and think they'd be fine all the time (with trousers rather than shorts when it's cold!)

My son's school used to insist on shoes that were suitable for a wedding. Why on earth? What's wrong with black trainers?

It wouldn't be suitable in a work environment so it doesn't work in a learning environment either. Not a fan of draconian uniform rules, but not a fan of people letting it all hang out, either. Keep it for the beach and the nightclub, please.

A friend of mine is a teacher overseas where there are no uniforms, and she said they do sometimes have a word with the kids about what they are wearing. No uniform doesn't mean a complete free for all.

I don't disagree with this but why ties and blazers? Why make girls wear skirts when they could be wearing trousers or leggings?

And why are studs a H&S issue when they aren't overseas (PE classes excepted)?

Can't really see the issue with make-up either. You can stop them putting it on AT school but is it any business of a teacher if they put it on BEFORE school? I wouldn't encourage it but I'd rather deal with bad behaviour rather than silly uniform rule infractions.

They seem to have gotten stricter with uniform. When I was at high school in the 00s there were no blazers. We didn't even have to wear the school logo. It was black skirts or trousers, white shirt or blouse, black sweatshirt with or without school logo and any black shoes as long as they weren't trainers or high heels. DS has to wear a blazer and tie.

https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/44393-most-britons-say-schools-should-provide-school-uni?redirect_from=%2Ftopics%2Fpolitics%2Farticles-reports%2F2022%2F11%2F14%2Fmost-britons-say-schools-should-provide-school-uni

Polling here.

I think there's also a perception among parents that schools with blazer type uniforms are 'better' than ones with more relaxed ones, probably because that's what private schools go for.

I'm absolutely of the opinion that uniforms shouldn't hinder kids from working and summer uniforms should allow shorts. It drives me mad that my school doesn't allow them. Also insisting on blazers in hot weather is batshit. My classroom is a greenhouse and so many hours are lost to the kids being too hot in the summer. A sensible summer uniform would help.

Clearly in the minority here as I love uniform. Think it looks exceptionally smart and I do feel sad how casually people dress these days/everyone out and about in tracksuits or going to work in flip flops. I think it’s to have high personal standards and it’s important to teach children to follow rules. Can’t stand parents who need little jemima to break the rules and wear a sparkly hairband.

I also think polos/jogging bottoms look
exceptionally unsmart and support blazers and ties, shirts etc. but again appreciate this is the minority view 😀

And why no ankle boots?

"A sensible summer uniform would help"

I went to an all girls private school in the 80s. Blazers were, and I believe still are, outdoor wear only. Summer uniform in my time was school skirt, white open neck blouse, no tie, and white knee high or ankle socks. Sweater, cardigan or tank top could be worn, but wasn't expected all the time in warm weather. I don't recall ever being too warm in class, although it helped that our school buildings were 150 years old at the time, so cooler than a lot of modern buildings, I think.

I’m happy for dc to have smart uniforms but I’ve never understood ties, especially for girls. Any woman turning up to work in a tie would be making some kind of statement. My office is smart and shared with execs but even they don’t wear ties. However, secondary school dc in polo shirts feels too far the other way (primacy fine but not for secondary).

Nope, all the schools I’ve ever known with blazers wear them all the time unless the school announces “shirt sleeve rule” for summer. It was like it when I was at school and still is now my dc are - totally different schools/regions.

I totally agree with you, OP.

I used to be a big supporter of school uniform but the ridiculous expense of it plus the draconian rules that enforce it to ridiculous levels finally turned me against it.

I now think it should be abolished.

I know, it's bloody stupid, I'm just glad my school was more sensible!

My school building is the opposite of modern and needs demolishing! Boiling in the summer and freezing in the winter. Absolutely useless for learning in.

I think my dses’ school had a sensible middle ground option. There was a uniform, but it was basic - black skirts or trousers, white shirts, a tie and a black jumper, fleece or sweatshirt. All stuff you could buy easily at ASDA and which was easy to wash too.

And no daft rules about not being allowed to take off your blazer or jumper in hot weather unless the teacher gave permission.

Much better than the High school ds1 went to before we moved, where the uniform could only be bought in the school, and cost an arm and a leg - and included blazer, indoor, outdoor PE kit and rugby kit, craft apron, lab coat, school sports bag, expensive rugby socks - the list went on and on. When ds1’s sports kit bag got lost (picked up by accident because it was identical to every other single sports bag in the school, and then dumped randomly when the other boy found they’d got the wrong one) and wasn’t found for months, I had to spend £150+ just to replace his sports kit - I was unimpressed, to say the least.

I'm so glad I went to a uniformed school. We had very very little money growing up and I only rarely got new clothes. I'd have been bullied even more than I already was if I'd had to wear my own clothes.

In one call centre i worked in it was casual wear.
We couldn’t wear:
. Flip flops, sandals
. football, rugby and other sports teams shirts. Fine to wear hoodies and t-shirts of the clubs
. ripped jeans
. clothes showing midriff
. clothes that have offensive words or images . spaghetti strappy tops and dresses
. headwear unless it’s religious

Can you explain why you object to polo shirts at secondary? Genuinely trying to understand

But for most South American countries, 'uniform' is just a housecoat to protect clothes, in China it's a sweatshirt, any uniform similar to UK are mainly in British commonwealth or previous colonies (NZ/Ireland) so its really a British fetish to think dressing kids in synthetic versions of 'office wear' is a good thing

I just think they look really casual. I guess I work in a smart work environment so maybe that impacts my views but I think schools should be a place where dc less different environments require different clothing. Plumber in a polo shirt is normal but a solicitor? No.

But so what?

I haven't heard any reports that solicitors in France who didn;t wear school uniform are turning up to court in jeans.

This is such a weird reason to wear a uniform.

They don't wear scrubs, or chef's whites, or fire officer's uniform, or hi vis.

Why a suit? Just an old-fashioned obsession I think.

I’m in the States and we mostly don’t have school uniforms—I never did. Gotta say though, I think I would have preferred to have them, even though I’m the type who likes clothes. I recall picking out clothes each day taking up an inordinate amount of brain space when I was in Middle/High School. I’m sure uniforms don’t solve the rich girl/poor girl problem, but they definitely solve the problem of kids obsessing every morning over whether they’ve worn this shirt too recently or whether those jeans make them look like they’re trying too hard—the dumb crap kids worry about.

Because to me, a school is a professional environment and I like that uniform is an equaliser. The drama of non uniform days and not being in the right clothes is awful.

That doesn’t mean I think they should be in suits (I’m pretty sure I said no ties or blazers) just smart work clothing.

I went to secondary school, in the 90s, in a country where there was no uniform policy. High school was one great, big fashion show.; it was a lot of fun. My girlfriends and I used to spend ages planning and discussing what we were going to wear into school the night before. One of my favourite outfits was bootcut/bell bottom jeans, a loose peasant blouse and mile high 70s style platform wedges. Pencil thin eyebrows and lots of black mascara completed the look. I was constantly pestering my mom for money for clothes until I got a part-time job to fund my clothes and make-up habit. My DS, on the other hand, is at an all boys’ grammar school. I love the fact that school uniform works out so much cheaper; it costs me around £300 in total, and of that, it’s really the £90 blazer that is the most expensive item. In contrast, two tracksuits, including shoes, for out-of-school outfits that I have recently bought him, have easily totalled £500. School uniform is a godsend.