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 like a uniform, both as a teacher and a parent. I'm not massively keen on the current popular style of shirts, ties and blazers. I'd rather secondary uniform was more like primary uniform with polo shirts and jumpers, preferably with comfy trousers of some sort and trainers. I work better when I'm comfortable, and I suspect teenagers would also work better if they're comfortable.

But I do need there to be some sort of uniform so my DD doesn't obsess over what to wear each day. She would want to wear what everyone else is wearing, which ends up being expensive and causes problems for families with less disposable income. It's already fairly obvious who the poor kids are, we don't need more ways for them to be marked out.

Daughter's primary school doesn't have a uniform and anyone I mention this to cannot get over it. In reality, it's brilliant. People in the UK, and particularly England, are just so institutionalised to uniforms but as pps have said other countries manage just fine.

I love that my daughter's school has no uniform - can wear hand-me-downs or cheap dresses or leggings and no faff on a Sunday making sure uniform is clean. And get this...she has never lost a single item of clothing, even temporarily. I spend far too much time at work trying to return identical, unlabelled jumpers to KS2 children who are all adamant it doesn't belong to them and far too much time talking to grumbling parents, who don't label their children's identical jumpers, about all the uniform their child is missing...

Don't yours smell the clothes to get them back to the right child? That's how clothes are identified at Brownies, and they tell me they do that at school as well. That's not a thing at secondary though.

We got told off at my school for wearing a t-shirt (even a basic white T shirt) under our uniforms. The same uniform needs to be worn from end August (schools go back last Wednesday of August here) to mid July. No consideration for the winter months.

My primary school introduced the uniform in my last year. I say it was 40:60 to those wearing the uniform in my year. Those who are the youngest sibling of their gender, only child or youngest child didn’t bother with the uniform as skirts and trousers were a different colour at high school.

Polo shirts, jumpers and tracksuit bottoms would be ideal for primary, polo shirts, jumpers and trousers or skirts for secondary would be ideal IMO. Ties and blazers are so dated and unnecessary.

I wasn't poor growing up but had a mum who refused to buy me the latest brands or anything fashionable to wear to school. Having no uniform policy in secondary school made my life a misery with constant bullying about what I wore. I'm a huge advocate for school uniform.

I prefer a school uniform, and for people who think it’s a myth that it’s a leveller, I don’t think you understand what kind of clothes I had as a child 🙄.

DD’s school is flexible though because she’s in primary, they get to wear joggers or leggings in the winter which I think is great.

I like uniform too. Children don’t need to be ‘expressing themselves’ through clothes at school. They’re there to learn.

The primary school I work in has a uniform, but no one really cares if children wear trainers or grey leggings instead of trousers. The children as a whole do look a bit scruffy, but they're very happy and the school was recently rated Outstanding. The scruffiness doesn't seem to be having a negative effect on the children's learning.

There are always going to have to be some clothing for safety reasons. Hope earrings and stilettos are never going to be a good idea, but sending kids home because they've forgotten their blazer in the summer, or have the wrong hairstyle is ridiculous IMO.

Have no sympathy for parents who don’t label their DC uniforms and coats with their names. Even a Sharpie or name stamp which you can buy for about £8.

Think seen the most popular names on name stamps in Hobbycraft on one of those rotating metal stands.

A uniform is fine, what's not fine is the schools both primary and secondary in my area , insist on uniforms from one specific shop. The shop in question is extortionate, they should be wearing balaclavas as they serve people , absolute day light robbery. The uniforms are shocking quality and clearly have been designed by someone who'd never seen a human before. You'd buy better quality branded stuff for less.

DT’s went to a non uniform school - usually wore jeans and a hoodie or shorts and a T-shirt. No one was at all interested in what you were wearing. Was so much cheaper than buying impractical school uniform.

@ReceptionTA I don’t get it when pupils are forced to wear blazers in 30c heat when the female teachers can wear summer dresses and male teachers short sleeve shirts. That is torture

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.

That is interesting. My dds applied to an all-girls independent catholic high school here in the US and unlike most catholic schools it didn't have a uniform. Although like most of the other schools - public and independent - it did have a dress code. The headmistress who was phenomenal answered a question about school uniform by saying "we decided our girls should be conversing with their teachers about intellectual and academic topics - not clothes"

My kids have never had a uniform - only a dress code. I do think that a uniform look can be nice - used to love sports day or fun day or whatever when everyone would wear the same t-shirt (and you could offer to buy some extras for the classroom in case kids didn't have one). I think some of the problem with school uniform is almost no one really wears those clothes in adult life now whereas when they were first designed they were just formal wear for kids, same as aand quite similar to formal wear for adults.

My old school also used to have no blazer and I always thought it was such a good thing.
A few years back they introduced one. God knows why. Just more expensive for an unnecessary piece of clothing.

I like uniforms as a concept but a lot of them seem to be outdated and impractical. Wool Jumpers and skirts with a blouse and knee socks, no one dresses like that any more! Weirdly though my dds love their uniform.

I love uniforms, so easy the DC never have to think, they just get up and chuck it on which is super important as we leave the house very early. All uniform we've ever had was second hand too and literally cost pennies.

I don’t know, the last few office jobs I had were also strict on dress codes. Admittedly some years ago, one was a formal suit (funeral directors), others had to be ‘business dress’ (public transport providers) worked for various companies on/off from 2006-2017 and never allowed jeans/trainers/leggings/shorts. I even got some raised eyebrows at my Birkenstocks when I dared to wear them one day! I had a nice pedicure so no manky feet!

Jobs I’ve had since then usually have required a uniform as I’ve been customer facing. We were allowed shorts as long as they weren’t denim or barely covered your bum when we had the 30-odd degree days the last couple of years.

I don't like uniform. It's outdated, uncomfortable and weird.

The claim it is a leveller is a made up justification - uniform is very expensive and requires extra spending, it's a burden.

No, but I lived my life and uniform notwithstanding everyone knew I was poor. I had crap shoes off the market, a cheap bag, bad teeth, the wrong break time snacks, the wrong pencil case FFS. I also had second hand uniform with someone else's name tags in and it was all faded and worn and the blazer was all shiny in places. Trust me, it wasn't much of a leveller.

A uniform means you don’t have to waste time or brain cells on what to wear.
It’s also nonsense that in the adult world don’t wear uniforms. I wear a uniform- the only difference is I chose it myself. But daily at work I wear a variation on the same theme.

Personally - I think it’s good to learn about how we need to dress/speak differently in formal settings to at home.

What I don’t like is when a uniform rule is excessive for no reason eg can’t remove a blazer unless a teacher tells you even if it’s really hot.

Fettes college?

I think uniforms are ok, but I think schools take the rules too far. They are far too picky about it, and in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter. They seem more focussed on exact uniform and overlook the more important issues like bullying etc.
I also think alongside uniform teenagers should be able to express themselves with hair colour etc. There should be room for fun alongside the formality.

Far from being a great leveler, school uniforms are ableist. They do not allow students to adapt to sensory needs.

yes, with sufficient documentation exceptions will be made. However, the pathway to diagnosis is long, often years. In the meantime children are distracted from learning by uncomfortable clothing.