...to wonder how effective/useful uniforms are at school?

[azert]

I'm from a different country, where children wear their normal clothes at school. There have been talks in my country about whether we should make a change and start wearing a uniform, and some trials in certain regions but it never happened on a national level and I doubt it ever will.

I can see some benefits to the uniform for parents: not having to think about how to dress the kids each day, being able to pass uniforms down to younger children etc. But I don't see many children who love their uniform, I feel like they'd rather wear their normal clothes?

The rules around school uniform seem silly sometimes, and strict about things that are truly not going to be distracting to children's learning. On top of that, the cost of buying uniforms seem to be quite high and on top of that parents have to buy clothes for evenings/weekends/summer holidays and half-terms, so it's like buying two full sets of outfits for each child.

As a parent and as a former teacher, I don't believe it actually does what it's supposed to do, as in put every child on the same level and avoid bullying and comparisons between children whose parents earn more or less money. Kids know these things and talk about them whether they wear uniforms or not, in my eyes it's more about teaching them kindness and respect.

If you're a teacher and pro-uniform, what do you think it brings to children? And if you're against it, why is that?

I'm ready to hear all kinds of thoughts as I don't want to be unreasonable to come from the outside and question a whole system that's been in place for decades!

I think a school uniform is a positive thing and like others have mentioned, it makes things easier for parents. However, I would do away with formal shirts and ties. It’s not necessary, kids can still look smart but they should feel comfortable too.

I like uniform. It makes my mornings easier and seems to work out cheaper, at primary at least. Supermarket polo's & trousers really aren't expensive and even logoed jumpers are only around £10, and last a couple of years and more if you have siblings to pass on to. They only need 2-3 sets for a full year, and no one at school needs to know what cloths they have at home, whereas a kid who only had 2 or 3 casual outfits on rotation would definitely be noticed by the others.

It also makes provision for children who's families are not able to provide, much simpler. The school get second hand uniform donated and can pass it on where it's needed, and no one going to recognise it. Whereas, kids are going to notice if another kid is wearing the casual cloths they just outgrew.

I do wish secondary school uniform was still a polo and jumper though, I don't see any benefit to forcing them into uncomfortable blazers.

Love uniforms. So much easier and cheaper.

My DD went to a uniformed public primary school. It was a school branded polo shirt and navy shorts or skirts. Navy jumpers (sweatshirts?)/hoodies and navy tracksuit pants. A school branded jumper was available. Any socks and shoes as long as they were suitable. It was great. Affordable, long lasting and a thriving second hand market amongst parents.

She’s now at a public high school that doesn’t have a uniform and it shits me. There’s a specific dress code but essentially it has to be sun safe, non-offensive, and coverage from neck to mid thigh. No midriffs, bum cracks, bum cheeks, cleavage or uncovered shoulders. I had to buy a lot of clothes for her when she started. Enough t-shirts to fit the dress code and were durable enough for school, and so that she had variety and wasn’t repeating anything too often. Couldn’t just have 5 suitable shirts and wear them all each week. She’s settled into a rhythm now with what she wears. Thankfully she’s not too bothered about fashion or trends. She values comfort over style.

For the most part the students seem to generally wear shorts and t-shirts in summer, usually sports brands or a print, but generally in black. In winter they tend to be in jeans or tracksuit pants, t-shirts and hoodies. The hoodies are usually sports brands or dark.

It helped cover the childcare. I would have been stuck if they'd refused to go!!.

Unfortunately if it had been voluntary then DC genuinely would refuse & would just sit on screens.

I was never allowed brands or "trendy' stuff when I was at school and it really did hurt. Obviously I was forced to go but constantly teased & felt like an outsider. Like most parents I wouldn't want that for my kids & very glad that they have quite a strict school uniform.

Totally agree with you. But the requests from children can get pretty annoying so I'd much rather get the uniform and see more positive points for uniform.

My children also agree.

You or anyone else can have your opinion too.

@Serencwtch how old is your child? If it was for childcare then I'm guessing under 12 or so.
A 12 year old should be able to understand about finances and "sorry but I can't afford those shorts" should be all you have to say.

@Anywherebuthere of course everyone will have different opinions but among all these comments I have yet to see an actual answer of a positive other than "I don't have to buy my child expensive brands".
Which you don't have to do anyway.

Not always the case.

We have two local high schools. The children from there seem to look the best in perfect uniforms.

Both schools require improvement and have high staff turnover. Both have not had the best GCSE results for a few years yet either (it could well be attributed to the covid years). Both schools have a poor reputation. One is well known for its poor handling of bullying. A HT who is strict on uniform doesn't necessarily mean they run a good ship.

Maybe where you are in Scotland it's like that but in my area of Scotland badged blazers, logos on jumpers and school ties.

I hate the current uniform style, my daughter finds it really uncomfortable. I also have no idea why it is based on the male office dress code of shirt, tie, blazer.

It is all about window dressing. You can easily have a uniform where everyone has a collective identity, without making kids all dress like men.

@Needmorelego You'd think !! 🙄

I like basic polo shirt, joggers, jumpers. Unbranded is ideal. I do not understand why shoes/trainers should be black. I do not understand why PE kit has a Tshirt instead of polo and different colour joggers. I really don't understand people putting kids into hard trousers when joggers are allowed. I don't understand why school sweatshirt necks are so small.

I would be happy with non uniform. I'm ok with max one branded item; sweatshirt OR polo. Kids who can walk should be able to run in footwear. Single uniform for normal or PE. No other rules.

I've been to both uniform and non-uniform schools and so has my daughter. Definitely prefer no uniform. It is so much easier and pleasanter for everyone.

DH always says when the school he works at cracks down on uniform it has a huge positive impact on behaviour across the school as it shows the kids they can’t get away with little things so they don’t push the bigger things.

DS is now in high school and for boys where we live it’s all Montirex, Trailberg, On trainers etc and that is far more expensive than uniform so I don’t mind it.

Growing up in benefits from the poor and of my school catchment area, when designer clothing first came into fashion, it was easy to pick out my friends. Thankfully, it was the 80s and being different and not fitting in was acceptable...a lot of my mates were punks and skin heads all through school or into rock....where clothing was meant to be cheap and cheerful.

God knows what it must be like in the current climate of having to conform with your peers

I'm pleased I had to wear a uniform when I was at school. I would have stressed so much every morning about what to wear and how to fit etc. even as an adult I can do 3-4 different outfit changes because nothing is looking right on me! (Even if I felt great in it last week). So just putting on a uniform took all that stress away. I didn't like the strictness around things like nail polish, hair cuts, nail polish etc. those things are silly.

I have lived in a European country though, and the teens/kids are generally more wholesome and stay younger for longer than British kids. So they just dress in very normal clothes. Jeans and t-shirt type style, rather than scrunch bum leggings, tiny crop tops and such. So I don't think it's really an issue in Europe!

I think they're linked. When where I worked had a strict dress code I dressed more outrageous on the days I wasn't at work. If we don't trust our teens to choose appropriate clothes for school then they won't learn.

Uniform itself is fine but the secondary uniforms and rules are absolutely ridiculous.

At my daughter's non-uniform school in the UK, they mainly just wear exactly what you have described - jeans, tracksuit bottoms, T shirts, hoodies. They don't stress about what to wear because they know that what they wear (bar comfort) is the least important thing about what they do at school.

Unfortunately, uniform has the effect of making what children look like an enormously important thing in their lives. Perhaps if you hadn't had a uniform at school you'd be less stressed about what you look like now. You'd probably have got over it aged 11.

Uniforms are outdated, complete waste of time and money.

I'm in France and they are trialling it in one primary school in my region right now. Polo-jumper-trousers for boys, girls the same but can swap out trousers for skirts. Each pupil received a package of four polos, two jumpers and two trousers/skirts - for free. (So that settles the cost argument right there!) The argument is very much to try to erase differences among pupils, as some in this school come from poorer families.

@Okaygoahead I remember reading a book set in France pre-WW2 and all school children wore a sort of black smock over their regular clothes to school. So a sort of uniform.
I've also seen old photographs of nursery/kindergarten age children in France wearing smocks too.
Is it still a thing in French nurseries. There's a private French nursery in London where I've seen the little children being collected and they have those little smocks on.

Yes, it was common until about the 60s to protect everyday clothes from dirt, ink, chalk dust etc. But it hasn't really been a thing for several decades, at least in public schools.

Should be a lot plainer- black jogging bottoms/leggings and a white/coloured polo shirt with sweatshirt and comfortable shoes. High school uniforms are ridiculous. I wouldn't have any restrictions on hair colour either but I think natural/no make up is best.

I had a uniform at secondary school not at primary. At primary I was bullied for wearing the wrong style clothes, at secondary I wasn't. Having a uniform made life a lot easier for me.

For those who hate school uniforms, how do you feel about uniforms for groups like Scouts, Guides, Cadets, etc?
are they OK or should they be abolished too?