AIBU to question strict primary school uniform rules for children?

[aliumbear]

There are strict rules around what children can wear - in primary school. In fact it is strict in general, Most children wear black shoes and grey sort of uniforms which seem a bit depressing to me for children. They also don't seem comfortable. I must admit I don't really understand why it has to be like that? They could wear a logo but otherwise wear what they want within reason. It is much less strict for the staff who can wear colourful clothes and seemingly whichever shoes.

Most primaries around here aren’t particularly strict (including the big-name private ones). Grey skirt or trousers (can be joggers), white polo, jumper/cardigan/fleece. Black shoes, which can be trainers (and most primary boys’ school shoes are essentially black leather trainers anyway).

As someone who work in a school. Uniforms are way more comfortable and practical than some of the things they choose to wear on non uniform days! Clothes they can't go to the loo in or fasten themselves. Shoes they cant run outside in the list is endless!

I'm all foe the simple uniform or polo tops sweatshirt/cardigan... trousers/skirt/pinafore

We have a uniform, but due to our demographic it is not ‘strictly’ enforced…but…we get children turning up in things that are just not appropriate for school or the weather.( The amount of sequinned sports gear we see on p.e.days!)
And people DO send their kids in expensive branded things, especially coats, then complain if they get mucky, or lost ( god forbid they should put their names in anything!) A huge amount of our day is spent returning things ( or trying to… but no name tags) that are abandoned at break and lunchtime!
On non-uniform days, we get kids dressed as if they’re going clubbing!
But at primary age, it’s the parents that are competitive more than the children themselves!

It's massively helpful to keep it simple. Generic grey school trousers and polo tops can be bought in multi-packs cheaply, can be used over-and-over for successive children if they don't get destroyed by robust play, and are not grieved if they do. Nobody gets to wear an expensive favourite outfit for school and then have a major row because someone spilled red paint on it. nobody gets stigmatised on the basis of the clothes they can afford. No parents have to deal with outfit-related arguments in the mornings.

I personally think primary uniform should be more suited to playing. Young children are so active and playful and that should be encouraged. The uniform we have for PE days would be absolutely fine for every day in my opinion. School logo PE t shirt and school jumper with shorts or joggers and trainers.
Children don’t need to be wearing fancy shoes or suit trousers. It’s not appropriate at all for what children do all day long. It’s also not comfortable.

I went to school in a country with no school uniform. As a child of not very well off parents, it was hell. Not having the “right” clothes and shoes was punished on a daily basis. Costs to parents were enormous.
Both my cousins are teachers in my home country, and apparently nothings has changed. If you don’t have the right shoes, bag, cost, trousers, too (and several of them, changing 2-3 times a year), you are laughing stock. It costs many hundred pounds, several times a year (plus weekend wear, which of course has to be different)