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Original poster

I'm 'against' school uniform is anyone else??

206 replies

zazas · 06/02/2006 13:41

Recently at my DD and DS primary school the majority of parents voted to introduce a uniform. Unfortunately I am in the minority! Is there anyone else who feels strongly about this subject.....I don't want to loose perspective but I really don't want my children wearing a school uniform! Give me your views please.

OP posts:
Rhubarb · 06/02/2006 14:55

atm I'm struggling to find anything decent for dd to wear to school. Don't want the kids making fun of her, so most of her trousers are out as they have holes in them or are too short, as are most of her jumpers. She desperately needs new clothes, but not easy to go shopping when you live in the sticks! Anyone got any clothes they can throw my way?????????

Caligula · 06/02/2006 14:56

Yes that's true Twiglett. ATM my DS is 6 and doesn't care what he wears, but I suspect that by about the age of 8 or 9 (for DD anyway) she might have some strong opinions about it.

sparklymieow · 06/02/2006 14:56

what size are you after rhubby??

Caligula · 06/02/2006 14:56

I don't like impractical school uniforms. Like one which someone described the other day, where boys had to wear shorts in winter. Ridiculous.

JonesTheSteam · 06/02/2006 14:56

How old is she Rubarb?

JonesTheSteam · 06/02/2006 14:57

Meant, what size?

Twiglett · 06/02/2006 14:57

DS's school jumpers are £6.50 (choice of red and blue) and the rest of his uniform is the standard polo shirt (white, red or blue) & charcoal trousers

so its uniform but choice of colours

I lurve it .. so simple

Spidermama · 06/02/2006 14:58

I HATE school uniforms. They send out the message that individuality is discouraged. They are in deliberately ugly colours (grey, bottle green, navy, black etc) and in horrible fabric (teflon and nylon).

I'm furious that my kids have such beautiful clothes which they hardly wear because of school uniform. I also hate processing ugly clothes in nasty fabrics through the wash. It makes me feel like a cleaner, not a mother washing fabrics and colours which I'vbe chosen out of love for and knowlege of my kids.

For those wishing for a career in the army or in MacDonalds however, it's great practise in how to blend in and become a number.

Aloha · 06/02/2006 14:58

And my ds would need a complete fresh uniform every day.

Rhubarb · 06/02/2006 14:59

She takes a size 6. She's 5.5. But we live in France before you offer to post anything! I would reimbourse you however!

Rhubarb · 06/02/2006 14:59

Reminds me Aloha, wonder if those trousers are still doing the Mumsnet rounds?

Aloha · 06/02/2006 15:00

I hope so!
The idea of my ds's clothes surviving lunch let alone anythign else makes me laugh.

Theheadmaster · 06/02/2006 15:01

spidermama
caligula
zazas
see me after school

JonesTheSteam · 06/02/2006 15:01

Sorry Rhubarb, DD still in size 5 at the moment, but at the rate she seems to be growing, you never know!!!

Original poster
zazas · 06/02/2006 15:02

Spidermama - those are also my feelings as well - having spent some time thinking about this I was suprised how emotional I was about what my children wear. By the way I don't spend a fortune - our local second hand sale once a month is brilliant - basically nearly anything I buy seems to come from a sale!

OP posts:
motherinferior · 06/02/2006 15:04

Well here in the Inferiority Complex clothes are cheap (H&M, Sainsbury's Tu, that sort of thing), put out the previous night, put on in the morning, er, that's it. It really does not appear to be the debauched fashion-fest you imagine. And it doesn't appear to have hampered her education, either.

Spidermama · 06/02/2006 15:07

The 'social leveller' argument cuts absolutely no ice with me. Kids are not stupid. They make judgements based on all sorts of subtle criteria -Not just on clothes.

Forcing small children into uniforms is an outrage IMO and I'm constantly amazed and depressed that so few people agree with me.

Rhubarb · 06/02/2006 15:09

I would have agreed with you, before dd went to school, but read my posts and they tell you why I now wish she had a uniform.

harpsichordcarrier · 06/02/2006 15:10

I HATE to see primary school children in school uniform
I am not keen on older children either
I agree wholeheartedly with Spidermama on this
school uniforms are universally revolting and utterly without purpose except to create a whole raft of STOOOOPID rules

Spidermama · 06/02/2006 15:12

Ah Harpsi we meet again.
What a marvellous and eloquent post. It's also right of course.

harpsichordcarrier · 06/02/2006 15:14

oh yeah and PHOOEY to the social leveller argument
as one who spent several years in the wrong size/shabby/almost uniform with cheap shoes and a dodgy haircut, I can tell you it takes more than imposing an arbitrary dress code to iron out social inequalities

Rhubarb · 06/02/2006 15:15

Ok, so I hand over to you dd in her too short trousers with a hole in the knee to be paraded in front of her oh so fashionably dressed schoolfriends and then you comfort her when she cries because they laugh at her and her clothes specifically.

As I said, I used to agree but now think it would be better if uniforms were implemented here. Let me also direct you to the teenagers who are shunned by their peers for the crime of wearing fake designer clothes!

Your argument is a good one, but only if you are prepared to listen to the other side too.

Spidermama · 06/02/2006 15:18

I've read your post rhubarb and I still don't think lack of uniform is to blame. This attitude reveals a deeper malaise. Children will find other ways to vent these characteristics if they want to. Oh how simple it would be if clothes could be blamed for these unpleasant attitudes.

Aloha · 06/02/2006 15:19

Oh bless her Rhubarb. They sound very nasty little girls who need a few things pointed out to them. Remind me how old is she?

noddyholder · 06/02/2006 15:23

Many an artistic creative dresser has been borne out of the need to adapt and customise school uniform