Should the government introduce a scheme to help families afford school uniform?

[Darcey123]

A government e-petition has been set up which, if successful would help ease the burden on parents of buying school uniform but what are your views? Read all about it here: epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/65790

all I am saying is that some people should get their priorities right. No wonder so many children have a poor attitude to school when their parents are moaning about the cost of school uniform.

You obviously missed the posts linking to research showing that school uniform has no effect whatsoever on children's performance at school.

Maybe our priorities are for our children to get a good education and learn something, rather than blindly following arbitrary and pointless rules. It would be a mistake to assume that parents who complain about school uniform are uninformed or poorly educated, or that they or their children have a poor attitude to education.

There is no faff with school uniform. That's what a kid wears, five days a week. No arguments, no decisions.

Why do British parents assume that their DCs are so incompetent? Do they imagine that the rest of Europe's DCs end up going to school in their pants because they cant work out what to wear?

Non uniform days are not an indicator of how things are when not wearing uniform is normal. It quickly settles down.

Teenagers manage to select clothing to go out with their friends at the weekend, which suggests that the task is not a particularly difficult one.

Our primary school has just sent out a parent survey to ask if they want to switch to logoed jumpers and summer polo shirts. I am really hoping the consensus is no.

DS has permanently stained two cheap, white polo shirts in the last two weeks. At £2.50 a pair from Tesco I can afford to bin them. If they were the logoed ones costing the anticipated £6 each to replace, DS would have to wear stained shirts until the end of the year, which would look decidedly less smart than a clean, non-logoed shirt wouldn't it?

For primary school uniforms I always bought them from major stores and most of them are very good quality and last for years and still can pass on to a younger child or give to the school for nearly new sale. However I always spend a lot of money on school shoes to ensure they are sensible and comfortable. I am a great supporter in school unforms and for the same reason I think school uniforms should be more affordable and comfortable to wear. Imagine wearing a blazer all day under this hot weather!

Incidentally, I wouldn't sign the petition either. I don't think the answer to unaffordability is government subsidy. It would be easy to limit the cost.

I'm really interested in the non-uniform idea though. We governors discussed the option recently, we all agreed that children don't need to be in uniform to be ready to learn but rejected it as we were concerned about the peer pressure aspect. Is it really the case that this isn't actually an issue?

I won't be signing, what about all the other things children need - shoes, sun cream, hair cuts... parents need to budget for them.

We need a petition to get rid of uniform imo.

I would sign a petition to get rid of school uniform.

I do not like the non school uniform idea as the kids already spend too much time to worry about their hair styles. I don't have problems with the primary school uniform policy. I really wish the secondary schools can do the same so more affordable and comfortable. The money can spend on other more useful learning tools eg tablets or laptops or good quality school bags and shoes.

sunsout millions of school children all over Europe manage school life without uniform. And yes, teenagers worry about their clothes and their hair, that's part of being a teenager.

There's a simple solution, since you are the parent: You insist that school clothes for the next day are laid out the night before and then worn. If morning dithering about clothes make your child late then they take the consequences. They'll soon learn not to faff about and indulge in indecision.

Are UK children really such indecisive wimps oppressed by peer pressure as compared to their counterparts elsewhere? I hold them in more regard than that.

Pointy I don't think it is to do with UK or non UK kids. It s more to do with different personality of each individual kid and parent. Some people feel more peer pressure than others both kids or adults. For my dd2 your suggestion will work but not for my dd1. However my both DDS are very independent I don't involve in what they want to wear everyday and I don't want to either.

I'm a huge fan of school uniform for a number of reasons -

a) easy for staff to spot 'their kids' on school outings.
b) instant sense of belonging for new children in the school.
c) fewer rows in the morning about what to wear - I envy those with children who are happy to wear any old thing like I was, I have a daughter who is a nightmare over what she wears. Friends of mine in the USA are very jealous of our having uniform for that reason.
d) I do believe it improves discipline in schools - and helps foster a sense of pride in the school for pupils.

What I do think needs regulating is the uniform that is expected in state schools - especially primary.

If schools want logos then they should offer woven badges that can be sewn/ironed onto generic jumpers/cardigans etc and iron-on transfers for t-shirts. Things like blazers at state primaries are ridiculous and unnecessary and frankly there is nothing more scruffy looking than untucked shirts and half-tied ties - polos are far more practical and look better.

DD's school have a uniform of red polos, navy pinafores, skirts or trousers (no leggings or jogging bottoms), red cardigans or jumpers, red/white/navy socks and tights and black sensible shoes. Optional red gingham dresses in the summer.

There are logo'd sweatshirts and polo shirts available but they are optional. Only thing they do all have are the logo'd red book bags that were £3.50.

PE kit is white t-shirt and navy shorts/jogging bottoms. Logo t-shirts available but optional.

Checking the Asda uniform prices:

3 x pinafores - £15
3 x gingham dresses - £12
6 x polos- £7.50
3 x cardigans - £12
6 x tights - £10
7 x socks - £2.50
1 x jogging bottoms - £4
2 x white t-shirt - £5

Not including shoes, that is a total cost of £68 for a whole year's worth of clothes - and not everyone will need 3 of everything, neither does it need to all be purchased in one go. I honestly don't think you can dress a child for that much of the year for much less than that.

If you buy everything on the large size it may well last longer than a year. DD's gingham dresses are around mid-calf this year but should be knee-length by next year.

I cut the name-tapes out and donate all DD's 'grown-out of but still in good nick' uniform to the school - either for 'accidents' with the little ones, or that can be given to parents who might be struggling.

sunsout your arguments make no sense. You're basically saying 'some children don't cope with peer pressure and decision making, so we should have uniform.'

I'd rather my children - irrespective of personality - learned to cope with peer pressure and decision making. They're going to have to do a lot of that in later life, after all.

Signed.

I don't have a problem with uniform if the school allows you to buy it anywhere. If I could get it all from tesco or asda that would be fine.

What I do have a problem with is that in our area, South norfolk, despite being state schools they all seem to require you to buy logo'ed sweatshirts, polo's and even a certain type of trouser and pe logo'ed tops etc from their own supplier.

Dd is moving up to high school and despite saving hard I now have to find an extra £60 for the new orange and black pe logo'ed kit that she now needs that they have just introduced! - after I had already saved and they have now made it compulsory just this last month!

I have already spent £70 on the rest of it.

I would give anything to be able to just buy an off the peg red jumper from asda for £5 or so. It's £21 a sweatshirt here.

The school my two are at now is great, standard colours, can be bought at any supermarket. Ones with the school logo are available but it's made very clear that they are optional.
However, one goes to a new school in September, a state school. Non-standard colour trousers are needed, white shirts rather than polo shirts, PE kit all with the school logo on and it's all only available from the school. I've spent the best part of £300 on uniform :(

I like school uniforms but just don't like the blazers and ties for primary or secondary. Blazers are restrictive, impractical, expensive and too hot for summer. If some things children have wear everyday than they should be at least practical and comfortable.

And yet pyyrah children in the rest of Europe manage without school uniforms:

• on outings in other countries I have seen children in brightly coloured tabards or sashes. So far as I am aware other European countries are not awash with misplaced school children
• why the need for a row without school uniform? All of my DCs managed to open the drawer, look at what was in the drawer and put that on. So what if they want to go to school dressed as batman? So long as they get there.

Why does school uniform improve discipline? Show me the evidence.

Cheap uniform from Asda or wherever only works if your school colours coincide with what is on offer in the supermarkets. Many dont.

Polyester in whatever colour is not a suitable fabric for teenagers.

I share Fairylea's point totally. Many of us have good reasons to like school uniforms. Why should our kids not to have school uniforms only because other European countries don't have them.

I share Fairylea's point totally. Many of us have good reasons to like school uniforms. Why should our kids not to have school uniforms only because other European countries don't have them.

I share Fairylea's point totally. Many of us have good reasons to like school uniforms. Why should our kids not to have school uniforms only because other European countries don't have them.

Oop! Sorry touched the send button too many times on my phone.

No. Uniform is a pointless expense and an anachronism. A dress code, which gives DC more leeway for self-expression, costs less and teaches DC how to dress appropriately in the 21st century would be much better.

Bonsoir well said. Our secondary has a dress code for 6th form. It's very simple: You can wear what you want, with a few exceptions:

• No ripped clothing
• No slogans on T-shirts ( that way you don't have to argue about what constitutes 'offensive' text)

If you want to be a prefect or Head Girl/Boy you will need to wear a business suit, but that's your choice. When you grow up, you soon learn what is appropriate attire for particular occasions. Turn up for a job interview in a sarong and flip-flops, fail to get the job, learn the lesson. You don't need 13 years' training.

Many schools in Europe have very similar dress codes. Since they don't seem to be struggling with breakdowns of law and order, lower educational standards than the UK and hordes of lost children, I would respectfully submit that there are actually no good reasons to have school uniform. There may be reasons, but when held up to scrutiny, they are not good ones.

I don't have a problem with school uniform if it is affordable.

My dc school uniform is dark purple. So not easy to get generic jumpers/cardigans, so I have to pay £11 per jumper and £16 per cardigan. If their uniform was red/yellow like other school in the area I could get them from Asda for £6/8 per item.