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

When out of school my 12 year old stresses about what to wear and asks for designer labels that cost a fortune. I would hate the stress every morning and I do think uniform is a great leveller when all kids wear the same.

What is needed is for schools to limit the amount of logoed clothes excepted, and for manufacturers to keep the price to a minimum.

The school DS is going to only has logoed jumpers and polo shirts but they aren't compulsory and are reasonable prices (2 jumpers and a polo for less than £20)

They should just make it illegal for schools to demand that children wear over-priced clothes. Then the taxpayer wouldn't have to subsidise school's lunacy.

I like school uniform but I hate the costs for all the logo items. We have to spend about £200 on our yr 7 dd. Spending money on equality to make every child being treated the same is not crazy.

The thing is that school uniform has become a kind of short hand for new broom HTs.

There was a swathe of HTs turning round sink schools a few years ago. The tales of how they did it would normally start with saying they had introduced a new strict uniform. This would be accompanied by a photo of new broom HT and head boy/girl in the new uniform.

Of course changing the uniform was not what turned round the school but weak HTs latched onto it. They changed the uniform but didnt make the real changes which the good HTs made. Surprise, surprise these schools werent turned around.

Yes, school uniform policy is a very visible way of communicating change but is of course no guarantee that less visible change has been implemented.

Hence my scepticism about the widely-touted relationship between discipline and uniform when British schools have some of the worst discipline in Europe but are the only ones where uniform is widespread.

"This argument: but try telling your teen that they must be content with an Asda jumper and trousers when all the other kids are sporting Hollister (or whatever). just cuts no ice with me whatsoever. We are the parents, our house, our rules. Teenagers need to learn what things cost and what their household can and cannot afford. Again, parents in the rest of Europe seem to manage this perfectly well."

Hear hear.

I think I hate that argument more than any of the others because it's basically saying that parents who either have crap values (keeping up with the Jones) or who have good values but have failed to unambiguously impart them to their children, need schools to set dress rules to ameliorate that parenting fail. Which unfortunately penalises the rest of us who don't need schools to undermine what we're trying to teach our children about how overpriced clothing with logos on is a crock of shit. Crap argument IMO.

sandgrown 'no' is a full sentence. I have a 13-year-old who knows that if she wants branded clothing, she will have to save up for it. Just like her parents do for big purchases of non-essentials, in fact. She isn't interested in labels though, she and her group of friends view the label-obsessed ones in her school as a bit pathetic...

I must admit I like the fact that my DC have always had tp wear uniform.

It has freed me of at least one decision in an absurdly busy life. I know what needs to be clean and dry and work on autopilot . DC know what they have to wear.

I suspect if there was no uniform, we'd build up an unofficial one of appropriate, comfortable, easy service clothes. So a uniform in all but name...

My DC don't wear uniform - though DD's dress code is quite closely defined - and it really isn't an issue or complicated in any way. I didn't wear uniform from 12 onwards and it wasn't difficult either. Children wear jeans/trainers/t-shirts (no logos usually allowed) and hoodies.

It seems to me most people are sort of prefer non school logo uniforms or dress code that will do a similar job. By the way my DDS really love asda and H&M cloths. They are their favour shops. We don't have designers cloths in our house. They always pride themselves that they got good sense of style with less money.

I like uniforms when sensibly done. I am not sure high schools n Scotland have the ridiculous expense posted on here in my experience high schools here can be mostly from the supermarket with the exception of blazers but I think school badges are still available.

A school local to me has just introduced a uniform ( just black with white shirt and tie, blazers seems optional) and I think it is a massive improvement prior to this the girls looked like they were going on a night out and the boys looked like they had been dragged out of bed and fallen into their awful sportswear. I imagine there were lots of arguments at home about this, there would be if they were my children.

I agree that lots of people don't wear suits to work but most people have to look turned out and professional. If you can convince teenagers to dress smart casual without a uniform well done I think most would resist.

Lots of people wear work trousers containing some polyester in my experience.

Bonsoir no way would teenage girls around here wear jeans, trainers and hoodies.

I like school uniform - it means one (huge) thing less to worry/argue about in the mornings.

The petition is silly imho - children need to wear clothes and uniform is usually much cheaper than standard clothes.

There should, however, be strict requirements for schools not to choose uniform that can only be purchased from one supplier.

Lucked - yes of course they would - if the school dress code basically required them to do so!

Why this weird obsession with dressing teenagers like they are working in an office? Why this overwhelming desire to dress them like they are greeters in a high street building society?

They arent. School is not like any office work I have ever done. In school you are moving from classroom to classroom. Doing art/drama/science/cooking which are messy and require lots of moving around. You will be carrying a heavy bag of books to and from school.

You are also a sweaty teenager.

School is the perfect opportunity to start helping teenagers to learn to dress well and appropriately on a budget. Instead what do people want? They want their teenagers to learn to dress badly.

Offices are changing anyway. Nobody in my office wears a suit or tie. Most of us wear jeans, tshirts, trainers. If there is an important meeting the men would put on trousers and a shirt, I might wear smart trousers or a dress. The only thing that is frowned upon is shorts.

DH works for a multinational and they wear trousers and shirts, no ties or jackets any more.

I don't know anyone who works in an office where bad polyester suits are the norm any more. And who wears a blazer, apart from members of stuffy golf clubs?

Don't forget the op's question! Why does the money has to go through employers? Why can't the vouchers be directly given to parents or schools concerned? I think uniforms should be free if they are required by the state. So much money wasted on intangible expenses already. At least with school uniforms we can see how the money spend.

I like school uniform but it needs to be reasonable. At my DDs High School, they have a v-neck sweatshirt with logo on for £13 and a tie for £5 - we can then purchase black skirt/trousers and white shirts from anywhere. In the summer, there is an optional white polo shirt with logo on for £10.50. The P.E. kits consists of shorts and polo shirts with logos on for approx. £20. There are other bits of kits available but not many people buy them. School have spare uniform which has been donated/lost that is available is anyone is struggling.
This is a school that gets good results with a non-selective intake.

I think uniforms should be free if they are required by the state.

One local school provide every year 7 child with a free blazer and tie. No idea what happens when they outgrow the blazer (DS is years off going there yet!) but at least it takes a big cost out for parents when the child starts

Sirzy, once your kids are in the school then it will be at least easier to look out for pre owned stuff. Replace them little by little but it is the initial starter set that is ridiculous.

I spent almost 400 pound. My son needs two pairs of trainers for pe, blazer ( 80 pounds), jumpers ( 25 pounds), tie ( 7.5), rugby shirt ( £20), polo shirt (£15), short and long trousers for PE ( £25). Black trousers and white shirt.

To answer the OP's question:

IMO, no, the government should not introduce a scheme to help families afford school uniform. Instead the government should take steps to prevent state funded schools from having compulsory uniforms.

If parents then still want to try and make their DCs wear polyester blazers & trousers then I would not stand in their way.

I would like to see legislation to end the uniform cartels where schools force parents to buy overpriced polyester crap with logos on from specific suppliers. School logos should be sew-on or iron-on only and supplied at no more than cost

I have a simple solution to this - the traditional School Tie. White shirt, grey skirt or trousers, coloured jumper of school's choice and school tie available from school office with any profit going to PTA.

School uniform is a licence to print money - one supplier does every school in our town, primary and secondary adn all the outlying villages as well

The traditional school tie is the worst possible solution to anything. Why do people have this obsession with dressing children like young bloody conservatives?