Why do primary schools have such horrid uniforms ??

[mummyloveslucy]

When I was at primary school, there was a quite strict uniform of a white blows (not a PE top) a navy skirt and a navy v-necked jumper with a school tie. This was very smart and reasonably cheep, as you pay loads for those sweat shirts with the logo on and they just look slouchy. Somthing you'd ware for lazing around the house in.
When my daughter starts school, she'll wear a lovely white crisp blowse and a nice pinnafore, but it will unfortunatly be ruined by a chunky sweat shirt over the top. I don't think they are any more practicle than a cheeper wool jumper that looks smart.
People always complain about the cost of uniforms but I wouldn't mind paying for the jumper if it looked smart.

Umm I suspect that most people would think socialising kids to enable them to be gang members is generally a bad idea.. I like to think that education is about encouraging independent thinking rather than conformity. Certainly my experience at work is that autonomous thinking and problem solving is a most highly valued skill (more so than the ability to wear the right clothes, luckily for me)

Hmm - so if you go to the sort of school that makes boys wear shorts until they are 12, you have to make sure that they only mix with other boys wearing shorts - and it's the norm because they never see anyone wearing anything different? So THAT"S why they still do it - the poor dears haven't realized that it's the 21st century now!

The private equity firm I worked for wanted both Nooka!

Seeker -- essentially 12yo boys in shorts run the risk of getting the crap kicked out of them if they mix with the general population, surely, so have to be kept away from the great unwashed.

I think the 'beat-me-up factor' is why a lot of the high-achieving urban private secondary schools actually have quite low-key uniforms -- more so than many better state secondary schools, and the reverse of the picture with primary schools.

I guess the principle is that private secondary schoolkids will need to be able to walk home without their clothes inviting a punching. Whereas the local desirable girls' catholic state school can insist on calf-length tartan kilts fetchingly accessorised with white knee socks -- they know the girls are hard enough to pull it off.

And surely only a boarding school in the country could get away with this? Imagine getting a bus through central London dressed like that.

Sorry Combustable, both what? Shorts and tie? Princesses and EMOs? Gang members and school boys?

I'm a little lost

'Certainly my experience at work is that autonomous thinking and problem solving is a most highly valued skill (more so than the ability to wear the right clothes, luckily for me)'

The right clothes and creativity Nooka. Though I'd have liked to see the reaction if I'd pulled out DD's wand (she has managed to meld fairies and princesses ) in a meeting

Ah how boring. Wands would be much more fun

I absolutely detest small children in ties and blazers. There's a school close to us that dresses their 3 year olds in pinafores, ties, blazers and berets and I think it's cruel. These poor little kids, some of whom have probably only been out of nappies a week are trussed up in ties. Dreadful. I didn't go and look at it purely because I hated the uniform for little ones so much

There are a few pre preps and preps who have the LO's on tracksuits for the first couple of years, much more sensible, only going into proper uniform in year 1 or 2. Other private schools have reception and year one in full uniform but poloshirts or polonecks until year 2. Great idea.

My DS's state primary has a strict uniform policy and there is no variation but it's regulation polos and sweatshirts with grey trousers for the boys (shorts in summer term) and grey pleated skirts for the girls with proper school shoes and they look lovely.