School uniform - good or bad?

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What does everyone think of school uniforms in general? As some of you might know, I don't live in U.K so my kids have never been to a British school where school uniforms from primary age now seem to be the norm. Very few schools in Europe have a uniform (only some of the very exclusive private ones) and some, like my kids' school, give parents the option of buying tee-shirts with the school logo for gym, school outings etc.

I was really surprised when my dh said the other day that he would really prefer our kids to have a uniform. The only reason he could really come up with is that he is a "traditionalist"! So what do you all think? Are school uniforms a good idea? Do they really help to create a sense of identity in a school. I actually like the fact that my children don't wear a uniform.

pros and cons I suppose - main (only?) pro is that it makes getting them dressed in the morning completely painless - no arguments with 5 year olds about why they can't wear their favourite shorts in november etc.
mind you she still spends about 10 minutes choosing what knickers she is going to wear under the uniform...

Definitely think good idea. Makes children all equal as they all wear the same "uniform", less well-off children are not stigmatised because they are not wearing the latest fashion.

I like seeing children come out of school in their uniforms, I think it gives a good impression.

Also agree with princesspeahead ... whenever my children's schools have "mufti" (uniform free) days, they dither so much the night before and in the morning about what they are going to wear and you do see children (not mine, I can't afford it) going into school on these mufti day dressed, in my opinion, totally inappropriately for school and wearing the most up-to-date expensive fashions.

i dont like uniforms but i can see theyre good for one reason,there`s not competition to see who wears the most expensive clothes and the poorer kids are not bullied for wearing cheap clothes,sad,but happens,i hate my ds uniform he looks like a little old man with grey troussers

posts crossed bumblelion

my daughter's summer uniform is a sweet blue and white gingham dress which she looks lovely in - and nice for me as she REFUSES to wear dresses or skirts any other time!
Mind you once you hit secondary school they all look pretty awful in uniform. I know I hated mine

I agree with Princesspeahead - it just saves Mum having to think about what they are wearing tomorrow and certainly saves arguments with dd (don't think ds would care) as she would want to wear all her pretty dresses for school - it would cost a fortune. I think it stops one-upmanship too - there is no, you wore that dress yesterday or I have the latest football shirt etc.

Its odd though that here, there doesn't seem to be any of the one-upmanship you mention (mind you, my kids are 5 and 7, so maybe young). And mine do go to school in stuff my mum sends from Asda or woolies and similarly cheap shops in Holland. My Dutch friends think uniforms are really strange!

Good idea for all of the reasons given. At secondary school they also limit the wilder excesses of the students. Without uniform many of the girls in the school I work in would come into school looking like 'working girls'. Not the best state for concentrating on work.

I agree with what's been said- no pressure for latest fashion; no arguing about what to wear; no stigma to poor kids. Makes life much easier.

Where I live they've also found at the High schools that dropping the sweatshirt & polo shirt & going back to ties & blazers does wonders for the discipline in the school. I've no idea why, but they've proved it.

I hated mine. I don't think they are a good idea - but I never liked joining anything!! I remember when I did an exchange with a German student and there was no uniform, no one-upmanship (everyone wore jeans and jumpers/t-shirts) and it just seemed less stiff and silly to me. I also agree with maryz about at least getting proper wear out of their clothes. If they only wear them at weekends they grow out of them before they get any proper use out of them. All the poor kids round here have expensive trainers - my theory is that only middle class children have cheap clothes. My richest friends buy everything at Primark.

I loathed wearing a uniform. We even had a punishment where we had to wear our uniform for a week after school. I'm so glad my dd doesn't have one. I really don't think anyone's going around looking at the children's clothes in a 'snobby' or unpleasant way.

DS1 and 2 (4 and 2) wear uniform to nursery! It means I don't have to worry about them ruining their ordinary clothes and it made them look very cute in their recent "school" photos. I'm happy with the idea of school uniform.

I hate them. I want my boy out of grey and green.
mInd you the ones I hate the most are the schools that insist on gimpy shorts in winter (would you wear them?)and blazers and boaters for 6 year olds. all for the parents I think

aloha, it was interesting that you mentioned that there was no one upmanship when you didn't have to wear school uniform and that you wore jeans and jumpers. The same was true when I was in school in the late 70's. However, kids today are much more into designer labels etc than we ever were. They seem to be far more image conscious, and most of the girls in the school that I teach at would never step outside the door without full face make up. This hardly ever happened when I was at school.

I have to say that as a teacher I prefer it. On mufty day there is a defiite difference in the pupil's effort and attitude - don't know reason for this but there is. I just think a uniform makes life easier - no desperate keeping up of fashion, we know who pupils are (compared to staff - I looked young when I started! - and other people who 'visit' the school). If someone isn't in uniform you spot them easily and can question why they are there. This is all secondary BTW.

I don't ming them at primary either and I can see it can make life easier in choosing what to wear each morning. DD will have a unifrm when she goes to school in a few years and I think it looks quite sweet. And, as someone mentioned, it saves their other clothes from getting messed up.

I quite like the nursery uniform idea for that reason too. I have had to start getting DD (14 months) some cheaper clothes just to wear for nursery. She seems to come home with unidentified stains that never come out - I suspect food colouring in the play dough. At least a uniform could be worn every day and who cares if it gets messed up a bit - she would only be wearing it there anyway.

Possibly, but didn't have the problems at all at the first place I worked at - much better school altogether though.

Our school uniform where I teach isn't that dear to be honest, except for the blazer which has to come from the school, along with the tie and badge. Still cheaper than most shops though. The pupils can wear any make of trousers/skirts, shirt and jumper - they just have to be of a certain style and colour. I just wish our place could get footwear sorted now - rules say black or brown shoes yet many are still in trainers. Looks scruffy!

I dread to think how much my DD's uniform will be when she sarts in 3 years time - you can only get it at out local branch of John Lewis. And she has to have a special PE kit, ballet kit, training suit, etc. Best start saving now!!!

I like uniforms - but not for nursery - I think they need their own clothes for their identity more at that age. DS2 has optional uniform at his nursery - he doesn't wear it at all - most of his friends wear it about half the time, (i.e. when the sweatshirt is clean).

The school ds1 goes to, and ds2 will go to, has a very strict uniform (state school though). The kids look fantastic, and I think it makes a difference to behaviour and discipline. On non-uniform day they just look like a rabble in the playground.

And other things people have said here about saving time/arguments in the morning.

As a teacher ( secondary) I hated it - far too much friction with tutor group first thing in the morning on people not wearing EXACTLY the right thing - stress and bad feeling caused for no real gain. Now work in school with no uniform and is great.

I am not keen on uniform, certainly at primary age, and am really glad that mine dont have to wear it. There is a bit of discussion higher up the school about makes of trainers etc but luckily ds feels v superior and doesnt care and also has a v nice teacher who tells them about sweatshops producing Nike stuff etc. I feel its so much better for them to be able to express their personality through their clothes. And to be able to wear hand me downs, cheap bargains, whatever.
Surely the over-excitiement of a mufti day is precisely because they dont get to see each others normal clothes on ordinary days? I think as long as there are rules like no jewellry, no flipflops, no strappy tops etc, that its great to see them all looking different. And also the school needs to keep a check on any teasing or worse about brand names etc.
I was shocked to see nursery children in grey jumpers and ties when I first looked round schools. It seems so uneccesary.

But aren't trainers actually better for children's feet?

aloha my nephews "feet doctor"what you call him?podologist or something,told my sister that trainers are the worst thing for childrens feet,anyone else has heard of this?

yes, they have no arch support and flatten the feet...or so I've been told. I can't wear them because they give me a back ache. Luckily I'm 40 and not 14.

I hate uniforms of any sort (except firemen uniforms with the firemen inside of them) because I hate being told what to do. One of my criteria for picking ds's school was that he will not have to wear a uniform.

oh yes firemen!!