Calling all anti school uniform people! Help me stop my primary school making uniform compulsory!

[mousiemousie]

My dd's primary have optional uniform which almost nobody wears. A few wear the school sweatshirt sometimes. The chairman of the governors is pro uniform and wants to make it compulsory.

I am anti uniform and do not want other parents to dictate that how I spend my money and clothe my child. They are free to put their child in uniform now if they want to.

Can anyone advise me how to avoid the uniform being made compulsory?

Blu, you arent trying to police the thread are you?

I cant offer any advice, I can proffer my opinion though, whether its wanted or not. I dont think I was being aggressive at all. So whats the problem?

I just can't remember being that conscious of what people wore at junior and primary school. I do remember having to go to school wearing my sister's old maxi blue school uniform skirt at secondary when people in my class had new mod style skirts from etam! (uniform rules were a blue knee-length or below the knee skirt).

if the head is against uniform I don't think you have an issue as a governor doesn't write policy

a primary school with a strict uniform policy can still do nothing about a child who doesn't wear uniform .. although it wouldn't be good for the child to stick out IMO

personally if you want to do something then I would request that the parents' opinion is canvassed through a questionnaire asking if for or against uniform and any further thoughts

But since the status quo at her school is that there is no uniform, and most parents seem happy enough, does she have to justify her own reasons for not wanting the Chair to implement change before she gets advice from MN-ers on how to go about keeping the status quo?

Especially as we have had the Teflon Trouser debate quite a few times (in between the prevailing fruitshoot issue, obviously )

Blu - I appreciate your post

As I have said before I do not want to discuss the pros and cons of uniform, so if others do maybe they could start a new thread on that subject or else find an old existing thread on that subject.

VVV - no more than anyone else, no!

Just arguing - possibly for the sake of it.

What's wrong with that, then????

[grin}

And anyway VVV I've got more right to be on this thread than you because I was invited (Calling all anti-school uniform people...) and you weren't . So Nerrrrr.

Blu you are DEFINITELY invited

"does she have to justify her own reasons for not wanting the Chair to implement change before she gets advice from MN-ers on how to go about keeping the status quo?"

Well, yes, in a way because "I wont be dictated to" isn't going to win the argument at the school. If that'a her only reason then as cappuccino says, it's doomed to failure TBH. Without well reasoned arguments for not having the uniform made "compulsory" then it's not really poeeible to give advice.

but dictating uniform to be non compulsory is dictating to pro uniform people!!

I love school uniform, the compulsory all the same type!...One of my charges couldn't even wear trainers with a brand name on them, no bullying over clothing!

Children at the local secondary go to school in trackies (hanging half way down their bum) & the school sweater, chavtastic!

Lulumama, the school was non-uniform, so it's entirely possible that at least some of the parents chose it with that in mind. The pro-uniform parents could have chosen a school that already had a uniform.

It currently has an optional uniform.

i see...but there is more to choosing a school than uniform

i was genuinely interested , as i like DS having a uniform

Soupdragon - that is a sound argument!
Lulumama - the pro-uniform folk can opt for the sweatshirt if they want!

Actuallly one family at DS's school do send thier (poor)DD in a sort of enid blyton stereotype of a school uniform - a grey gymslip thing with a gingham blouse underneath etc. Just because they feel she should be wearing 'school' clothes.

Obviously you choose a school based on other stuff. Whether it has a uniform or not is something you go along with once you've chosen TBH.

By mousiemousie on Tue 20-Mar-07 20:18:08
puddle there has been a level of consultation but 57% of repondents are pro uniform - these may all be the same person though potentially

so more than half the respondents want a uniform

i just don;t get why it is a problem , honestly

MumInBrum - yes, the no-uniform was a slight consideration in the choice we made out of 2 schools for DS. So i would be a bit peeved to see it changed.
But recognise that most people don't have that choice anyway, realistically.

I think mousie is sceptical about the way the consultation has been done, given she says that almost nobody wears the current uniform!

Her are a few reasons of many more
Uniform is low quality synthetic scruffy tat
The children voted against it almost unanimously
Uniform means sewing name tabs and losing stuff
Teachers will waste time policing it
discipline and pride in school do not stem from uniform
kids look like soldiers
colours are depressing and uniform
clothes are not comfortable
freedom of choice removed
if anyone wants to wear it they already can
if some parents have trouble getting their kids dressed why should this mean all parents need to change their lives

etc etc etc I have unending further objections but I am worried that stating these is likely to provoke discussion which does not answer my question at all...

Blu

(p.s. you have a wonky grin)

A parent governor at our school worked very hard 2 years ago to 'encourage' the wearing of school uniform. They even gave away free sweatshirt shirts to 2 year groups. 2 years on only half the school still wear it, and the last Ofsted Report praised the individual style of the children. It is not compulsory so no-one can make your children wear it. However you may find your DC are desperate to wear it.

One of the things that interests me about the uniform debate is that most things that I dislike about schools are usually justified by saying "ah but you see this prepares them for real life, it is hard, but they have to learn".

If you really want to prepare your children for real life and get them to experience difficulties and learn to muck in all together and all that jazz, why shelter them with odd and artificial traditions, from the reality that some people have nicer clothes than others?

Well, no uniform I've ever seen consists of fatigues, camouflage and an automatic weapon

Personally I think you're better off findig like minded people at your school to "campaign" against the uniform. You won't win it alone, that's for certain. I'm not even sure you'd win it with some of your reasons either. About the only one that stands out is about discipline & pride not stemming from uniform.

thank you mousie, i appreciate you posting thos e reasons, i have to say, i disagree with many of them, but thanks for posting them and good luck with your campaign