If it was down to you, would you want your child to wear a blazer?

[MrsJamin]

I personally don't like them at all but am interested what others think as I'm on a group deciding school uniform for a Secondary school. Are there any manufacturers that make comfortable ones? Would it put you off a school or make you excited if they didn't have a blazer?

curlew I expect that a lot of people feel like me, that they themselves feel more professional, more like getting down to work, more as if they've made an effort, once they've thought about what to wear and feel that they look fairly smart. I can't work at home in jamas, for example, and I personally do feel more in a work frame of mind when dressed reasonably neatly and yes, smartly.

What I think is the problem is that of course, that's not how it is for everyone, and some people are perfectly capable of being professional, efficient and productive in a onesie: but those who recognise the feeling of dressed smartly = made an effort = in the appropriate frame of mind to work, do feel that there is something to be said for children putting on smartish 'work clothes' before heading to school.

Not to say that is right, but I think that's the set of assumptions underlying here.

Maybe there is a link between good discipline and being smart? There is certainly very good discipline at DD1's school and a very smart uniform.

I'm sure lots of people will say there is good discipline at their child's school without the smart uniform though...

talkinginpeacecan you explain why wearing a uniform creates a group of people that co-operate? Where is the evidence for this?Why would children without uniform not co-operate and does this effect education in countries without uniform?

marmite - countries without uniform - do they have a struggle with dsicipline? If you take finland where the school results are excellent and out preform most of the rest of the world - they don't wear uniform and don't have a discipline problem

Putting in a skirt on a frosty Welsh morning, put me in bad mood and reminded me out new HT was an utter twat.

ivykaty
if you look at the wikipedia page I linked to, the reasons why countries like Italy, Germany, Spain do not have uniform are reactions against political situations in the mid 20th Century.

so talking - are you saying that the reaction of the political situations in these countries was to get rid of the uniform in schools to prevent the co-operation of school children? Can you elaborate with your explanation please?

ivy
did you read what it said in the link?

So far as I am aware there is no evidence that school uniform has any long-term effect on educational outcomes. There are lots of anecdotes but that is all.

Schools use a change of uniform to indicate regime change. Without any fundamental improvements in the school it will revert to whatever it was before - good, bad or mediocre within a very short time.

The recent fashion for blazers is only a harking back to some non-existent golden age of education.

Yes talking - but these countries have got rid of the uniform as it has connotations of fascist regime,

I understand your evidence for the uniform helping to create this fascist rule, but this was along with other measures it wasn't just the uniform alone.

where is the evidence that not wearing a uniform has the opposite effect?

Ds has a blazer. He really likes it and so do I. The blazers are bought at the local independent school wear shop for about £30 and there are a boys and girls style (the girls version is a really flattering cut).

You can also buy the badges for about £4 and there is also a thriving second hand stall at school.

They wear them from yr 7-10, and most children only have one blazer - the sweat shirts he wore at primary were £10 each and he would go though more than 3 jumpers in 4 years so for me it's a saving.

Girls should wear Blazers skirts Hats all the way including 6th form. Boys should wear ties as well as hats and blazers.

The secondary modern schools and none grammar schools can let their pupils were Hoodies, Ripped Jeans ,Trainers and tracksuit pants. The girls can wear "Pajamas and be caked in Fake tan. This way we would see who would want School Uniforms and standards and those who think kids don't need rules or standards.

I love them.
Comfortable, good quality. Under £30 and usually get 1-2 years out of each one. Loads of pockets so keys, phone, money & other important stuff doesn't get lost. They look smart too.

^Girls should wear Blazers skirts Hats all the way including 6th form. Boys should wear ties as well as hats and blazers.

The secondary modern schools and none grammar schools can let their pupils were Hoodies, Ripped Jeans ,Trainers and tracksuit pants. The girls can wear "Pajamas and be caked in Fake tan. This way we would see who would want School Uniforms and standards and those who think kids don't need rules or standards.^

Right. Because of course all children who go to comprehensives want to run around dressed like slobs. And they don't have 'standards' anywhere else in Europe, oh nooooo of course they don't.

Forcing girls to wear only skirts will cause all kinds of legal problems with gender discrimination, by the way. And rightly so - we live in the 21st century.

Aaaaargh italics fail...

I am entirely neutral about them. As long as a school uniform is cheap enough to be accessible to all (and not form a barrier for any child entering any school), reasonably practical and not actively desgned to be hideous, I don't care about its precise details. It's a bit like sports kit - I don't care whether the school has hoodies or rugby shirts or football shirts as its main PE uniform, as long as all are suitable for the task in hand, are durable and can be bought cheaply .

I have a work 'uniform' (in that I have a small number of outfits that I wear for work, distinct from those I wear outside work). So does my OH (in the same sense), and DD and DS have them too in the form of school uniform. All save the problem of choice at 7 am, all are practical, cheap, comfortable and appropriate to the task in hand.

DS and DD like the fact the uniform changes between primary and secondary, then again between year 11 and the sixth form - they like that feeling of transition, of 'moving through the stages'). As it happens, the secondary has a blazer until GCSEs, whereas the primary doesn't. If it didn't, I wouldn't mind.

I am still utterly bemused by the idea of a polyester jacket with a badge and pockets looking 'smart'. Or perhaps it's just the whole concept of 'smart'. Which seems to bypass any idea of proper fit, style, decent cut, nice fabric...give me a pair of classic jeans and a T-shirt any day, as far as basic function and elegance are concerned.

I have yet to find the task for which a polyester blazer is practical, cheap, comfortable and appropriate

Perhaps Commodore of a particularly down-at-heel yacht club?

Or a strippagram?

Tell me uniform is practical, easy and less stressful if you must. But don't tell me it looks nice.

A report I edited was on this morning's Today programme btw. I did every single word of it in jeans. Just saying...

Or a strippagram?

Wouldnt it chafe?

Anyway what ghastly fantasy would be addressed by a strippagram in a polyester blazer?

You'd start off being either Strict Policewoman or Norty Schoolgirl, presumably...

Disclaimer: I have never worked as a strippagram.

I just find the assumption that UK children will be unable to behave or learn unless they are kitted out like identikit drones bewildering. And pretty offensive too. You are not that culturally different from the rest of Europe.