UK and School Uniforms - good idea or not?

[Redway]

Are you with the idea that school uniforms “enhance learning environments” and “increase commitment” to education or do you think it puts a block on kids’ freedom?

[RichardG]

i agree with school uniforms

but not because i think they enhance learning environments or increase commitment

[BBUKAUSFAN]

Here in Australia every single school has uniforms then you hit univeristy / college and there gone. Uniforms are boring and don't let children express themselves.

[y.winter]

I love it, in the UK. :flutter:
Here the weather is hot 95% of the year, so the uniform is just a plain t-shirt with the school's logo, and it's... meh :bored:

[Withano]

Here in Australia every single school has uniforms then you hit univeristy / college and there gone. Uniforms are boring and don't let children express themselves.

Is it not a good thing that children learn to express themselves with words instead of material possessions?

[AnnieK]

I think they are a good thing. ...takes away the pressure of kids having to have the latest best clothes to keep up with their friends.

[Tozzie]

Uniforms are a good thing. The kids whose parents don't have the money to buy the designer clothes and shoes would be picked on and ridiculed. Some of the youth of today are shallow and about material things.

[Morgan.]

Uniforms are a good thing. The kids whose parents don't have the money to buy the designer clothes and shoes would be picked on and ridiculed. Some of the youth of today are shallow and about material things.

That's an overused excuse imo

We have regular non uniform days and this has never happened

[ebandit]

https://t3.ftcdn.net/jpg/01/42/08/40/240_F_142084015_KcyI5FPM0HxLYXfc7UG4RwUxCfbOFFOP.j pg

...of course...remind the 'lil blighters that they're not free yet

Mark L

[jennyjuniper]

Uniforms are a good thing. The kids whose parents don't have the money to buy the designer clothes and shoes would be picked on and ridiculed. Some of the youth of today are shallow and about material things.

I agree with this.:wavey:

[joeysteele]

I loved my school uniform
Many others did not however.

I don't think really a uniform enhances learning at all.
I think if a child hates the uniform,that is more likely to rub off as to affecting learning too.

[Cherie]

That's an overused excuse imo

We have regular non uniform days and this has never happened

I agree with you in some ways but it depends on the child, some kids aren't into labels and designer stuff and some are, so you don't know what pressures non uniform days put on parents or kids, uniforms are a godsend you know what you are putting on every morning so it takes away so the angst about what you are going through wear especially for girls, there are enough school holidays to express yourself clothes wise

[Greg!]

I used to be absolutely furious that school uniform was a thing but it really doesn't bother me in the slightest now

[Cherie]

ALso the choice of clothes available to boys to wear has remained pretty constant over the decades while girls clothes and trends are far trickier to navigate

[Tom4784]

I'm more in favour of a dress code than a strict uniform policy, Uniforms are a bit of a con and they're only enforced in order for schools to squeeze money out of parents.

[Ashley.]

Here in Australia every single school has uniforms then you hit univeristy / college and there gone. Uniforms are boring and don't let children express themselves.

School uniforms are a form of identification, which is of most importance if worse comes to worst. I'd sooner stick my child in the ugliest uniform you've ever seen if it meant that they were safer.

[Nicky91]

yes, school uniforms look so classy and nice :)

[Niamh.]

I'm more in favour of a dress code than a strict uniform policy, Uniforms are a bit of a con and they're only enforced in order for schools to squeeze money out of parents.
You dont buy the uniforms from the schools though. I think they're great for all the reasons Cherie said above. My only issue when I was going to school was girls had to wear skirts and that really pissed me off, thats changed now though, my daughter has a choice between pants and skirt

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[Shaun]

You dont buy the uniforms from the schools though. I think they're great for all the reasons Cherie said above. My only issue when I was going to school was girls had to wear skirts and that really pissed me off, thats changed now though, my daughter has a choice between pants and skirt

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In my experience, I did have to buy certain items of uniform from the school (with them getting the cut of profits from bulk-buying from a retailer) - though this was mainly stuff with the school crest, and our house colours, on.

[Tom4784]

You dont buy the uniforms from the schools though. I think they're great for all the reasons Cherie said above. My only issue when I was going to school was girls had to wear skirts and that really pissed me off, thats changed now though, my daughter has a choice between pants and skirt

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With our school you either bought it from a certain shop in which the school profited from or you bought it from the school itself.

Our school was terrible for cash grabs involving uniforms, they'd basically hold people to ransom over it and the uniforms were of trash quality so you'd have to go through multiple items a year since they'd wear out quickly.

[LukeB]

As much as wearing one was awful i think it's a good idea.

If they wasn't uniforms people who are poor and can't afford the nike etc would get taken the piss out of. It makes people look smarter too which looks good on the school because in England you would get people wearing track suits and looking all scruffy.

Uniforms don't cause issues as not wearing it would.

[Lostie!]

Here in Australia every single school has uniforms then you hit univeristy / college and there gone. Uniforms are boring and don't let children express themselves.

If someone can only "express themselves" through the clothes they wear, they need to find better ways of doing it. Sure, uniforms are boring but it's school, kids have plenty of time to wear what they want in their own time.

Some of us have to wear uniforms to work too and it doesn't hinder expression of personality or the ability to get the work done in anyway. Of course most of us would rather wear clothes of our own choosing all the time but wearing a uniform for things like school and work isn't really that big a deal (as long as the uniform standards are reasonable, which admittedly isn't always the case).

[Redway]

What do you guys think about other countries (aka America) not following suit (allow the pun)?

[Shaun]

If they wasn't uniforms people who are poor and can't afford the nike etc would get taken the piss out of.

I don't really understand this point of view because it happens anyway with whoever cannot afford the smartest pair of black shoes, whose shirt isn't ironed nicely, whose hair needs a cut/isn't the latest style :shrug: it's always going to be a problem.

Plus Nikes/football boots are a factor of school anyway when it comes to sports/games.

Not to say I'm against uniforms - I'm not really - I just don't understand this argument.

[Marsh.]

Here in Australia every single school has uniforms then you hit univeristy / college and there gone. Uniforms are boring and don't let children express themselves.

Same in the UK. Colleges/Unis don't have uniforms.

[Marsh.]

I'm more in favour of a dress code than a strict uniform policy, Uniforms are a bit of a con and they're only enforced in order for schools to squeeze money out of parents.

But that money is spent on uniforms so...?

Also, around here uniforms aren't bought direct from the school.

You buy shirt/jumper/trousers in the appropriate colours.

[LukeB]

Same in the UK. Colleges/Unis don't have uniforms.

Colleges do (depending on the course you do)

[Marsh.]

Colleges do (depending on the course you do)

Which courses?

A jumper with the name of the college doesn't count as a uniform, they're optional. :nono:

And a uniform in PE is kind of obvious, if you play for a team you want to be identifiable as part of that team.

[LukeB]

Which courses?

A jumper with the name of the college doesn't count as a uniform, they're optional. :nono:

And a uniform in PE is kind of obvious, if you play for a team you want to be identifiable as part of that team.

Well from my college Public services, hair and beauty

But i did travel and tourism and i had to wear a uniform for it and i didnt have an optional choice. You had to wear it. But all the courses uniform are different.

[Redway]

Which courses?

A jumper with the name of the college doesn't count as a uniform, they're optional. :nono:

And a uniform in PE is kind of obvious, if you play for a team you want to be identifiable as part of that team.
Some sixth forms in Liverpool (Bluecoat for one) have a uniform for sixth form. I don't think it's just a primary/high school thing a lot of the time.

[Tozzie]

Here in Australia every single school has uniforms then you hit univeristy / college and there gone. Uniforms are boring and don't let children express themselves.

What has wearing a school uniform got to do with children expressing themselves? They are in school to learn an education and have plenty of free time after school and at weekends/holidays to wear their out of school clothing.

[Marsh.]

Well from my college Public services, hair and beauty

But i did travel and tourism and i had to wear a uniform for it and i didnt have an optional choice. You had to wear it. But all the courses uniform are different.

Yeah, but that's different. In courses like that uniforms are required for health and safety/cleanliness reasons. Hairdressers tend to wear overalls with a material that prevents much of the hair from sticking to them, ruining their regular clothes. And then they also handle bleaches/hair dyes etc.

It's like catering/food tech students, they wear a uniform not for the sake of it but because of the nature of the stuff they're doing.

[Morgan.]

What has wearing a school uniform got to do with children expressing themselves? They are in school to learn an education and have plenty of free time after school and at weekends/holidays to wear their out of school clothing.

Hahaha free time. You do make me laugh :joker:

I finish school, when i get home I have an hour to sit and relax, so my own thing, then I have dinner for an hour, then I follow my revision timetable for the day, then have my evening downtime and before I know it's time to sleep.

The weekends no different because if I'm not revising and up for going out with friends, they're revising. And vice versa.

I really think UK schools would benefit from having no uniform. If not to make people to more comfortable, but to encourage 'naughty' students who bunk all the time to quit complaining and turn up.

[MrTheMan]

School uniforms look really tacky and ugly.

[Marsh.]

So, the solution to constant revision and school work is to abolish uniforms because student have a lack of expression?

Snowflake times indeed.

[Morgan.]

So, the solution to constant revision and school work is to abolish uniforms because student have a lack of expression?

Snowflake times indeed.

No it was just in response to the comment about free time.

[Marsh.]

No it was just in response to the comment about free time.

Well school children do get a lot of free time.

I imagine your jam-packed revision schedule is only around exam periods.

[LukeB]

I don't get this 'express yourself' why do you need to express yourself at school? the only reason why they would want to express themselves is to impress people. You go to school to learn not to impress anyone. There's no one there to impress because it's not important to express yourself at school.

[Marsh.]

I don't see why you need clothes to speak for you and "express you" either.

Most kids opt for the latest trainers, trend at the high street stores. So wearing manufactured mass produced styles/clothes isn't really expressing anything other than "Look what my mum can afford".

[Jason.]

Hahaha free time. You do make me laugh :joker:

I finish school, when i get home I have an hour to sit and relax, so my own thing, then I have dinner for an hour, then I follow my revision timetable for the day, then have my evening downtime and before I know it's time to sleep.

The weekends no different because if I'm not revising and up for going out with friends, they're revising. And vice versa.

I really think UK schools would benefit from having no uniform. If not to make people to more comfortable, but to encourage 'naughty' students who bunk all the time to quit complaining and turn up.

Who actually bunks because of school uniform though? People who truant do it because they can't be bothered to turn up in the first place not because they want to wear their own thing.

[Marsh.]

Yeah, you never see kids who are playing truant.... still wearing their school uniforms.

You see groups of them hanging around town centres well into the evening in their uniforms so I don't think it's that they're opposed to.

It's doing a bit of work they don't like. :hee:

[Morgan.]

Who actually bunks because of school uniform though? People who truant do it because they can't be bothered to turn up in the first place not because they want to wear their own thing.

Yeah, you never see kids who are playing truant.... still wearing their school uniforms.

You see groups of them hanging around town centres well into the evening in their uniforms so I don't think it's that they're opposed to.

It's doing a bit of work they don't like. :hee:

At our school there's a lot who pack clothes into their bags and change after school, and a lot who wear their own jumpers and get ISO for it.

[Marsh.]

At our school there's a lot who pack clothes into their bags and change after school, and a lot who wear their own jumpers and get ISO for it.

Kids tended to take their ties off at my high school or put their own fleeces over the school blazer if it was extra cold. That's just people being people.

Doesn't mean they're being prevented from freedom of expression nor does it mean they truant because they have to wear a uniform, especially when most of them truant IN the uniform. :laugh:

[user104658]

Urgh, I would have hated having to pick out my own clothes every day / think about what to have ready :umm2:. Having a uniform was so easy... Just a row of white shirts and black trousers and my tie. Ahh. Simplicity. Gives you MORE free time is anything. I rarely even bothered getting changed after school, I pretty much only wore my own clothes at the weekend :joker:.

[Withano]

At our school there's a lot who pack clothes into their bags and change after school, and a lot who wear their own jumpers and get ISO for it.

Sounds like they have a lot of free time to express themselves

[Ronald.]

Is it not a good thing that children learn to express themselves with words instead of material possessions?

What a great post Withano. Totally agree. My wife works in a school and we've had this debate before.

I think uniform is a great idea as it does train you in discipline at an age when you desperately need it. That said, a dress code does tick the box too. The amount of money we've spent on uniform over the years is ridiculous. Now you can go into asda and there's cheap jumpers and skirts which is great for growing kids and parents on a budget.

Regarding the 'express yourself' argument, I'm not sure the workplace is a place for expressing yourself through your appearance, so why should schools be?

As for hiding whose parents can afford nicer clothers argument - I think that's stupid. Whilst i'm in favour of uniform, I don't think thats its purpose. It's not like kids don't see each other outside school. They wear backpacks, trainers, you name it... besides I think kids are clever enough to work out whose parents earn more money without uniform (From going round each others houses etc)

In my eyes uniform at school is about discipline and preparation for the world of work. That's why I think it's a good thing. R.

[user104658]

I'd also add that as yet I haven't had a job where I didn't have to wear a uniform... And again I prefer it that way for convenience sake. No wondering what to wear or digging about for clothes... Just "Is uniform washed and dried? Yes. Done."

I don't need to be trying to pick out clothes every day! Yawn! Who has the time :joker:.

I also find it sort of worrying that the only way "kids these days" know how to express or individualise themselves is through fashion choice. Ffs. "I am me because I have this hairstyle and I wear this jacket and that tells you what you need to know about my identity". Nooo. In fact one of the major benefits of a school uniform is that it makes kids LESS likely to "tribalise" and "stick with their own"... It promotes integration, and lets people get to actually know each other, and for their individuality to shine through their personality and not their t-shirt slogan.

[Niamh.]

I'd also add that as yet I haven't had a job where I didn't have to wear a uniform... And again I prefer it that way for convenience sake. No wondering what to wear or digging about for clothes... Just "Is uniform washed and dried? Yes. Done."

I don't need to be trying to pick out clothes every day! Yawn! Who has the time :joker:.

I also find it sort of worrying that the only way "kids these days" know how to express or individualise themselves is through fashion choice. Ffs. "I am me because I have this hairstyle and I wear this jacket and that tells you what you need to know about my identity". Nooo. In fact one of the major benefits of a school uniform is that it makes kids LESS likely to "tribalise" and "stick with their own"... It promotes integration, and lets people get to actually know each other, and for their individuality to shine through their personality and not their t-shirt slogan.

I don't wear a uniform for my job but I work in an office in a small company and it's all very casual, I can just wear clothes that I would normally wear but my husband he doesn't have a uniform but he has to wear clothes that are more formal than he would normally wear so he has had to get a whole separate wardrobe of clothes for work because you can't wear the same shirt twice a week if it's not a uniform kind of a thing

[user104658]

I don't wear a uniform for my job but I work in an office in a small company and it's all very casual, I can just wear clothes that I would normally wear but my husband he doesn't have a uniform but he has to wear clothes that are more formal than he would normally wear so he has had to get a whole separate wardrobe of clothes for work because you can't wear the same shirt twice a week if it's not a uniform kind of a thing

Exactly, I can wear the same stuff like 4 days in a row and get away with it...

...... ... :umm2:...

[Niamh.]

Exactly, I can wear the same stuff like 4 days in a row and get away with it...

...... ... :umm2:...

:laugh2:

I don't mean without washing them, i just mean if it's your own clothes you need to get alot of different stuff, where as if it was a uniform shirt, you could have two or three just and wash them in between

[Cherie]

No wonder people are turning to online gambling, if TS isn't bothering to change his shirt :hehe:

[armand.kay]

That's an overused excuse imo

We have regular non uniform days and this has never happened

my school use to have a fbook page where people would post pictures of other peoples outfits that they thought were awful.

[Niamh.]

No wonder people are turning to online gambling, if TS isn't bothering to change his shirt :hehe:

:laugh2:

my school use to have a fbook page where people would post pictures of other peoples outfits that they thought were awful.

That's awful :/

[Livia]

Uniforms are a good thing. The kids whose parents don't have the money to buy the designer clothes and shoes would be picked on and ridiculed. Some of the youth of today are shallow and about material things.

I agree with the uniform bit... don't agree that today's youth are any more shallow than any other previous group of unexperienced young people.

[Ronald.]

I agree with the uniform bit... don't agree that today's youth are any more shallow than any other previous group of unexperienced young people.

I know that my daughter is more preoccupied about having the latest phone rather than which dress or pair of jeans she's wearing. She goes to Primark and so do most of her friends. R.

[Niamh.]

I know that my daughter is more preoccupied about having the latest phone rather than which dress or pair of jeans she's wearing. She goes to Primark and so do most of her friends. R.

My daughter and lots of her friends get alot of their stuff there too (it's called penneys here) It's actually my son who costs me a small fortune on clothes and shoes because it's all the branded sports stuff he wants and all his friends get, they're so expensive

[Ronald.]

My daughter and lots of her friends get alot of their stuff there too (it's called penneys here) It's actually my son who costs my a small fortune on clothes and shoes because it's all the branded sports stuff he wants and all his friends get, they're so expensive

Primark is wonderful really. Trends with girls change so quickly it's great that there's such an affordable way to keep up with them. I would have thought there'd be a stigma about getting clothes from a "cheap shop" but my daughter doesn't seem to care, neither do her friends. "A cute dress is a cute dress" i can hear her say now haha.

When my eldest was growing up there were sports brand everywhere. My eldest was a bit of a tomboy and liked dressing in trackies and caps and sportswear. They were the cool clothes and it cost me a fortune! I thought sports brands had gone out of fashion but it seems to have made a bit of a comeback lately. I see a lot of people in sports brands again now. My youngest hates them however, she likes "girly girly clothes" as my wife would say. R.

[Niamh.]

Primark is wonderful really. Trends with girls change so quickly it's great that there's such an affordable way to keep up with them. I would have thought there'd be a stigma about getting clothes from a "cheap shop" but my daughter doesn't seem to care, neither do her friends. "A cute dress is a cute dress" i can hear her say now haha.

When my eldest was growing up there were sports brand everywhere. My eldest was a bit of a tomboy and liked dressing in trackies and caps and sportswear. They were the cool clothes and it cost me a fortune! I thought sports brands had gone out of fashion but it seems to have made a bit of a comeback lately. I see a lot of people in sports brands again now. My youngest hates them however, she likes "girly girly clothes" as my wife would say. R.

Yeah, it seems perfectly acceptable for the girls in daughters school to buy and wear primark stuff. They could spend hours in there looking around and buying stuff......(she doesn't take after me, I hate shopping :laugh: )

[Ronald.]

Yeah, it seems perfectly acceptable for the girls in daughters school to buy and wear primark stuff. They could spend hours in there looking around and buying stuff......(she doesn't take after me, I hate shopping :laugh: )

I can't stand it either. My daughter is 'too old' to go shopping with her dad now anyway. I used to get told off for anything I picked out for her! Better i'm not there really! I like helping Margaret shop, she always asks my opinion. However, clothes shopping for me - no thank you! I'm easy to please. I'll got to M&S and just pick out a few shirts and I'm done! Don't want to waste any more time than i need to! R.

[Cal.]

I used to be absolutely furious that school uniform was a thing but it really doesn't bother me in the slightest now

Same. When I was at school I desperately wanted no uniform but now I've left school I agree that it stops any potential bullying etc, and puts all students as equals.

[Cal.]

Saying that I don't wear designer brands and go to college dressed in Primark clothes!

[Niamh.]

Saying that I don't wear designer brands and go to college dressed in Primark clothes!

People are less concerned with how other people dress when you start getting older anyway

[Marsh.]

*looks Niamh up and down*

[Cherie]

my school use to have a fbook page where people would post pictures of other peoples outfits that they thought were awful.

:bored:

[Niamh.]

*looks Niamh up and down*

https://media4.giphy.com/media/9Hx588Vn8ySXe/giphy.gif

[jaxie]

I think that a uniform is a good idea in that it gives the children a sense of belonging to the school and being part of a team. Though you might argue that rather than it helping poor families it is an extra expense. I don't think it aids learning particularly and the only real benefit is a sense of belonging.

[Brillopad]

I think that a uniform is a good idea in that it gives the children a sense of belonging to the school and being part of a team. Though you might argue that rather than it helping poor families it is an extra expense. I don't think it aids learning particularly and the only real benefit is a sense of belonging.

I think there's a flip side to that as wearing a uniform can be beneficial for poorer children who don't have a wardrobe full of expensive clothes. It prevents embarrassment and puts everyone on an equal level. All round I think a uniform is a good thing.

[Niamh.]

I think there's a flip side to that as wearing a uniform can be beneficial for poorer children who don't have a wardrobe full of expensive clothes. It prevents embarrassment and puts everyone on an equal level. All round I think a uniform is a good thing.

Yeah i agree.

I asked my 16 year old daughter actually what she thinks about having to wear a uniform and she said she much prefers it because she doesn't have to spend ages trying to decide what to wear every morning