School uniforms good or bad?

[ericmark]

When I went to primary school there was no uniform, there was in the secondary school, but children of poorer parents still came to school without it, one poor lad wearing his sisters cast off pink shoes. But at that time there was no religious problem, one one worried if catholic or Muslim or Church of Wales, so identifying which school the children came from was not a problem, in fact likely helped as kids knew while in uniform anything they did would likely be reported to school.

However today uniforms for faith schools identify the religious back ground of the children, and if only faith schools stopped wearing uniforms lack of uniform would do the same, so should the requirement to wear school uniform be banned and replaced with simple dress code?

 

[ellal]

The vast majority of Europe manages quite well without uniforms.
And having had kids part educated in a uniform less country, the clothes envy/bullying is on the whole a put up fallacy.

Our local school (in the UK) was some time ago made an academy (aka privatised), and the cheap supermarket based uniform was replaced with a much more expensive version.
You could then tell the 'poor kids', as they tend to wear clothes a size or two too big in order to get more use out of it!

Far too much time is spent on uniformity in the UK, whilst many teachers are having to put their own money into an underfunded corporate education system!

 

[Ian H]

Prices are extortionate. I like a uniform but cant see the need for a £55 blazer when a black/blue/red jumper would do the same.

 

[JP_]

Uniforms are good, it helps with equality. With no uniforms here will be a much more obvious divide between rich and poor.
Faith schools have no place in the modern world - leave faith for the home and religious meeting places, all school education should be the same across the UK.
We could relax uniforms though, my wife used to wear blue jeans and a school white T-shirt with school logo on - more like our school PE shirts. That would be cheaper and the jeans would last longer too!

 

[EddieM]

Uniforms are good as you can spot kids from rival schools. Seriously, though there have been studies as to the beneficial effects of school uniforms, there seems to be some evidence that it is beneficial, but it certainly seems fairly flimsy.

 

[ellal]

Seriously, though there have been studies as to the beneficial effects of school uniforms, there seems to be some evidence that it is beneficial, but it certainly seems fairly flimsy.

Would love to see that 'evidence'...

I asked our kids' various UK school headteachers on several occasions about where I could find an independent study that shows that having a uniform improves educational achievement...
(which is the raison d'être of going to school)

I was always met with a wall of silence...

Can't find anything conclusive online either!

 

[sodthisforfun]

Prices are extortionate. I like a uniform but can see the need for a £55 blazer when a black/blue/red jumper would do the same.

That I agree with, the cost is insane. However, how much would it cost to kit your kid out in good, labelled fashion so they didn't get picked on at school for wearing the wrong clothes? At least a uniform can help that out. In my day, kids would take the pee out of the shoes poor kids were wearing, at least that was just the one item of clothing! Thankfully labels were only just happening, not like today.

Kids are little bastards imo!!

 

[EFLImpudence]

You could bring up your kids to realise - you could even promote it - that it was better to save 100 quid rather than spend that much extra for a pointless brand name.

Explain to them what being ripped off is.

 

[noseall]

Good.

 

[JP_]

It certainly helps on school trips.

 

[Ian H]

In my day, kids would take the pee out of the shoes poor kids were wearing, at least that was just the one item of clothing! Thankfully labels were only just happening, not like today.

Kids are little bastards imo!!

In my day the ones with the posh trainers didn’t dare say anything to the ones with the cheap trainers incase they got battered.

Some of them are little bastards though as you say

 

[wobs]

School uniform should be a guideline, rather than a strict rule. Any mainstream school that cares about having a strict uniform cares more about itself rather than the pupils, and their development.

Our two have had issues with their uniforms, and we've tried various variations of the choices available, but when you have a kid who's struggling with the whole concept of school (they hate it), and doesn't cope easily on a social level, they don't need any unnecessary issues that a strict uniform can bring.

I also fail to see how an uncomfortable uniform can help them work.

Our school even tried to set a program of pupil excellence, which included "keeping uniforms clean throughout the day". I fail to see how a 5 or 6 year should aim for such attainment, when they often learn by getting dirty.

 

[ellal]

However, how much would it cost to kit your kid out in good, labelled fashion so they didn't get picked on at school for wearing the wrong clothes?

Well schools don't seem to bother about that when they have 'mufti days'...

With pupils often having having to 'contribute' in order to wear casual clothing!

 

[Notch7]

You could bring up your kids to realise - you could even promote it - that it was better to save 100 quid rather than spend that much extra for a pointless brand name.

Explain to them what being ripped off is.

'Listen son, you dont need to spend £100 on Nike trainers, those £10 ones from shoezone are just as good,

'But dad, why do you drive a Mercedes, a Ssangyong is just as good'

 

[EFLImpudence]

Practise what you preach. I had a Ford. Excellent cars.

Never liked Mercs so both your sentences are true.

Next.