School uniforms - for or against?

My parents didn't harp on about being poor. They didn't even know how much it mattered. But even in primary school I could see the difference very clearly. A generic uniform would have made me feel a bit confident. Confidence is important in developing personality and individuality.
I don't think you understand the problem Monica.

I would say, with lockdowns, my grandsons uniform cost me over £1000 to supply last year.
School socks, blazers, leather shoes, rugby kit, etc.

Riverwalk

^As for the poor child/rich child thing. That is entirely in the minds of the adults. If they didn't constantly harp on it, the children wouldn't notice.^

Well I certainly noticed Monica - as a young teen how could I not notice that I had so few clothes?

You obviously didn't grow up poor.

I certainly noticed as well when they laughed at my scarf which was probably old stock and they knew by our blazer badges were different. My parents shouted at me for caring and told me to tell them where to go. It was not my parents feeling inadequate in fact my father's job was much better than a lot who were laughing.

My grandson is at a school based nursery and has to wear a uniform. He likes it because he feels he looks like everyone else.

I'm aware he'll hate it at 15!

Uniform does not mean equality, it means uniformity
Whoulda thunk it
The clue is in the word..

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I am positively against uniforms. Children can look sweet in them and China seems to think they are useful in moulding their society. I feel that uniform wearing creates uniform thinking. I don't think it fits students for the needs of our future society.

I cannot see how uniforms help young people to develop imagination, empathy, resilience, entrepreneurship or the ability to value your failure as much as your successes. If we want another "we won" generation or even a generation of robots on the production line, uniforms would serve you well. We are, however, well past the need for these.

MawtheMerrier

^Uniform does not mean equality, it means uniformity^
Whoulda thunk it
The clue is in the word..

My reply was oh - so much longer. But it means the same thing. One day I will learn to be succinct

DaisyAnne, I disagree uniforms create uniformity. I still see my lovely friends from high school 60 years ago. We all wore exactly the same uniform yet all eight of us could not be more different in terms of thought, opinions, creativity, lifestyles and political views both then and now.

I agree on the uniformity comment.
Even hairstyles are dictated; particularly for boys, and how short or long their hair should be.
I find that utterly ridiculous.

Nannee49

DaisyAnne, I disagree uniforms create uniformity. I still see my lovely friends from high school 60 years ago. We all wore exactly the same uniform yet all eight of us could not be more different in terms of thought, opinions, creativity, lifestyles and political views both then and now.

You are entitled to your opinion Nannee49, as am I.

MissAdventure

I agree on the uniformity comment.
Even hairstyles are dictated; particularly for boys, and how short or long their hair should be.
I find that utterly ridiculous.

It's not just ridiculous. At one point it became quite racist with schools insisting on a level of "tidy" haircut that could not be applied to black hair.

Yes, there was a big hoo ha around here at one point, about how certain hairstyles were ok for some, and not others.
Long hair on boys, I think it was.

At primary school the kids had to tie their hair back to stop the spread of nits. Quite sensible.

Now we have a lot of different hair types, dreadlocks, cornrolls and so on.
It opens up a whole new avenue of possible racist, sexist issues.

My late mother in law was a tailoress. She altered all the Grandchildrens blazers. Lucky them ?

Of course DaisyAnne, no suggestion otherwise. It's an opinion forum, we disagree.

Riverwalk I was talking about children at school noticing that other children were poor. not an individual noticing they personally were poor.

When I was school, lots of them, I was vaguely aware some children got free meals, but didn't know why and didn't ever ask. If anyone had asked me who in my classes (all of them) came from a poor home and who from a wealthy home, I really couldn't have told you, and it wouldn't have seemed relevant to me. I liked other children or didn't for what they were like at school and whether our personalities meshed.

I started school in 1948, just after the war and I can assure you, I had very few clothes, nobody, regardless of income did have many clothes then, indeed, most of my clothes were home made or knitted and often made from old army blankets and parachute silk.

All the photos taken in childhood, where I was attending family events like weddings, show me in school uniform because my school uniform doubled up as my 'best' clothes.

Perhaps that is why I loathe school uniform so much.

Uniforms are meant to turn out little uniform children. But it doessn't mean it always works!

The one thing that my best friend from school and I still have in common, is that we always questioned and challenged everything we were told and were both described as 'deeply subversive'. And we both still are!

please ignore my last comment. wrong thread . Have requested deletion

I cannot see how wearing a uniform hinders development in all those areas Daisyanne but feeling poor and inferior at school causes lifelong harm in some people.

We are all entitled to our opinions. However I speak from experience.

Some schools use expensive uniform as a way of keeping children from lower income families from attending. Segregation by the back door.

M0nica

Uniforms are meant to turn out little uniform children. But it doessn't mean it always works!

The one thing that my best friend from school and I still have in common, is that we always questioned and challenged everything we were told and were both described as 'deeply subversive'. And we both still are!

Oh M0nica ... I too was that person.

Pro uniform here, though the price when specific brands or suppliers are obligatory is ridiculous.
It’s an initial big spend-quite horrific for less well off. That’s a problem that needs addressing. However, when it’s a non-uniform day at school, it’s really obvious which are the less well off families. When I first started teaching in a non-uniform school, the children from poorer families really stood out in the clothes that they came in.

nadateturbe

I cannot see how wearing a uniform hinders development in all those areas Daisyanne but feeling poor and inferior at school causes lifelong harm in some people.

We are all entitled to our opinions. However I speak from experience.

I would think we all went to school, may have sent children to school and possibly seen GCs go to school nadaturbe. We all have "experience".