School Uniform !

Ettenna

My daughter has just changed schools in Year 10 (not ideal but necessary). Previously I could go into Asda and buy a blazer for £10 and sew a badge on; buy PE shorts, shirts, and socks from Sports Direct; and get her shirts, trousers and skirts from whereever.

When she changed schools I had to get a blazer (£37), tie (£5), PE kit (including logo'd socks x 2, skirt, shirt x 2, fleece, trackies, shorts = loads of money). Total amount spent £123.

I knew I had to spend out for new uniform but didn't object because I could top it up with own shirts, skirt and trousers. It will last her till she leaves next year. I have found that she treats the more expensive blazer with more respect than the cheap one. She used to have a new Asda blazer each year.

One of the other schools in the town insist on everything being logo'd (apart from maybe the shirts). There is one supplier who has monopoly and there has been a great uprising from parents firstly because of the tiny weeny little logo on trousers and skirts and secondly because they were located in a girls fashion shop and boys really did not want to go to get uniform. It has since been relocated to having its own entrance.

I am a great believer in uniform. You just have to watch American programmes to see some of the problems caused by having to wear civvy clothes every day. My girls have worn uniform since they started primary school and don't even question it. In the winter they come home and get straight into pj's

PolishBigSpender

poet123 wrote: »

Utter rubbish, clearly posted by someone with no grasp of the issues that face UK educators today.

Rubbish? Tell me why British children are turning out dreadfully unhappy, while European children are growing up much happier? The fact that UK schools see fit to pick and obsess over minor trivial issues while ours choose to get on with what they're there for - education, might just have something to do with it.

I would not dream of commenting on the Polish educational system, because I know little about it. You do not seem to suffer the same constraints, yet you evidence little knowledge.......

I lived in the UK, I spoke to many people about the system (I'm an HR specialist, I have good reason to be interested in education!) - and the overwhelming consensus is that British education is very often ran on a principle that children should be seen and not heard.

Brits have such a dreadful reputation throughout the world for being complete idiots?

Really? that will be why there was an influx from Poland and other East European countries to the UK then? As far as I am concerned Brits (educationally speaking, and leaving aside the lager lout minority which come from schools with low standards and are a result of poor parenting)) have a good reputation and are sought after by other countries.

The influx was for solely economic reasons. Nothing to do with the attractiveness of the UK (if you talk to many of them, they'll tell you bluntly that the money is better and the lifestyle is considerably worse!) - and as for Brits being 'sought after' - I can categorically say that apart from the private school educated, Cambridge attending elite - we have absolutely no interest in the rest. Why would we, when a Masters degree is the minimum standard for entry into many jobs here?

Look on the streets of any British city on a Friday night. Compare this to Europe - and you're telling me that Brits are better educated? Come on...

Have you heard of the Brain Drain?

Poland is not exactly famous for producing ground breaking world leaders, in any sphere.

Really?

That would be the same country that produced Walesa, John Paul II, Copernicus, Marie Curie, Sikorsky, Chopin, Mickiewicz, Kieslowski, Max Factor, Michal Marks (of M&S), Malysz among many more?

Perhaps your ignorant comment goes to show how terrible British education actually is.

Many of our kids attain Masters Degrees, two of my sons have them, as do I, and my husband. So, it is not too far from the norm for many in the UK. Nor are those who achieve academically necessarily ill adjusted, as you seem to suggest in one paragraph, and then go on to contradict when referring to the Masters achievements of Polish students.

Those who achieve academically in the UK often do so at the expense of social skills. All the independent studies are showing just that - that UK children are unhappy and growing up in an environment that measures their success in life by test scores and absolutely nothing else. Thankfully, Poland views the personal development of the individual as being just as important as their education.

It is perfectly possible to achieve academically and be a well adjusted individual, I know, I have done it,my kids have done it, their friends have done it, seems ONW has done it. Have you?

I've managed it and most of my peers have managed it - without having to be bullied and intimidated over some clothes. If we can manage it, despite being a poorer country - what's the UK's excuse?

PolishBigSpender

chivers1977 wrote: »

I used to sell school uniform for a large dept store and one of the uniforms for a state school that a certain ex-Prime Ministers children went to http://www.london-oratory.org/tlos/htdocs/content.asp?cat=5&sub=23&sec=51 was unbelievably strict and expensive. The trousers had a tiny LO stitched on the hip and that was the only difference between them and the normal grey ones other than ££££ but apparently the teachers used to check the children to see if the LO was there What difference would that make to the quality of education and is clearly not very inclusive when there are lots of children living not far from the school who would not be able to afford the uniform. Needless to say, you could not just buy the badge for the blazer (though this may have changed

Thank you for perfectly illustrating my point.

The fact that the teachers were spending time checking for tiny logos rather than teaching tells you absolutely everything about the nature of the environment.

chivers1977

I still believe that uniform is right as long as it is inclusive to all. I went to a state grant maintained comprehensive school who were very strict about uniform ie tie to reach the trousers/skirt, blazer unless you were given permission by head teacher and shirt buttoned up. However all items inc PE kit can be bought in the supermarkets except for tie and badge.

mitchaa

If the child in question is not dressed like everyone else, he or she will be bullied, it's as simple as that.

Kids are cruel and when i look back at my school days, all the 'scruffy' ones had a horrid time with the school bullies.

Even those that claimed free school dinners were given a horrid time as everyone associated this with being from a poor family.

Kids are vicious, you wouldn't believe half of it.

Loopy_Girl

mrcow wrote: »

I think Asknanswer has proved more than an adequate knowledge of dental hygiene and care. There is no need to patronise.

To be honest, the continual bleating over what "is recommended" would make any sane parent want to crack their knuckles. It's like so many of the health visitors I've come across who seem to gleam all their "knowledge" from what they've read in whatever guidebook and they then take great pleasure in repeating it verbatim to all and sundry without actually listening to what is being said back to them.

You know it's strange that you have the gall to tell me not to be patronising and then go on with your second paragraph which can only be described as patronising and quite frankly offensive. I have lots of 'knowledge' as you say (not sure how this differs from knowledge apart from the sarcastic undertones mind) and am always happy to share.

I am a sane person and a very sane parent but I also acknowledge that I don't know it all so if I am told something from a person, media or whatever that may benefit my childs well-being then I certainly take note.

But then maybe I just have my childs best interests at heart - no chance of my daughter getting bullied because she's not wearing the correct uniform to school.

Loopy_Girl

mitchaa wrote: »

If the child in question is not dressed like everyone else, he or she will be bullied, it's as simple as that.

Kids are cruel and when i look back at my school days, all the 'scruffy' ones had a horrid time with the school bullies.

Even those that claimed free school dinners were given a horrid time as everyone associated this with being from a poor family.

Kids are vicious, you wouldn't believe half of it.

Exactly. Said that pages back mitchaa and I agree wholeheartedly with you.

Oldernotwiser

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

Thank you for perfectly illustrating my point.

The fact that the teachers were spending time checking for tiny logos rather than teaching tells you absolutely everything about the nature of the environment.

My experience,some years ago, of a strict uniform policy was that it was enforced outside teaching time, not in the classroom. Even if it were, I'd rather teachers were checking logos rather than stopping children knifing each other!

I remember that being able to kick against school uniform policy was a fairly harmless outlet for teenage individuality and general bolshiness which could have found an expression in other, far more harmful, ways.

Penny-Pincher!!

DD is 14 and we can only buy her uniform from 1 shop in the whole world:rolleyes:....the initial outlay was approx £500...the blouses alone are £22 and she only has 2.

We knew the uniform was expensive before she was given a place, but its an excellent school and we cut back elsewhere. We all know our kids will be going to secondary and should expect uniform to be more expensive, so planning ahead is a good idea.

I now keep on top of new uniform by putting £20 a month into a seperate account for her and this covers shoes etc too.

There are usually second hand school shops too.

PP
xx

AsknAnswer

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

No they are not wrong but if you cared to read into further you would find out that it is recommended that juices - any juices - are given as part of a main meal. In between main meals, milk and water are recommended and it's the reason that your school quite sensibly adopted this approach.
I could go into it for you (sugar frequency and 'acid attack') but I don't think you are open to a bit education.

Am glad that your daughter benefited from the duraphat application - here's hoping that we are able to secure more funding for her in later years and also for other children. Of course to do this we need to prove to the SG that we are meeting our targets and that is hard to do especially if parents won't allow their child to be submitted as a number - especially since they were more than happy for their child to benefit.

You really are determined to make her different from her peers aren't you? Different uniform, different drink and I would guess there would be more...poor soul, I actually feel for her.

She doesn't HAVE a different uniform, as I am not the sole parent to object to the ridiculous prices.

I am always open to education, if I weren't then I would not have the knowledge that I have already provided. As for recommendations, it used to be recommended that babies be weaned at 4 months. That has now changed to six months. It used to be a big "no no" to use a dummy, now they say that it can prevent cot death.

As I recall it was not a condition for my daughters data to be shared in order to benefit from the application, it was a choice, and I made my choice. My daughter is 5 years old, not 18. Until she is of the age where she can make decisions about where her data is sent or kept, I will make those decisions for her and at all times where possible prevent her data being shared with others.

I am not answerable to you or anyone else for that matter on what data I chose to share in regard to my child, and I certainly do not appreciate the utter nastiness that is arising from your posts, simply because you do not agree that I should seek to protect the data of my child, or my opinions on the reasonablity of pricing of a school uniform.

My opinions may not be yours but I am perfectly entitled to share my opinion without being accused of being a bad parent and setting my child apart from others simply because I refuse to pay above the odds for a uniform and I wish to protect the data of my child. If you draw yourself out from your own backside, if only for a moment, you may find that I am not the exception to the rule. There are parents a plenty who feel the same way in regard to the sharing of data of their children.