School uniform policy. is it going too far?

Tabbytabitha

Spendless wrote: »

With Grammar school though, you could turn down the place and go to the Secondary Modern instead, which probably didn't have a uniform.

In 1935, my Gran was the only child from her year to pass the 11+ and it was due to the cost of the uniform and text books that her Dad didn't want her to take the place. He was over-ruled by her Mum, who said she was going 'even if I have to get down on hands and knees and scrub' which is exactly what she did, found work as a cleaner to pay the additional costs.

Nowadays even the bog standard local with nothing to write home about exams wise, can have an expensive inflexible uniform policy and most others do too, so changing to somewhere else not always an option.

Secondary moderns in my area (in the 60s) all had a uniform - I never knew a school in that era that didn't. In the 30s I'm sure that was different but that was before grammar schools/secondary moderns were introduced.

onlyroz

thorsoak wrote: »

Yes, my parents could have turned down the grammar school place - but what parent would do that if they could possibly help it - like your gran and her mother. My parents ethos was - if you educate a boy, you get an educated man - if you educate a girl, you educate the next generation!

My grandmother turned down my mum's offer of a place at Grammar school - largely because of the uniform and commuting costs.

Tabbytabitha

onlyroz wrote: »

My grandmother turned down my mum's offer of a place at Grammar school - largely because of the uniform and commuting costs.

Both my parents passed what was then called the Scholarship Exam ( 1920s)but weren't allowed to go for that reason but, more importantly, because the family needed them to leave school at the earliest possible point to earn and bring money into the home.

pigpen

That sounds pretty lenient compared with our school.. they have to have logo'd polo shirts, jumpers/cardigans, full pe kit and tracksuit, fleece, winter coat, hat, scarf, shoes have to be entirely black and flat, mid-grey trousers, not jersey or fleece, black or white socks, black tights and knee length skirts.. they have to have a rucksack style bag too with no visible logo... that is waaay too far... and extortionate.. but not so bad as the school my boys went too where one set of uniform was £600.

but, if it 20p and you dont have it then it is a lot.. do the school not have a second hand box you can buy stuff from?

Tbh.. I'd tell them to get lost, quote equality/disability rights at them and recite their inclusion policy.

maman

I think compared to these Japanese parents, OP got off very cheaply!:eek:
https://news.sky.com/story/outrage-over-japanese-primary-schools-500-armani-uniform-11242189

badmemory

This is not what school uniform used to be all about. It was to stop the discrimination against the less well off & to avoid the school being a version of a fashion show. Now it appears to be a question of how much debt the parents can put on their credit cards - this was not it's purpose.

maman

badmemory wrote: »

This is not what school uniform used to be all about. It was to stop the discrimination against the less well off & to avoid the school being a version of a fashion show. Now it appears to be a question of how much debt the parents can put on their credit cards - this was not it's purpose.

I agree about uniform guarding against a fashion show. That's why OP's daughter isn't allowed zips or leggings or jeggings.

However, there's always been an element of elitism in uniform between schools. That's why private schools and grammars have gone for straw boaters and blazers with braid and that sort of thing. It got to the point where jumpers signified downmarket. So to 'talk up' the fact that they intended to compete for high standards, those schools have introduced 'traditional' uniforms and enforced them strongly.

If parents and pupils don't like it schools will be happy to see them go elsewhere. No school would fight to keep pupils or parents who don't want to follow the school rules.

Fireflyaway

I've thought for years there should be a national school uniform! It would cost pence to produce due to the volume.
When a child starts school they get it for free. There after, its paid out of child benefit which under my proposal would not be paid in cash but in the form of tokens! Sorted. Child benefit tokens could be redeemed for stationary, school uniform, fruit and veg, books etc.

Spendless

Fireflyaway wrote: »

I've thought for years there should be a national school uniform! It would cost pence to produce due to the volume.
When a child starts school they get it for free. There after, its paid out of child benefit which under my proposal would not be paid in cash but in the form of tokens! Sorted. Child benefit tokens could be redeemed for stationary, school uniform, fruit and veg, books etc.

What are you going to do about the households that don't receive CB? The ones where because there's a HR taxpayer in the household they don't qualify, but if the same household income was split more equally between the parents they would?

Tabbytabitha

Fireflyaway wrote: »

I've thought for years there should be a national school uniform! It would cost pence to produce due to the volume.
When a child starts school they get it for free. There after, its paid out of child benefit which under my proposal would not be paid in cash but in the form of tokens! Sorted. Child benefit tokens could be redeemed for stationary, school uniform, fruit and veg, books etc.

I've no problems with CB tokens but one of the reasons for different schools having different uniforms is to distinguish pupils when away from the school.