>CARMEL WRIGHT shares her views on whether we should have school uniforms or not – by looking at the cost, effect on the environment, as well as children’s rights
doctorlysumo on
The majority of other European nations do not have school uniforms as a common requirement in their schools. Why should we?
NewAccEveryDay420day on
No its very expensive and serves no real purpose
Fresh-Status8282 on
I think the tracksuit makes sense at primary level, I never agreed with the jumper/shirt/tie combo though. Back when I was teaching in Covid (during the “keep your doors open in winter, be grand” days), I had a cracking showdown with the principal over expecting the kids to sit coatless in school in the formal uniform. Performative nonsense at its finest.
Edit: tracksuit is very handy when you bring them out on school tours though, easy to spot the stragglers!
Jean_Rasczak on
I went to school when we had no uniforms, they brought them in to reduce the cost on parents
Even today in our school you have a uniform but the school offers to sell the crest on its own so you can buy jumpers from whatever shop and sew them on
They do a couple of swaps during the year and promote people to put the old uniforms which are still in good ocnidtion into the charity shop
People will remove the uniform and then start a whole differnet set of problems. Kids coming in with the latest fashion, if you dont have then you are not with the “in” group etc. Bullying will in reality increase.
The problems in some schools is they pick a single shop to supply the uniform and that shop will then add on a huge margin aware that the parents have no other options. This can be combat as listed above.
Sorry but anyone promoting not wearing a uniform hasn’t really thought about it at all and as I said it will cause massive havock not only for the parents but also for the school.
WickerMan111 on
Primary school, no.
Secondary school, yes as there is more pressure to have expensive clothes to be like their friends etc.
FU_DeputyStagg on
Yes because kids won’t have to have to deal with the stress of having to decide what to wear each morning and parents won’t have to deal with the stress of buying a heap of new clothes for the kids so they can ‘fit in’
Anyone who thinks they shouldn’t have to wear uniforms will be singing a very different tune once they send their kids to school
DrunkDublinCat on
Yes Yes and Yes..Uniform brings equality in children which is very important lesson at that age. Also way less headache for parents to find a new set of clothes for each day.
External-Chemical-71 on
Uniforms are fine, if they fit the intended purpose: reduce the cost and cut out bullying based on what brands kids are wearing.
The way most schools have gone with it though is ridiculous and just bloody wrong: Jumper, tracksuit, polos etc all with school crest, “unique” weird plaid skirts, all available exclusively from that one shop in town, just don’t look too close at who the owner is friends with.
SoloWingPixy88 on
Yes
Haunting-Adagio1166 on
I think yes if it’s just a tracksuit in a plain colour – no crest and can be bought generic – the old Catholic style needs to be scrapped. Even for secondary I think keep the sweatshirt and polo combo and just have skirts/trousers – no need for the knit jumpers, shirts and ties. There’s also no need for a sweatshirt with a crest to cost almost double for no reason! Uniforms can be great for cutting costs, and preventing fashion trends and designer labels isolating some kids. It also cuts time in the mornings with no fussing over what to wear..
tubsunderthetelly on
Yes. School uniforms are a good thing. I would like it though that they are easier to get and not as branded to one school
Dependent-Tax3669 on
3 kids in primary school and none in uniform. It’s good, you just put them in clean clothes/ sporty closes for pe day. It’s not a competition at least in primary school, it’s cheaper as you don’t need to buy yet another set of clothes they will grow out of in 6 months. If you want your kid to go to a school that has a uniform then fine, you do you but don’t try to pretend it’s for any reason other than you like your kids in uniform ( nostalgia ) or it’s the rules for the school you could get ( again fine, it’s hard enough to get places )
Margrave75 on
>the reality is that you need quite a few full sets
Lol, who the fuck is buying multiple uniforms for their kids? Mine have only ever had the one jumper, skirt and tracksuit and got through the school year perfectly fine. 2 or three shirts maybe.
Slubbe on
I think they’re broadly a good idea as long as the mandatory cost is reasonable
If it’s a tracksuit type uniform like i had in primary or a generic black trousers and plain shirt for secondary then they’re cheap, simple and practical
Stops people wearing inappropriate things, and i don’t just mean miniskirts i mean vests, jerseys, sloganed shirts, overdressing and underdressing for the weather – there would be MAGA shirts, tate merch and the weird tops with fake nipples sewn in made for nightclubs
Stops ppl caring about dressing up for school, people with less money/fashion or those who don’t want to show their personal side to essentially mini colleafues
Easy to identify, both in school and out
And for cost, it’s what like €50 for a crested jumper, €10 tie, and the rest is penneys. Too expensive by a lot, but they’re wearing it 5 days a week for most of the year. Having no uniform will inevitably result in ppl needing to buy far more clothes.
Ppl wore their school jumper until the elbows wore out, then the patches wore out after that. Kids especially teens aren’t ever wearing an item of clothing to death like that, and even penneys is €20 a jumper now and lasts 4 washes
Make them have a mandatory cost of €20 for all branded clothes and allow everything else be generic
These-Grapefruit2516 on
I wore a hideous uniform for years and years. I’m glad I did. My family were by no means as wealthy as some of the other parents. I’d have been sneered at by some of my classmates.
ghostofgralton on
Ah autumn: leaves are falling, the evenings close in, and the nation debates school uniforms. Again.
Pintau on
Yes and no. I think a jumper in a particular colour, with a school crest on it should be mandatory. However I don’t think the schools should be able to support business monopolies with exclusive supply deals. They should be required to sell the crests. But at least a common jumper does most of the heavy lifting of preventing school turning into a fashion contest.
Beyond that as long as the kids are dressed decently(no skirts above knee length for example or skin tight pants, or holes in clothes) I don’t see why any adult feels the need to get involved.
boyga01 on
Yes but not bought from cartels that sell it by the container load from china tied to the school because it has the badge. Should be able to buy it from anywhere get rid of the crests it’s not hogwarts.
Heinluck on
Yes, but the definition of uniform sahould be a lot more loose. Example : Plain white T shirt, grey trousers, black shoes. Oh yeah and in PE its everything goes whatever youre comfortable in.
So many schools make you buy the specific jumpers with branding, make you buy the PE kits etc…..
The concept of a uniform is good because it keeps everybody on the same level to a degree, but the schools really really overstep their boundarys…. Banning haircuts, makeups, long hair not tied up etc…..
Fucking weirdo’s I cant lie
ArbolivaSupremacy on
Its fine once fit for purpose and simple.
Every year I hear how schools try to bully teens and even kids into buying the schools branded “uniform” for no justifiable reason.
A shirt, jumper, plain pants and black shoes is fine. Why on earth should anyone be paying for a “school pe uniform” or jacket.
Onzii00 on
I think uniforms are generally a good idea. Its some schools getting notions of themselves and having fancy/expensive uniforms that annoys most people. Plain and simple and clean should be the main requirements imo.
gk4p6q on
Uniform tracksuits is where it’s at.
warnie685 on
From my experience the uniform makes no difference, the kids who feel a need to bully will still bully their victims. Instead of it being about the brand now or whatever it’s because the kids wear their tie properly, or they haven’t cut up the seam of the pants, or they aren’t wearing their skirt short enough.
For those of us who were quite poor the uniform was quite a burden and I dreaded anything would happen to it as my parents would kill me as they would be super stressed about it.
Wolfkatmousey on
No, it’s such a forced thinking to do to children. I was in an all girls Catholic school, and it was HORRENDOUS on me. My twin cousins just started an all religion secondary school recently where they don’t have to wear uniform. Lucky ducks is all I say to that!
logocentric101 on
School uniforms are great, but a little flex is important. We’re lucky with our kids’ school as the uniform is a comfy tracksuit, generic white polo (Multipack from tesco or dunnes) and navy shorts in warm weather (they’re extremely loose on the definition of navy, and don’t care about fabric, style etc.)
Less stress for the kids, less stress for the parents, laundry is easy, no fashion arms race.
Mushie_Peas on
Uniform are fine but why can’t they just be a tracksuit? Why does a 12 year have to wear a shirt and tie, I’m 40 and fuck all of my age group wear ties to work.
I don’t understand why we have to make the kids wear uncomfortable stuff, what purpose is it serving?
Berrywonderland on
France here. No uniform.
Bully will not be stopped by uniform. Ur bag. Shoes. Hair style etc.
There’s loads of opportunities to single somebody out with or without uniform. Clothe are just an excuse.
I do like them though. It gives a sense of community and belonging but I think it is mostly thanks to the amazing teachers rather than the uniform.
The price is a bollucks and sellers are taking advantage of monopoly. School should do more to not facilitate that… also because there are no competitors the quality of the clothing is borderline child abuse to be honest especially for the smaller children.
:/
I love the uniforms but sellers need to be dealt with? 😜 I don’t think they re evil lol. But maybe taking the piss a little.
JoebyTeo on
I think school uniforms feed the culture of classism in Ireland rather than strip it. Every moderate sized town in the country has multiple schools with mixed reputations. The “posh school”, the “rough school” etc. Uniforms make that visibly obvious and build a class identity very early on. Breaking that sense of identity I actually think is a good thing. Leave the Ross O’Carroll Kelly view of Ireland in the mid-2000s where it belongs.
Difficult-Set-3151 on
Do we need a different uniform for each school? If we had one type of uniform, that wasn’t branded, the economies of scale would make them very affordable.
BitterSweetDesire on
Absolutely not…
School Tracksuit yes, Shirt and tie no
ambidextrousalpaca on
As a kid, I remember being quite aware of the relative socio-economic positions of all of the kids in all of the schools I went to. Somehow, requiring everyone to wear the same shitty, itchy, over-priced, cold-in-winter-yet-hot-in-summer, grey polyester jumpers and trousers failed to erase the class system.
BenderRodriguez14 on
Down with homework?
worktemp on
I sort of liked wearing a uniform, wearing the exact same thing every day was very easy.
AshleyG1 on
No, they shouldn’t. It’s 2024 not 1824. Much the same mindset from the “moral panic” crowd who want to ban phones…yeah, let’s live as if it’s the 50s. Uniforms are ridiculous. Let people wear clothes they’re comfortable in, and use the tech that’s part of their lives. We’re dealing with people here, not robots that you try to shape to your own adult (?!) conformities.
Otherwise-Winner9643 on
I understand asking kids to wear a uniform, but why do they need to be uncomfortable, scratchy and expensive? Most people don’t even wear ties to work anymore, so it’s archaic kids need them for a school uniform.
Why can’t they be a comfortable plain black tracksuit with a sewn-on crest or something?
thepazzo on
Circular issued to schools to use generic uniforms. Most schools ignoring.
Very few European schools use uniforms and I don’t think bullying more rampant there than anywhere else.
Irish schools OTT on crested jumpers, school jackets, black-out shoes etc. This aggressively implemented in many schools.
Like prison
LazyLlamaDaisy on
completely outdated, sexist, misogynistic, ugly, uncomfortable, expensive, limits self expression. Bullies will know whether your kid has an iPhone 15 or a xiaomi, or how much your debs dress costs, if you have a bracelet from Pandora or Claire’s and what car the parents are driving, even if everyone is wearing a uniform.
Marzipan_civil on
My kid goes to an educate together school so no uniform, I like it because I can just buy her clothes as and when she grows. No need to worry is she needing a particular new skirt or jumper. None of the kids seem to really care what each other wears, perhaps that is more of an issue as they get older. In any case, I need to get her “not-school” clothes for weekends and holidays, so it seems pointless to get a whole new set for school too.
CreativeBandicoot778 on
Must be September. Time for the annual debate.
My kid attends an ETNS – no uniform. Not once in all her years attending has she ever asked for brand specific clothes. She likes being able to wear what she wants, likes to be comfortable.
Our school bill for the whole school year is €150 so it does help with costs imo.
lilmuncherr on
For me it’s the issue with quality. Nearly 100% polyester is hellish to wear for over 6 hours for such outrageous prices
SpareZealousideal740 on
Generic uniform with no crests would be fine. Just plain jump and grey/navy pants and you’d be fine.
Defiant_Vast5640 on
I remember my childhood, primary school, my secondary school didn’t have a uniform, I’ll continue this point in awhile. I remember this kid, his name was Francis, he was always late for school and always getting in trouble for it, I remember him crying saying it wasn’t his fault, his father was working late each night and slept in and was his lift to school. Francis always had this off brand uniform (which he got shit for too, our school was stuck up it’s own hole and if you didn’t have the crest you were commiting sacrilege) but I remember running into him once during the summer holidays, this was down the road from my house, I’d never run into him outside school before. He was wearing his school uniform. It was tattered, strings coming out of it, Holes here and there and I said to him, “Francis, it’s the hols, why are you wearing your uniform?” He said to me “I don’t have any other clothes to wear.”
Secondary school like I said, no uniform, wear what you want. I got shit for wearing band merchandise, shit from the teachers and shit from the other assholes I was stuck in a class with 8 hours a day. Others got shit for not wearing brand clothing.
My point is, you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t. Uniforms cost a ridiculous amount of money, money spent on them could deprive a child of normal everyday clothing. Wearing off brand clothes gets your child bullied. There’s no real win. If I could choose though? 100% my own clothes, let a person find their identity and not be a damn clone of everyone else.
Francis, 30 years later and I still think of you, I hope life worked out for you.
SimpleJohn20 on
I’ve seen a few posts in here saying that uniforms are great because “parents avoid having to buy their kids other clothes or brands”.
Do your kids wear their uniforms after school, to bed, at weekends, at training, during Christmas and the summer holidays or something?
Kids only spend 13% of their time on school grounds within the calendar year.
The logic is a bit strange…
VamanosMuchachos on
Clothes bullying probably isn’t a huge issue anymore with the world of fast fashion & to be honest there was/is still plenty of shit to get bullied for. Clothing is just one item for the pile.
It’s shit parents and shit kids that need to change but good luck with that.
I didn’t mind a uniform. You knew exactly what you were wearing every day, stress free, throw this on and head into school.
Bespoke expensive uniforms can fuck right off though.
Nice cheap basic kit with a crest or whatever, sorted.
We got this one polo before with a crest and it would burn the nipple off you. Horrendous yoke. Solution was to wear a T-shirt under it but having a polo and a T-shirt, playing football for break in slacks and then going in for double maths was some craic.
45 Comments
>CARMEL WRIGHT shares her views on whether we should have school uniforms or not – by looking at the cost, effect on the environment, as well as children’s rights
The majority of other European nations do not have school uniforms as a common requirement in their schools. Why should we?
No its very expensive and serves no real purpose
I think the tracksuit makes sense at primary level, I never agreed with the jumper/shirt/tie combo though. Back when I was teaching in Covid (during the “keep your doors open in winter, be grand” days), I had a cracking showdown with the principal over expecting the kids to sit coatless in school in the formal uniform. Performative nonsense at its finest.
Edit: tracksuit is very handy when you bring them out on school tours though, easy to spot the stragglers!
I went to school when we had no uniforms, they brought them in to reduce the cost on parents
Even today in our school you have a uniform but the school offers to sell the crest on its own so you can buy jumpers from whatever shop and sew them on
They do a couple of swaps during the year and promote people to put the old uniforms which are still in good ocnidtion into the charity shop
People will remove the uniform and then start a whole differnet set of problems. Kids coming in with the latest fashion, if you dont have then you are not with the “in” group etc. Bullying will in reality increase.
The problems in some schools is they pick a single shop to supply the uniform and that shop will then add on a huge margin aware that the parents have no other options. This can be combat as listed above.
Sorry but anyone promoting not wearing a uniform hasn’t really thought about it at all and as I said it will cause massive havock not only for the parents but also for the school.
Primary school, no.
Secondary school, yes as there is more pressure to have expensive clothes to be like their friends etc.
Yes because kids won’t have to have to deal with the stress of having to decide what to wear each morning and parents won’t have to deal with the stress of buying a heap of new clothes for the kids so they can ‘fit in’
Anyone who thinks they shouldn’t have to wear uniforms will be singing a very different tune once they send their kids to school
Yes Yes and Yes..Uniform brings equality in children which is very important lesson at that age. Also way less headache for parents to find a new set of clothes for each day.
Uniforms are fine, if they fit the intended purpose: reduce the cost and cut out bullying based on what brands kids are wearing.
The way most schools have gone with it though is ridiculous and just bloody wrong: Jumper, tracksuit, polos etc all with school crest, “unique” weird plaid skirts, all available exclusively from that one shop in town, just don’t look too close at who the owner is friends with.
Yes
I think yes if it’s just a tracksuit in a plain colour – no crest and can be bought generic – the old Catholic style needs to be scrapped. Even for secondary I think keep the sweatshirt and polo combo and just have skirts/trousers – no need for the knit jumpers, shirts and ties. There’s also no need for a sweatshirt with a crest to cost almost double for no reason! Uniforms can be great for cutting costs, and preventing fashion trends and designer labels isolating some kids. It also cuts time in the mornings with no fussing over what to wear..
Yes. School uniforms are a good thing. I would like it though that they are easier to get and not as branded to one school
3 kids in primary school and none in uniform. It’s good, you just put them in clean clothes/ sporty closes for pe day. It’s not a competition at least in primary school, it’s cheaper as you don’t need to buy yet another set of clothes they will grow out of in 6 months. If you want your kid to go to a school that has a uniform then fine, you do you but don’t try to pretend it’s for any reason other than you like your kids in uniform ( nostalgia ) or it’s the rules for the school you could get ( again fine, it’s hard enough to get places )
>the reality is that you need quite a few full sets
Lol, who the fuck is buying multiple uniforms for their kids? Mine have only ever had the one jumper, skirt and tracksuit and got through the school year perfectly fine. 2 or three shirts maybe.
I think they’re broadly a good idea as long as the mandatory cost is reasonable
If it’s a tracksuit type uniform like i had in primary or a generic black trousers and plain shirt for secondary then they’re cheap, simple and practical
Stops people wearing inappropriate things, and i don’t just mean miniskirts i mean vests, jerseys, sloganed shirts, overdressing and underdressing for the weather – there would be MAGA shirts, tate merch and the weird tops with fake nipples sewn in made for nightclubs
Stops ppl caring about dressing up for school, people with less money/fashion or those who don’t want to show their personal side to essentially mini colleafues
Easy to identify, both in school and out
And for cost, it’s what like €50 for a crested jumper, €10 tie, and the rest is penneys. Too expensive by a lot, but they’re wearing it 5 days a week for most of the year. Having no uniform will inevitably result in ppl needing to buy far more clothes.
Ppl wore their school jumper until the elbows wore out, then the patches wore out after that. Kids especially teens aren’t ever wearing an item of clothing to death like that, and even penneys is €20 a jumper now and lasts 4 washes
Make them have a mandatory cost of €20 for all branded clothes and allow everything else be generic
I wore a hideous uniform for years and years. I’m glad I did. My family were by no means as wealthy as some of the other parents. I’d have been sneered at by some of my classmates.
Ah autumn: leaves are falling, the evenings close in, and the nation debates school uniforms. Again.
Yes and no. I think a jumper in a particular colour, with a school crest on it should be mandatory. However I don’t think the schools should be able to support business monopolies with exclusive supply deals. They should be required to sell the crests. But at least a common jumper does most of the heavy lifting of preventing school turning into a fashion contest.
Beyond that as long as the kids are dressed decently(no skirts above knee length for example or skin tight pants, or holes in clothes) I don’t see why any adult feels the need to get involved.
Yes but not bought from cartels that sell it by the container load from china tied to the school because it has the badge. Should be able to buy it from anywhere get rid of the crests it’s not hogwarts.
Yes, but the definition of uniform sahould be a lot more loose. Example : Plain white T shirt, grey trousers, black shoes. Oh yeah and in PE its everything goes whatever youre comfortable in.
So many schools make you buy the specific jumpers with branding, make you buy the PE kits etc…..
The concept of a uniform is good because it keeps everybody on the same level to a degree, but the schools really really overstep their boundarys…. Banning haircuts, makeups, long hair not tied up etc…..
Fucking weirdo’s I cant lie
Its fine once fit for purpose and simple.
Every year I hear how schools try to bully teens and even kids into buying the schools branded “uniform” for no justifiable reason.
A shirt, jumper, plain pants and black shoes is fine. Why on earth should anyone be paying for a “school pe uniform” or jacket.
I think uniforms are generally a good idea. Its some schools getting notions of themselves and having fancy/expensive uniforms that annoys most people. Plain and simple and clean should be the main requirements imo.
Uniform tracksuits is where it’s at.
From my experience the uniform makes no difference, the kids who feel a need to bully will still bully their victims. Instead of it being about the brand now or whatever it’s because the kids wear their tie properly, or they haven’t cut up the seam of the pants, or they aren’t wearing their skirt short enough.
For those of us who were quite poor the uniform was quite a burden and I dreaded anything would happen to it as my parents would kill me as they would be super stressed about it.
No, it’s such a forced thinking to do to children. I was in an all girls Catholic school, and it was HORRENDOUS on me. My twin cousins just started an all religion secondary school recently where they don’t have to wear uniform. Lucky ducks is all I say to that!
School uniforms are great, but a little flex is important. We’re lucky with our kids’ school as the uniform is a comfy tracksuit, generic white polo (Multipack from tesco or dunnes) and navy shorts in warm weather (they’re extremely loose on the definition of navy, and don’t care about fabric, style etc.)
Less stress for the kids, less stress for the parents, laundry is easy, no fashion arms race.
Uniform are fine but why can’t they just be a tracksuit? Why does a 12 year have to wear a shirt and tie, I’m 40 and fuck all of my age group wear ties to work.
I don’t understand why we have to make the kids wear uncomfortable stuff, what purpose is it serving?
France here. No uniform.
Bully will not be stopped by uniform. Ur bag. Shoes. Hair style etc.
There’s loads of opportunities to single somebody out with or without uniform. Clothe are just an excuse.
I do like them though. It gives a sense of community and belonging but I think it is mostly thanks to the amazing teachers rather than the uniform.
The price is a bollucks and sellers are taking advantage of monopoly. School should do more to not facilitate that… also because there are no competitors the quality of the clothing is borderline child abuse to be honest especially for the smaller children.
:/
I love the uniforms but sellers need to be dealt with? 😜 I don’t think they re evil lol. But maybe taking the piss a little.
I think school uniforms feed the culture of classism in Ireland rather than strip it. Every moderate sized town in the country has multiple schools with mixed reputations. The “posh school”, the “rough school” etc. Uniforms make that visibly obvious and build a class identity very early on. Breaking that sense of identity I actually think is a good thing. Leave the Ross O’Carroll Kelly view of Ireland in the mid-2000s where it belongs.
Do we need a different uniform for each school? If we had one type of uniform, that wasn’t branded, the economies of scale would make them very affordable.
Absolutely not…
School Tracksuit yes, Shirt and tie no
As a kid, I remember being quite aware of the relative socio-economic positions of all of the kids in all of the schools I went to. Somehow, requiring everyone to wear the same shitty, itchy, over-priced, cold-in-winter-yet-hot-in-summer, grey polyester jumpers and trousers failed to erase the class system.
Down with homework?
I sort of liked wearing a uniform, wearing the exact same thing every day was very easy.
No, they shouldn’t. It’s 2024 not 1824. Much the same mindset from the “moral panic” crowd who want to ban phones…yeah, let’s live as if it’s the 50s. Uniforms are ridiculous. Let people wear clothes they’re comfortable in, and use the tech that’s part of their lives. We’re dealing with people here, not robots that you try to shape to your own adult (?!) conformities.
I understand asking kids to wear a uniform, but why do they need to be uncomfortable, scratchy and expensive? Most people don’t even wear ties to work anymore, so it’s archaic kids need them for a school uniform.
Why can’t they be a comfortable plain black tracksuit with a sewn-on crest or something?
Circular issued to schools to use generic uniforms. Most schools ignoring.
Very few European schools use uniforms and I don’t think bullying more rampant there than anywhere else.
Irish schools OTT on crested jumpers, school jackets, black-out shoes etc. This aggressively implemented in many schools.
Like prison
completely outdated, sexist, misogynistic, ugly, uncomfortable, expensive, limits self expression. Bullies will know whether your kid has an iPhone 15 or a xiaomi, or how much your debs dress costs, if you have a bracelet from Pandora or Claire’s and what car the parents are driving, even if everyone is wearing a uniform.
My kid goes to an educate together school so no uniform, I like it because I can just buy her clothes as and when she grows. No need to worry is she needing a particular new skirt or jumper. None of the kids seem to really care what each other wears, perhaps that is more of an issue as they get older. In any case, I need to get her “not-school” clothes for weekends and holidays, so it seems pointless to get a whole new set for school too.
Must be September. Time for the annual debate.
My kid attends an ETNS – no uniform. Not once in all her years attending has she ever asked for brand specific clothes. She likes being able to wear what she wants, likes to be comfortable.
Our school bill for the whole school year is €150 so it does help with costs imo.
For me it’s the issue with quality. Nearly 100% polyester is hellish to wear for over 6 hours for such outrageous prices
Generic uniform with no crests would be fine. Just plain jump and grey/navy pants and you’d be fine.
I remember my childhood, primary school, my secondary school didn’t have a uniform, I’ll continue this point in awhile. I remember this kid, his name was Francis, he was always late for school and always getting in trouble for it, I remember him crying saying it wasn’t his fault, his father was working late each night and slept in and was his lift to school. Francis always had this off brand uniform (which he got shit for too, our school was stuck up it’s own hole and if you didn’t have the crest you were commiting sacrilege) but I remember running into him once during the summer holidays, this was down the road from my house, I’d never run into him outside school before. He was wearing his school uniform. It was tattered, strings coming out of it, Holes here and there and I said to him, “Francis, it’s the hols, why are you wearing your uniform?” He said to me “I don’t have any other clothes to wear.”
Secondary school like I said, no uniform, wear what you want. I got shit for wearing band merchandise, shit from the teachers and shit from the other assholes I was stuck in a class with 8 hours a day. Others got shit for not wearing brand clothing.
My point is, you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t. Uniforms cost a ridiculous amount of money, money spent on them could deprive a child of normal everyday clothing. Wearing off brand clothes gets your child bullied. There’s no real win. If I could choose though? 100% my own clothes, let a person find their identity and not be a damn clone of everyone else.
Francis, 30 years later and I still think of you, I hope life worked out for you.
I’ve seen a few posts in here saying that uniforms are great because “parents avoid having to buy their kids other clothes or brands”.
Do your kids wear their uniforms after school, to bed, at weekends, at training, during Christmas and the summer holidays or something?
Kids only spend 13% of their time on school grounds within the calendar year.
The logic is a bit strange…
Clothes bullying probably isn’t a huge issue anymore with the world of fast fashion & to be honest there was/is still plenty of shit to get bullied for. Clothing is just one item for the pile.
It’s shit parents and shit kids that need to change but good luck with that.
I didn’t mind a uniform. You knew exactly what you were wearing every day, stress free, throw this on and head into school.
Bespoke expensive uniforms can fuck right off though.
Nice cheap basic kit with a crest or whatever, sorted.
We got this one polo before with a crest and it would burn the nipple off you. Horrendous yoke. Solution was to wear a T-shirt under it but having a polo and a T-shirt, playing football for break in slacks and then going in for double maths was some craic.