Opinions on school uniforms

[sammycat]

Most schools have a uniform shop where good quality used uniforms can be sold or purchased. Uniforms are also rather hay and can last several years, providing there is room in them for growth.

My younger DS didn't really grow much from grade 2 to grade 7 and I bought his uniforms a size larger assuming he's grow into them over the next year or 2. He was still wearing the same uniform (grade 2) when he graduated grade 7. So he was very economical.

[Dindrane]

I attended public school in the US, and wore uniforms for some of the years I was in school (but mostly didn't wear them).

My middle school started off with a relatively strict dress code when I was in 6th grade, and decided to institute uniforms when I was in 7th grade. The uniform consisted polo shirts purchased from the school (with logos, and in the oh-so-lovely school colors of bright red, bright purple, white, or black), khaki bottoms that were supposed to be specific brands (although that rule wasn't ever really enforced), and sweatshirts purchased from the school (that also had the logo, and were either red or black).

In theory, I didn't necessarily think the uniforms were a terrible idea. They relaxed some parts of the dress code when they introduced the uniform, so that was a plus. I didn't have any particular objection to wearing the same clothing as everyone else, and it certainly made getting dressed easier in the morning.

What I objected to was that the polo shirts and sweatshirts that had to be purchased from the school were cheap in quality, and more expensive than they ought to have been. As a result, I only had like 3 shirts and had to do a ridiculous amount of laundry. I also objected to khaki bottoms specifically. I started getting my period when I was in 7th grade, and as is common with lots of girls just starting, had no ability to predict when I would get it. I had multiple situations myself (and witnessed several more) where I ended up with stained pants or shorts because my period surprised me. It was made worse by the fact that I was lucky to have time to use the bathroom once in the average school day. I once had to beg a teacher to give me a bathroom pass (during a class called "enrichment", which translated to "do your homework or amuse yourself or whatever") so I could take care of a period emergency after the inside legs of my shorts were already massively stained. Given a choice, I'd have been in jeans or at least dark pants to avoid some of the embarrassment.

I also had very few clothing options outside of school, and when I started high school where there was no uniform. I'm sure my parents saved some money on my clothing while I was wearing a uniform, because I wore the same set of clothing for two years. But they spent all that they saved and then some once I was back to no uniforms and realized I had nothing to wear. Had I been able to spread out my clothing purchases over the two year period, I probably would have bought less (because I would have liked what I bought more). Instead, I bought a ton of new clothes when I started high school, but ended up not liking a lot of it because I was going for quantity and didn't have the luxury of waiting around for clothes I really liked to be available in stores.

I just really hate that I spent so much of my adolescence feeling like I looked awful. The colors available in my middle school's uniforms looked awful on me, and my khaki shorts/pants were both unflattering and (by the time I was in 8th grade) too short. Outside of school, I had very little to choose from. It took me most (possibly all) of high school to really settle into clothing styles that actually looked good on me. Teenagers have to deal with enough self-image problems already, and I really think that my brief stint with uniforms made mine worse.

The whole thing might have been better if I'd been in uniforms for my whole school career, or at least continued wearing them once I started. But having experienced a strict dress code/uniforms in middle school, and a pretty lax dress code in high school, I preferred high school. People wore inappropriate clothing at both schools, but I was a heck of a lot more comfortable (physically and with my self-image) when I got to pick out what to wear each morning.

[Library Dragon]

As someone bullied throughout school over my clothes I would have loved a uniform. 

DS1 wore a uniform 1-3 grades (when we moved the closest Catholic school was in the next county).  In high school he opted for his own uniform of khakis and polos.  In the earlier grades we could go to Sears and pick up pants and shirts. 

DS2 attended our new parish school from grades 2-8.  It was great.  A lot of time saved each morning getting dressed.  He could wear his khaki long pants or shorts, long sleeve or short sleeve polo in white or green.  No logos allowed.  Girls did have a skirt option.

Only having to buy 2-3 pairs of pants and 3-5 shirts kepts clothes costs down.  Used uniform sales at the end and beginning of each school we're also helpful. 

I can guarantee that uniforms did not stifle self expression.  Students poured creativity into the manga society, band, sports, drama, debate club., etc. 

[Ereine]

We didn't have uniforms and they seemed like something exotic that happens in other countries. We also had no idea that bonding with the school was supposed to be important, no lectures on how our behavior affects the school's reputation or a dress code. We were just there to be taught, what school it was wasn't really relevant. It does seem that schools in some countries are more about all aspects of life, our schools seem to emphasize just the learning and children go elsewhere for hobbies, especially sports.

I'm sure that uniforms can be useful but as my whole country survives well without them (though it's possible that some of the few private schools have them, I haven't heard of any) it doesn't seem that essential to me. Nor does it always follow that there will be bullying because of clothes, at least there really wasn't in my school (which might be the sole exception of course). I was teased for some things but never because my clothes tended to be pretty bizarre and there wasn't any emphasis on designer clothes. That might have been because it was the 1990s during a bad recession in Finland in a part of town where people didn't have that much money, I think that Levi's was the fanciest brand we had. Personally I'm happy that I didn't have to wear uniforms, I developed really early and having to wear clothes cut for children would have probably made that experience even worse than it was.

[CakeEater]

We didn't have uniforms and they seemed like something exotic that happens in other countries. We also had no idea that bonding with the school was supposed to be important, no lectures on how our behavior affects the school's reputation or a dress code. We were just there to be taught, what school it was wasn't really relevant. It does seem that schools in some countries are more about all aspects of life, our schools seem to emphasize just the learning and children go elsewhere for hobbies, especially sports.

I'm sure that uniforms can be useful but as my whole country survives well without them (though it's possible that some of the few private schools have them, I haven't heard of any) it doesn't seem that essential to me. Nor does it always follow that there will be bullying because of clothes, at least there really wasn't in my school (which might be the sole exception of course). I was teased for some things but never because my clothes tended to be pretty bizarre and there wasn't any emphasis on designer clothes. That might have been because it was the 1990s during a bad recession in Finland in a part of town where people didn't have that much money, I think that Levi's was the fanciest brand we had. Personally I'm happy that I didn't have to wear uniforms, I developed really early and having to wear clothes cut for children would have probably made that experience even worse than it was.

I love the idea of uniforms, and would choose a school for my kids which had a uniform over one that didn't, and in fact would choose a school that more strictly enforced the correct wearing of the uniform over one that didn't.

However, Finland seems to have such an exceptional education system, that I couldn't criticize anything you guys do in your schools!

The way you dress is such a small part of your creative outlet. Schools have so many ways for kids to be creative. Wearing a uniform doesn't stifle that in the slightest.

[Library Dragon]

Ereine,

I cannot speak for all uniforms, but at the school DS2 attended and where I was the librarian you wouldn't have had to wear children's clothes.  There were/are options for women's polos.  I owned a few which were nice on school trips.  The cut is definitely more appropriate for adults and young teenage girls who filled out.

[MrsJWine]

I always wished we'd had uniforms. I was the poor kid whose dad drove the horrible old junkers. I know uniforms wouldn't have fixed it, but it would have taken a huge dent out of the things they could pick on me for. And maybe during the day the disparity wouldn't have been so large.

As I got older, though, and moved to a better school, it started to matter less what we wore. By my senior year, there were two kinds of popular kids: the rich/good-looking/jock types who were popular whether they had a good personality or not, and the kids who were popular because they were funny or kind or likable in some other way. So, I wouldn't have cared one way or another as a high school student. I really enjoyed it, despite not being able to afford great clothes. Most of the people in my class matured into great people through those four years.

Judging by other people's high school experiences, though, this is not the norm.

[sammycat]

In the other thread, I saw it is standard that someone who is wearing a school uniform--outside of school hours, away from school grounds--represents that school with their actions. I would...not appreciate that, as a child, teen or adult. We all do things we may not be proud of, especially when we are young and our think-it-through hasn't developed yet, and I'd have a huge problem being disciplined at school for something that had nothing to do with said school and, perhaps, I'd already been disciplined for at home, or at a store.

As an adult, I have seen people disciplined for conduct while in a labeled uniform or labeled truck while on company business. The only time I've seen someone affected by off-hours conduct is when the conduct is observed, personally, by other coworkers, clients or supervisors. Granted, some jobs may hold off-hours employees to a higher standard, but perhaps that's why I don't have one of those jobs.

I understand what you are saying, and to some extent agree with you. However, when kids are wagging during the school day and partaking in illegal activities (I've witnessed this) then if they're stupid enough to do it whilst in school uniform then they deserve everything that's thrown at them when they're caught/reported.

[Lindee]

I forgot to mention, an added bonus of uniforms is on school excursions, it is so much easier to keep track of students ( I worked in Special Ed, so doubly important) when they are in uniform.

I'm not sure of the cut for children sizing comment, our school went from age 5 to 17/18 so adult sizes were readily available, my son was 6' 3" by the time he was 14.   We had a uniform shop run by the Parents & Friends and second hand items were sold on consignment or outright but the new costs were reasonable and I'm convinced cost less than the designer brands my daughter would have been begging for.  The only cost I regretted was their final year jumpers which were specially printed for that year, so couldn't be passed on, and in my daughters case, only arrived when winter was almost over so got about a weeks wear.

[sammycat]

I forgot to mention, an added bonus of uniforms is on school excursions, it is so much easier to keep track of students ( I worked in Special Ed, so doubly important) when they are in uniform.

Very good point.  It was especially useful when we went to places that had other school present at the same time.

[Ereine]

Ereine,

I cannot speak for all uniforms, but at the school DS2 attended and where I was the librarian you wouldn't have had to wear children's clothes.  There were/are options for women's polos.  I owned a few which were nice on school trips.  The cut is definitely more appropriate for adults and young teenage girls who filled out.

That's good to know, I got the impression that different grade levels would wear different type of clothes (though obviously that would be very regional). Our schools tend to be very divided between elementary, middle and high school and it's rare that schools will have students from 7 to 19, though there are some. So unless the whole town had the same uniform it would probably be quite inconvenient for the 12 year old with an adult's body who was still in elementary school as it isn't so common that there would be a need for larger uniforms (unless of course the teachers wore them too). I guess that for school uniforms to really work it needs a different system from ours. I can see the benefits though, especially on excursions.

[Katana_Geldar]

Normally students here go to two schools and need two uniforms. Primary school and high school.

[amandaelizabeth]

Here in New Zealand, uniforms are uniform!.  I can remember when I was at school almost 55 years ago now thinking how easy it was to just put on a uniform. In high school it was very important that your uniform did not look new and you washed and washed your skirt until it was faded and worn.  I had a quiet laugh when my daughter started high school and begged me to buy a second hand one that looked well used.  Somethings do stay the same generation to generation.

Oh and her sixth and seventh form had the option to wear mufti, but after a wild burst of enthusiasm at the beginning of the year, I noticed that most of the pupils went back into uniform. for the rest of the year. 

[Jones]

I'm starting to feel jealous of the private schools you guys are writing about here 

Not because of the uniforms, but of the two private schools in my area, they are academic ONLY. Reading, writing, history, science, social studies. No music, no art, no physical education, tons of homework in the evenings. Some parents pay for outside-school lessons (one little girl was in my daughter's dance class) but from what I've heard/seen, they are very academically driven.

The public schools here have one day each week when the kids get an award (small treat, pencil, etc) for wearing the school's colors. Any style within dress code, just so long as it's the right color.

[Thipu1]

In High School, the girls had to wear full uniform (plaid skirt, a distinctive corded nylon blouse, wool blazer, stockings and saddle shoes).  The boys only had to wear a jacket and tie.  Of course, no jeans or sneakers were allowed. 

Final exams were in June and the school had no AC.  This caused a problem because mid June could get hot.  The boys were allowed to take their jackets off during an exam.  Because it was just possible that a bra strap could be seen through the nylon blouse, the girls had to keep their wool blazers on.  Why they couldn't just put all the girls in the back of the room and the boys in the front, I'll never know.