Children are annoying

It became fashionable in the 1970s to have a different colour streak put in the front of your hair. I had brown hair and a natural very blonde streak (now it's a grey streak). Changing your hair colour was banned by the school and I was constantly in trouble even though I couldn't do a thing about it.

I had some of my most humiliating clothes moments at school. The PE teachers would do knicker and bra checks (you had to wear big knickers and plain unwired bras) and skirt length checks when you had to kneel on the floor. If your skirt didn't touch the floor you were in serious trouble.

They don't seem to want any form of natural creativity these days, Deedaa. Even 'creative' subjects are tested to the nth degree. Surely we should give children the time to learn/do something just for the sheer enjoyment discovering something or creating something.

I've always thought that one of the main purposes of school uniform was to encourage creativity in the way it is adapted. I don't know if anyone remembers the fashion for long wooly bloomers in the early 60's. These looked quite "remarkable" when paired with aschool skirt turned over at the top half a dozen times. I was behind a long, but ultimately unsuccessful, campaign to be allowed to wear black stockings to school and was one of the subversive crew who used to colour their hair.

It certainly does. The public system does not educate children to think and question anymore although the private system still seems to. Call me a conspiracy theorist but seems we'll have a small elite who can think for themselves and a majority of order following automatons.

Brave new world is on it's way.

that explains a lot.

A friend once had an interview to do teacher training. It seemed to go well but he was not successful.
On asking for feedback, he was told 'You think for yourself too much'.
That you explains a lot

I don't see how turning up a collar shows disrespect or affects learning. DD2 was mature and sensible. She understood there was a time to conform and a time to express herself. She challenged what she felt was a ridiculous rule. A turned up collar could get her put into isolation when the school was falling apart due to bullying which they insisted wasn't happening. Most teachers described her as a pleasure to have in their lessons because she would challenge them in a reasoned manner and make them think about what they were teaching. They enjoyed the to and fro of debate.

She had a very successful work experience. The company commented on her mature attitude, willingness to learn, time keeping etc and imo importantly she was complimented on her ability to use her own initiative.

If we train our children to conform mindlessly then we risk weakening their ability to think for themselves.

There used to be a school exchange shop in Edinburgh as long ago as the 70's where you could obtain second hand uniforms and sports kits for the Edinburgh schools. My mother relied on it for blazers for my brothers.

vampire queen I cant agree with you, teenagers can express their individuality in their own time. Lack of respect to their uniform shows their lack of respect to the school and lack of feeling that they belong.

If they have the inner discipline to wear their clothes properly then it shows they are mature and sensible.

If I was a prospective employer seeking youngsters for work experience I would pick the neat tidy ones with uniform worn properly and not looking like scarecrows.

I had many an argument about uniforms with DD and I would not let her friends in the house if they dressed like scruffs. My daughter now says I was right so I must have a point.

Teenagers mess with their uniforms because they're at the age when they feel the need to express their individuality. They're finding out who they are.

I have nothing against school uniform. As mentioned by others it stops the fashion parade and all children belong to a community. But they're not in the armed forces. It's not necessary to make them conform to an imposed idea of dress code. DD2 was in the proper uniform but , wore her collar up Elvis style. If they'd left her alone she'd have stopped much sooner. By making a fuss they blew the situation out of all proportion.

The ultimate example of the ridiculous zero tolerance rules happened to one of her friends who went to school in black trainers because her school shoe had ripped that morning. She was handed a pair of black stilettos to totter around in all day. Shoes that would have been appropriate for a night on the town were deemed more suitable than a pair of trainers for a day at school.

As governors, we found that giving the students ownership of school uniform by way of their spokespersons on the school council, was the best way to persuade them to take a pride in wearing it. Some years after governors decided to abolish blazers, the students asked for them to be reinstated.

when my DD was in high school I had such problems getting her to wear her uniform properly, ties were left hanging loose, shirts out of trousers and mini skirts were indecent, the school never seemed to care. We could buy from anywhere as long as they wore black trousers and black sweatshirts or ties and white shirts. . It was cheap enough as I could buy white shirts for £3 and trousers for £4.
can anyone tell me why do teenagers want to desecrate their uniforms, it looks much more grown up to be tidy and smart.

Nowadys what a difference, the high school has become an academy and I see teenagers walking along with their expensive uniforms worn properly, ties knotted, shirts tucked in and they are all carrying their briefcases/music bags or just a neat school bag. they look so responsible and ready to face the world as grown ups, yes the uniforms cost £400 and must be bought from the school itself but they have a second hand shop and the parents seem to manage. It seems that wearing the uniform makes them feel responsible as their is no shouting/running or silly behaviour. I much prefer a strict uniform policy.

It is quite wrong for state schools to have such particular rules for school uniform, by all means have a uniform make sure its affordable at generic uniform shops.
There is a school in a small town near me that became an academy because it was failing. It's in one of the less affluent towns in the area and their new uniform involved a blazer with all sort of fancy braid on it. As if that alone would improve results.

I am in favour of school uniform to stop the school day becoming a designer lable fashion show. Some head teachers get above their station.

The school was good then a new headteacher took over and decided to stamp his mark on it. He decided that there would be zero tolerance on a lot of minor issues and it got worse and worse whilst DD2 was there. The school was over subscribed and he could pretty much do what he wanted or, as a lot of parents were told, the child was welcome to go to another school.

He used it as a way of getting rid of children he didn't want.....SEN, behaviour issues etc. One child was excluded for a month because his shoes were not completely black. His father had bought the shoes he could afford. He went to a meeting at the school and basically begged them to let his son wear them for a couple of weeks until he got paid again but they refused saying a rule was a rule. The father then lost the plot and swore...which imo was just what they wanted. They then labelled him as aggressive and he was banned from the school grounds.

They found me much harder to deal with because I knew how to play the game.

Well done, vq. I've been wondering why parents go along with this bullying behaviour from schools.

30 years ago when my son started at a local grammar school the blazer had the badge woven into the pocket. The blazer cost me £75 in 1985/86. The V neck jumper with school colours at the neck was by Wolsley and was £30. He had/has long narrow feet and school shoes (he always wore boots/sneakers because he walked out of ordinary shoes) had to be ordered via Clarkes at adult men's prices.

And as for sports wear. A blue singlet for cross country, a white one for indoors PE, a red one for..... etc. etc. and so it went on. All items had the school logo woven into them.

Rugby boots cost a fortune and at the end of first year he'd worn them twice!! At the start of second year I phoned the Headmaster giving off about having to get another pair (two sizes up) that would probably lurk at the bottom of the locker and suggesting a 'used' system. He agreed it was a good idea and worthy of consideration, presumably just to keep me happy. But of course, no action. I never bought another pair of rugby boots and they were never missed.

When DD2 was at secondary school they insisted on a particular shade of grey for skirts and trousers. Of course this was a shade that was virtually impossible to get. One term I bought DD2 a new pair of trousers only to be told they were the wrong shade. So being respectful of rules I bought another pair. These also turned out to be the wrong shade. I couldn't see the difference in either pair to the school version of grey but the school insisted. After the third pair were deemed too light I asked the school the tell me where I could get a pair of trousers to fit my DD in the correct shade of grey. They told me to go to a particular department store where I could buy her a pair of BOY'S trousers!!!!! What self respecting 14 year old girl would wear boy's trousers? Needless to say I told them exactly what I thought about their rules and that DD would wear any one of the three pairs of trousers I had already bought her until the day I saw the male headmaster wearing a pair of lady's trousers.

I think I had a reputation for being a bit of a problem parent by the time she left as on later occasions I challenged them for putting her in isolation for not fastening the top button of her polo shirt, turning her collar up Elvis style and wearing tracksuit bottoms (bought from the school complete with logo) for outside PE in October when it was snowing (apparently only allowed in Dec, Jan and Feb).

DS has reached the age/size where child sizes are too small and adult too big! Shops that do stock teenage clothes assume that the taller you are the larger your waist....not true in our case. Those handy pull in elasticated waists stop at about 13.

No, granjura, there are state schools that don't adopt generic uniform clothing. I understand that some of the worst offenders are new academies. Luckily my GCs' school is more accommodating. The boys wear ties but the girls have open-necked blouses. It's often sports' kit that costs the most. When we first came north, 30 years ago, our boys' new school demanded reversible (red/black) rugby shirts. Blazers were purchased from the same retailer and a year later the school abandoned them.

I went to a state primary school that had it's uniform available only at a local outfitter's. Don't know if that still happens, tho.

Changing the uniform, so that items already bought can no longer be used, seems totally unreasonable.

aggie - you can get ties which are ready-tied and are on thin elastic. Or you could create a DIY one without too much difficulty. 5 year olds in ties! - I thought we had moved on from that!

Doesn't that only apply to private schools anno (eg uniform from special shop)- all the schools I taught at that had uniform, the ones my daughters went to, and the one grandchidlren go to- have school colours only- with the option of buying direct from the school a sweatshirt with the school name and logo embroidered on, but never compulsory.

Agree with Jane- it is great for parents to organise a second hand clothes fair X2 a year, and also sports' stuff- that really helps families who struggle in particular, but all and stops the enormous waste.

My school had a second-hand uniform stall at the annual fete, and it was considered cool to get your uniform there, rather than from the approved supplier.
If you did have to get a brand-new skirt, this had to be modified in some way (shortened, or the gores taken in to make it straighter) to meet with general approval, but not so obviously that the Senior Mistress would notice.

Goodness me harrigran that is a difference in age/size.
My friend had to have her daughters school shirts (red/white stripes) made to order from a certain shop as she was a large girl in every way at 13

Uniforms, on the whole, are cheaper than when my DC were at school. We were only able to buy the uniform in John Lewis and good quality indoor and outdoor shoes were mandatory.
GC get uniform with badge from the school but they seem to be reasonably priced, skirts and trousers come from any shop that has the colour and size. I have noticed that the chain store clothing does not wash and wear well but as children, at primary school, grow fast it does not appear to be a problem.
The only problem we had with GD2 was that the uniform for pre-school did not come in large enough sizes, she was wearing age 9 clothes and most uniforms were based on an average 3-4 year old.

Our Primary school has just changed the uniform , so the big winter coat from last year (bought with growing in mind ) won't do ! they are going back to shirts and ties !! I ask you .......... What fun getting a wriggling nearly 5yr old into a tie ......