babsc71 Posted December 23, 2006 Report Share Posted December 23, 2006 As someone who has worked in a variety of school I believe that all school rules should be adhered to because if little things slide then students push boundaries further. Parents need to support the school or take their children elsewhere. I do not necessarily agree with this school's policy but that's what it is. Student mufti days are my idea of hell as many students, mainly girls, dress inappropriately. It is embarrassing for staff and I have witnessed a scantily clad girl accusing a male teacher of being a paedophile because he asked her to do up her top. I have also seen these students walking to school and people leering at them and honking horns. Uniforms are good as they remove all religion and politics from the classroom and students are more inclined to focus on their education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owlish Posted December 23, 2006 Report Share Posted December 23, 2006 It's probably not the sort of school I'd want my child (if I had one ) to go to. However, the school I went to (a public - i.e. fee-paying - school) had fairly strict rules on uniforms. My mother had to sign a contract when I was accepted into the school stating that she would ensure I abided by their rules. Fair enough I reckon - you go to a particular school, then you abide by their rules. If you want to change them, then get on the student council, or start a student council if needs be, and get it changed! Uniforms are good as they remove all religion and politics from the classroom and students are more inclined to focus on their education. Only just seen this bit - and I agree. It democratises students - rich or poor, trendy or not, clothing is taken out of the equation as an issue, which must be a good thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted December 23, 2006 Report Share Posted December 23, 2006 It's probably not the sort of school I'd want my child (if I had one ) to go to. However, the school I went to (a public - i.e. fee-paying - school) had fairly strict rules on uniforms. My mother had to sign a contract when I was accepted into the school stating that she would ensure I abided by their rules. Fair enough I reckon - you go to a particular school, then you abide by their rules. If you want to change them, then get on the student council, or start a student council if needs be, and get it changed! Only just seen this bit - and I agree. It democratises students - rich or poor, trendy or not, clothing is taken out of the equation as an issue, which must be a good thing I am sure Mark and I signed something before Aisling started her state school to say she would abide by uniform rules, we signed a similar thing when she went to Private School when she was little. I agree it levels students, there are always children from poorer backgrounds and I do think bullying is slightly reduced by strict uniform codes. As I said in my earlier post if as a parent you are uphappy with the way rules are enforced you can approach the parent governors , or as Owlish suggests students can get involved with student council Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted December 24, 2006 Report Share Posted December 24, 2006 you go to a particular school, then you abide by their rules. If you want to change them, then get on the student council, or start a student council if needs be, and get it changed! That takes me back. In the 60s we had a new head. I met someone from his old school who told me that 6th formers didn't have to wear school uniform. Result - after negotiation, neither did we. Pam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockergirl Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 As someone who has worked in a variety of school I believe that all school rules should be adhered to because if little things slide then students push boundaries further. Parents need to support the school or take their children elsewhere. I do not necessarily agree with this school's policy but that's what it is. Student mufti days are my idea of hell as many students, mainly girls, dress inappropriately. It is embarrassing for staff and I have witnessed a scantily clad girl accusing a male teacher of being a paedophile because he asked her to do up her top. I have also seen these students walking to school and people leering at them and honking horns. Uniforms are good as they remove all religion and politics from the classroom and students are more inclined to focus on their education. I agree with this. I went to a very strict all-girls school where we had to wear the correct (bottle green) uniform at all times - hair bobbles could only be black, white or bottle green, socks had to be pulled up to our knees at all times, top buttons done up AND if you got Kickers shoes you had to cut off the red and green tabs or colour in the yellow bits on Doc Martens... And I'm now 25 so this wasn't long ago. It was a great school though and none of the above did any of us the slightest bit of harm. My friends and I were certainly not clones because we had to wear a uniform and it saves any of the 'you can't afford decent jeans/streaks in your hair/latest trendy trainers' issues which you are bound to get otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9Fran Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 Waaaaaaaay back in 1973'ish, a new law was brought in, called the Sex Discrimination law - so a bunch of us girlies all came to school in trousers/slacks in school colours - Maroon, Navy or grey, and we looked very smart. However, the ring leaders were sent home, and the rest of us warned not to do it again. But it seems our point was made, and the uniform was soon changed to allow girls to wear trousers to school (but the boys then couldn't wear skirts........) What I'm saying is 'yes, I agree with a school uniform, so long as it is 'reasonable', but if not, then there are ways of getting it changed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranirottie Posted January 20, 2007 Report Share Posted January 20, 2007 At the school my children went to there was a fairly strict dress code which was adhered to by all parents. However one winter it was decided to allow Muslim girls to wear trousers ,for religious reasons,but not other girls. We felt this was unfair and called a meeting with the govenors ,permission was then given for all girls to wear trousers if they wanted to as long as they were plain black or grey with no adornment. The uniform still looked smart but was fair on the girls who got very cold in the winter in their regulation knee length skirts.I think most schools are open to negotiation if the subject of discussion is reasonable. I think uniforms are a good leveller in school ,some children would wear expensive designer gear that poorer mums could not afford. If the poorer kids could not keep up they would be ridiculed. Even if the rules are slightly lax kids will find a way of "sneaking in" designer expensive stuff to wear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhound pal Posted January 21, 2007 Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 I'm a bit divided by this. Yes I believe that there should be a uniform policy. Private schools can enforce whatever strict dress code they wish because to a certain extent you chose which private school to send your child. But in my opinion, state schools shouldn't. A basic uniform policy is enough. To start defining things like piercings, hair colour and hair band colour (ffs!) is, as far as I'm concerned, wrong. I DO believe kids have a right to express themselves. I also believe its healthy to express themselves in whatever manner. This doesn't mean revealing clothes which are inappropriate. The head of my daughters school banged on about a dress code for years until it was introduced two years ago. Never mind about their lack of bullying policy - as long as the kids were dress appropriately... Yes you 'may' end in a job where you wear a uniform. However you might not. Its not about conformity. Perhaps I'm in the minority when I say I dont' want my daughters to 'conform' to rules and regulations when there are other priorities out there. And I'm afraid such rigid rules on what colour of hair bands is way up there. Personally if I was You, I'd be making a complaint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemimap Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Being in school is important, but rules are set and if they are broken, then that person has to live with the consequences. To be honest, I find the whole excuse of kids 'expressing' themselves a load of rubbish. Surely they should be expressing themselves with their personality and interactions with others, not breaking the rules. What she said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 (edited) I, personally, don't understand uniforms and strict rules at school. We don't have uniforms where I come from and were generally allowed to express ourselves however we wanted too (in terms of clothing). And I do think clothing is a way of expressing yourself.....Somethings weren't really allowed - like extremely revealing clothing, but all in all you wore what you wanted to. There are standards at work but we don't have issued shoes to wear and if I wore trainers to work one day, someone *might* say something but I certainly wouldn't be sent home from work. I don't agree with kids being sent home from school for something like shoes - they should be AT school, not sent home. A 'caution' or somethign similar or a discussion with the student's parents would be far more advantagous in my eyes. I think the school are being a little 'over the top', IMHO. Same as above, no uniforms in school in Denmark. Have never heard of anybody not being able to adhere to dresscodes in later life because they didn't wear uniforms in school, that's a load of b****cks if you ask me! If you DO have to have a uniform on in school I still think this school is taking it a lot too far, especially if she even had notes with her. Surely a caution would be enough. And I'm sure sending her home probably disrupted class a lot more than her hairelastics would have ever done.... How ridiculous is it that they can refuse to teach somebody for wearing the wrong shoes/ underwear etc, there is no such descrimination when you don't have to wear a uniform I would complain. edited to add: It doesn't sound like she is going out to deliberately break the rules so why should she have to live with the consequences? I think there is a big difference in deliberately breaking rules and ruining your shoes and not being able to get new ones til the next day or other such scenarios. Edited January 22, 2007 by Xandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzeanna Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 If there was a good reason for her wearing trainers, then the school should have accepted that. Saying she is excluded seems rather strong. When I went to school...a grammar, if anyone remembers them? we could only get our uniform from one shop, and yes it did include the colour of knickers! if you forgot your PT skirt, you had to do games in your knickers, the gym wasn't too bad, but playing netball or hockey or running round the field in your knickers was rather embarrasing, even with navy blue ones..can you imagine a thong???? If we broke the rules, we got detention and lines. One hundred times * I must wear my beret outside school* or *I must not remove my tie unless directed by a teacher* type thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Being in school is important, but rules are set and if they are broken, then that person has to live with the consequences. To be honest, I find the whole excuse of kids 'expressing' themselves a load of rubbish. Surely they should be expressing themselves with their personality and interactions with others, not breaking the rules. Couldn't agree more. As a mum with very little money to spare, and certainly not any for designer gear, we're eternally grateful our childrens' schools have uniform codes. The thing is, if you send your child to a school, you generally sign an agreement saying they'll stick by the rules (my kids' schools have these agreements anyhoo). Even if you don't, you generally make yourself aware of them first. My children have the right to express themselves and to show their individuality. Having to apply to a strict dress code doesn't change that, as that's only superficial, how "cool" they look. They express themselves through their work, their personalities in class and out of it, and their extra curricular activities. I think it's a good thing that they're unable to cop out and only express themselves through their clothing - our budget doesn't match my kids' need to fit in with the in crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sillymooo Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 i think school uniforms are a good idea for many different reasons, but thats just a little OTT! how can the loss of a tie be more important than the lessons learnt whilst returning home to replace it? i also find it ironic how in a world where some of the most sexually bizarre things are aired on tv, hair colour can be classed as a potential for class disruption! its about keeping children in 'reigns' as far as i'm concerned, a proposperous attempt for schools to socially control children and their families. if a .parent kept the child off school for what ever reason, they would find themselves up before a court judge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padfoot Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 I think the uniform should generally be adhered to, but sending a child home despite them having a letter of explanation is totally ott imho. As for the hair bobbles thing Don't they have better things to do than check the colour of a student's hair bobble? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raiye Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Saw on the TV that the government were looking at ways of "opening up" school regulations with regards to uniform. £43 MILLION was spent last year in the UK on school uniforms. It was stated that the school uniform industry had become a bit of a monopoly with specialised companies over charging on many simple items. When I was at school, we brought embroided school badges that could then be sewn onto any item brought from the market or shopping centre that was of colour. A much more reasonable way of doing things I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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