Should school uniforms be abolished ?

Biggins · 06-09-2011 07:12PM

hondasam wrote: »

NO because there would be to much competition on who was wearing what everyday.

I agree with the above. The bigger problem is with the cost of books.
The politicians keep saying every year around this time, they are going to do something about the problem - and after a month of waffle, feck all is done.
The uniform problem/cost in minor to the much larger problem of material and book costs at the end of the day.

kylith · 06-09-2011 07:12PM

Iomib wrote: »

School uniforms are very expensive, Most secondary schools these days require crested jumpers that are €60 each, Skirts that are €50 each, This is huge burden on parents. Ireland must only have school uniforms because the uk have them, No country in mainland europe has school uniforms.

In fairness, this isn't an arguement for abolishing uniforms, it's an arguement for smacking schools over the head and saying 'do ya think I'm fecking made of money? Do ya?'

Was in Shaws with The Mammy a few weeks back and crested jumpers were €30, uncrested jumpers (exactly the same) were €15. My brother said he'd paid over €100 for a uniform for his 6 year old. I asked him why he wouldn't just cut the badge off the old uniform and sew it to a v-necked jumper in the same colour and tell the school to go feck themselves if they complained, like The Mammy used to do, and he started going on about how the kid would be picked on.

Schools need to cop on, and parents need to cop on and not buy the crested stuff unless it's a reasonable price. Send you child in in a plain jumper and if the school says anything tell them that they can fecking pay for a jumper, you're too busy trying to pay the bills.

FinnLizzy · 06-09-2011 07:13PM

Faced with a compromise. I'd be up for abolishing the horrible school jumpers usually found in Catholic schools. Wear short sleaves under it and BOOM! Rash central!

Maybe a cheap blazer and an a t-shirt with the school logo.

nicechick! · 06-09-2011 07:14PM

Iomib wrote: »

School uniforms are very expensive, Most secondary schools these days require crested jumpers that are €60 each, Skirts that are €50 each, This is huge burden on parents. Ireland must only have school uniforms because the uk have them, No country in mainland europe has school uniforms.

School Uniforms are expensive but think of the added cost of a child wanting to wear something different every single day a total of five different outfits in most cases!

Not all schools have the crested jumpers as they understand the cost involved my sister can get all her kids uniforms in Dunnes

brummytom · 06-09-2011 07:14PM

PhatPiggins wrote: »

€110 , you think thats bad. Wait till they're looking for €110 every month to compete in the fashion wars that will go on if uniforms are gone.

This argument gets trotted out constantly.

I wore a school uniform for 12 years, then went into sixth form (at the same school I'd spent the previous 6 years). Sixth form at our school, like many others, is non-uniform.

I think people worried about how they looked for maybe a week. After that, people stop caring. Now I do go to a relatively good/well-behaved school, so I can't vouch for other schools - but at mine, no one has ever been bullied for the clothes they wear.

Canard · 06-09-2011 07:14PM

Yes. Come on, they even make us buy shoes. As said before, no one cares about brand clothes and if they do, that rivalry is going to happen outside school anyway.

Or at least make them more comfortable, those jumpers cost so much and it feels like you're wearing a ****ing brillo pad all day, why not just let us have lighter clothes if we want?

KittyeeTrix · 06-09-2011 07:19PM

FinnLizzy wrote: »

There seems to be an attitude here that if you allow teens to wear what they want, they'll automatically turn into pretentious tw@ts who care only for brands.

Designer clothes too expensive for Saoirse and Eoin? Don't fcuking buy them! Let them LEARN that it doesn't matter! Since they're in school.

Teens with a sense of brand snobbery making fun of your son's basic functioning clothes? Tell him not to hang around with the snobs.

I wen't to a non-uniformed primary school and a uniformed secondary school. At an early age we accepted that people have their own styles.

Thank you so much for this comment

Wrecks my fcukin head lately that because some parents cannot say no to their kids that I am stuck paying extortionate prices for crested school uniforms......

Same situation with school lunches. Some parents would let their kids gorge themselves stupid on junk food everyday at school and because of this the schools now dictate what lunch the kids can bring to school. Poor kids are terrified if the teacher finds a feckin plain homemade bun in their lunchbox.....

FFS, I used to have a penguin bar for lunch now and again at school and it never killed me.

The Scientician · 06-09-2011 07:25PM

I remember in primary school there was a huge bullsheet oneupmanship over the runners kids wore. It always seemed like it was the poorer kids with the snazzier runners.

FinnLizzy · 06-09-2011 07:31PM

fluffyorganic1 wrote: »

Thank you so much for this comment

Wrecks my fcukin head lately that because some parents cannot say no to their kids that I am stuck paying extortionate prices for crested school uniforms......

Same situation with school lunches. Some parents would let their kids gorge themselves stupid on junk food everyday at school and because of this the schools now dictate what lunch the kids can bring to school. Poor kids are terrified if the teacher finds a feckin plain homemade bun in their lunchbox.....

FFS, I used to have a penguin bar for lunch now and again at school and it never killed me.

Yeah, it's a weird issue and I never thought uniforms would be popular. Mine were uncomfortable and roasting during the start of the summer.

I get sick of such nanny state type issues. Same with the school lunches as you said. I used to get a cream bun and a can of Coke from our caff (1.80eur) and when I realised that I was getting cramps during PE, I made a decision to stop. Now we have a school dinner cafeteria with crappy healthy dinners that cost way more!

Eric Cartman · 06-09-2011 07:31PM

i say keep the uniforms, how else am i supposed to know who to hit on at half 3 every day

FinnLizzy · 06-09-2011 07:33PM

The Scientician wrote: »

I remember in primary school there was a huge bullsheet oneupmanship over the runners kids wore. It always seemed like it was the poorer kids with the snazzier runners.

Nothing to do with class. I always found it was the kids without brothers/sisters that had the best stuff. And with single parents. Just a generalisation, but I just refer back to Cartman,

.

Paddy Cow · 06-09-2011 07:36PM

I went to a school without a uniform and what we wore was never an issue. There will always be kids who have more expensive things than other kids - who has the beat phone, i-pod, best christmas and birthday presents etc. Dressing kids the same isn't going to do away with who is richer/poorer and they will always find something to be competitive about.

If they must insist on uniforms, then the uniforms should be generic and affordable. It's ridiculous the price of some uniforms.

Paddy Cow · 06-09-2011 07:40PM

fluffyorganic1 wrote: »

Wrecks my fcukin head lately that because some parents cannot say no to their kids that I am stuck paying extortionate prices for crested school uniforms......

Same situation with school lunches. Some parents would let their kids gorge themselves stupid on junk food everyday at school and because of this the schools now dictate what lunch the kids can bring to school. Poor kids are terrified if the teacher finds a feckin plain homemade bun in their lunchbox.....

FFS, I used to have a penguin bar for lunch now and again at school and it never killed me.

If we wanted something and used the line "but such and such has it" we'd get "and if such and such jumped off a bridge would you jump after them?". Ha ha soooo annoying at the time but I survived

Helix · 06-09-2011 07:43PM

hondasam wrote: »

NO because there would be to much competition on who was wearing what everyday.

where does this actually happen? never came across anything like it in my days at school

Chuck Stone · 06-09-2011 07:43PM

Generic white shirt with grey skirt/pants I reckon. Maybe official sweater.

Anecdote time.

Our family moved to a new location and we started in a new school. The new school required wool blazers which were like IR£100 in the late 80's. My parents just could not afford it at the time as there were three of us starting in the same school simultaneously.

Anyhoo my Dad sourced a blazer which was quite close to the official school blazer in colour from another school except this blazer was about IR£20 and made from polyester.

The sourced blazer was close enough in colour to the official blazer that the school couldn't complain. I think within a year loads of people had slightly off coloured blazers and the whole blazer thing collapsed \o/

That school then adopted an official jumper with generic grey pants and white shirts which makes more economic and practical sense.

whydoibother? · 06-09-2011 07:46PM

Let them wear whatever they want unless it's offensive.

I always find rules based on the fact that other kids might pick on them such a cop-out. Sort out school discipline. If another kid is picking on somebody, then use detention, suspension, expulsion as appropriate imo. To change rules to avoid the predicted behaviour of some little 10 year old bully, is completely twisted. Get rid of the little f$cker.

kelle · 06-09-2011 07:47PM

Biggins wrote: »

The bigger problem is with the cost of books.
The politicians keep saying every year around this time, they are going to do something about the problem - and after a month of waffle, feck all is done.
The uniform problem/cost in minor to the much larger problem of material and book costs at the end of the day.

I agree with you there.

FGS, it's not as if school is a lifestyle choice - it's compulsory, and forcing parents to pay big bucks for what are essentials is sickening!

Of course it's different if parents have chosen to send their child/children to a private school, they don't really have grounds to complains about uniform an book costs.

KittyeeTrix · 06-09-2011 07:47PM

Paddy Cow wrote: »

If we wanted something and used the line "but such and such has it" we'd get "and if such and such jumped off a bridge would you jump after them?". Ha ha soooo annoying at the time but I survived

Haha, you got lightly!! My mam would tell me to "eff off out of the kitchen before she thumps me"!!!:D

Alice1 · 06-09-2011 07:49PM

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

No they should be mandatory. Cheaper to buy a uniform once every two years than try and keep your kid in fashion.

How on earth do you manage to make a uniform last two years? I have two daughters in secondary school this year and the younger one is taller and broader than her older sister. They are both growing (like weeds) and despite my buying uniform with "growing room", it looks like I will have to buy another uniform after Christmas.

While in Primary School, I had loose crests and I used to attach them with velcro to the school shirts and the same two crests did me for years! However, I really don't think that would work with the school jumper and polo shirt they are obliged to wear to secondary school.

I don't agree with the abolition of the uniform, however, like many others said, I wish it could be generic. Plain grey/navy/maroon jumper or cardi, plain blue/white/cream blouse or shirt and a suitable skirt or trousers. This crested lark is getting out of hand.

TheDriver · 06-09-2011 07:52PM

whydoibother? wrote: »

Let them wear whatever they want unless it's offensive.

I always find rules based on the fact that other kids might pick on them such a cop-out. Sort out school discipline. If another kid is picking on somebody, then use detention, suspension, expulsion as appropriate imo. To change rules to avoid the predicted behaviour of some little 10 year old bully, is completely twisted. Get rid of the little f$cker.

You need a BIG reality check on schools, its near to impossible to expel someone unless they threaten the health and safety of teachers or students, suspension can only be for 20 days before it can be appealed again and again and what if they don't bother coming to detention, see above.

School discipline is tough and parental support isn't always there. uniform makes it a lot easier in many educational ways

Helix · 06-09-2011 07:53PM

TheDriver wrote: »

You need a BIG reality check on schools, its near to impossible to expel someone unless they threaten the health and safety of teachers or students,

what is bullying if its not that?

Gordon Gecko · 06-09-2011 07:53PM

I agree with uniforms in principle as wearing one's own clothes would put considerable pressure on some parents financially due to the nuances of fashion and the inevitable bullying based on clothes that comes without uniforms. The Government, however, could and really should be doing more to make uniforms more affordable as they are belatedly trying to do with school books

Helix · 06-09-2011 07:54PM

Gordon Gecko wrote: »

the inevitable bullying based on clothes that comes without uniforms

ill ask again, where does this actually happen in real life?

KittyeeTrix · 06-09-2011 07:55PM

TheDriver wrote: »

School discipline is tough and parental support isn't always there. uniform makes it a lot easier in many educational ways

I absolutely agree with you on the point that in many cases parental support is lacking but I cannot for the life of me see how paying an extra 30-40e for crested jumpers change this??

Generic uniforms would make life much easier for us parents who are already buckling under the economic pressure of kitting kids out yearly for school

Gordon Gecko · 06-09-2011 07:56PM

Helix wrote: »

ill ask again, where does this actually happen in real life?

It happened frequently at my school on tours, school trips and uniform off days. Just because you may not have experienced it doesn't mean it's some kind of urban myth.

Helix · 06-09-2011 07:57PM

Gordon Gecko wrote: »

It happened frequently at my school on tours, school trips and uniform off days. Just because you may not have experienced it doesn't mean it's some kind of urban myth.

was it actual bullying, or a bit of mickey taking?

i think some people dont realise the difference

whydoibother? · 06-09-2011 07:58PM

TheDriver wrote: »

You need a BIG reality check on schools, its near to impossible to expel someone unless they threaten the health and safety of teachers or students, suspension can only be for 20 days before it can be appealed again and again and what if they don't bother coming to detention, see above.

School discipline is tough and parental support isn't always there. uniform makes it a lot easier in many educational ways

No I don't need a BIG reality check. It's precisely because I'm quite realistic about how impossible it is to expel etc. that I'm criticizing the situation. That all needs to be sorted out from a legal point of view - making it easier.

I don't agree that discipline is tough. I often sat in school, not so long ago, with people shouting all sorts across the classroom and the teacher would do very little, most likely because there were limits to what they could do, but that's no excuse for it. It needs changing. If a child persistently offends, eventually the teacher only deals with the bigger offences because they can't spend all their time on one disruptive child. Our system rewards bad behaviour in this way - the more of it you engage in, the higher the threshold is before you are disciplined.

As for parents not backing up, start kicking their little darlings out and handing them the problem of how to get them into another school, you'll see a dramatic increase in interest in their kids behaviour.

hondasam · 06-09-2011 07:58PM

Helix wrote: »

where does this actually happen? never came across anything like it in my days at school

We are talking about teenage girls here, of course they will want the latest fashion item, I'm sure some boys will also.
It's much easier to have one choice of clothing in the morning and not a fashion show before school.

FinnLizzy · 06-09-2011 08:00PM

whydoibother? wrote: »

If another kid is picking on somebody, then use detention, suspension, expulsion as appropriate imo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcVnG4HrWBI

Sort the little f*ckers out!

Gordon Gecko · 06-09-2011 08:00PM

Helix wrote: »

was it actual bullying, or a bit of mickey taking?

i think some people dont realise the difference

There was some mickey taking, but some of it was unquestionable bullying. Looking back on it I (and a lot of school mates I've talked to since) wish we'd have done something about it back then because a lot of it was seriously out of order.

Should school uniforms be abolished ?

Comments