School Uniform

I thought that as the respondents so far have been female I'd redress the balance a little and give the male persective. I wasn't allowed to wear the pleated skirt (LOL) that some folk wore, so I had to wear the outfit in the picture below. (For real). The uniform was a grey/white shirt and blue corduroy short trousers with three silver buttons on each leg. Orange socks and black shoes. Over this we wore a heavy worsted blue coat that buttoned from the neck to the waist then flaired out to display the shorts and socks. We also wore a white cravat and a thin brown leather belt called a "girdle". We wore the coat only on high days and holidays, the rest of the ime we wore a crew neck blue pullover and no coat, cravat and girdle up to age 13, then the more conventional grey flannels, shirt tie and blazer. But all ages wore the full gear on certain days. Imagine how pleased we were to have to parade through our local town on founders day. Funnily enough the girls loved it and always wanted us out of our clothes (hurray) so that they could try them on (not so hurray!). Beat that!

I do not agree with school uniforms. I feel that uniforms are something to wear in certain job fields (like scrubs for nurses and doctors and technicians) but that school is not the place. This is ONLY my opinion. We had a certain dress code at the schools I attended, some more strict than others, but we were still able to wear the majority of normal clothing that parents could purchase at department stores, discount stores, and junking. I generally wore things like jeans, shorts, tshirts, flannels, basic everyday clothing. I would have been irritated to have HAD to wear a SKIRT, only certain colors, have my skirt a certain LENGTH, only be allowed to wear certain shoes, HAVE to wear tights or socks... etc. I feel that your dress and appearance are part of your personality and who you are, and I take offense at any administration, 'authority', group, or society trying to force everybody to be the same. Nobody is the same and it's never going to happen so trying to force the issue is pointless, disrespectful, and I will never buy into it. My kids for the most part have attended schools to where there is a dress code but NO uniforms. I would NOT send them to schools where they had to wear uniforms. I favor a lax dress code - the only things I really am sick of seeing are people's thongs, pants that hang off people's butts, and any clothing that is clearly too large or clearly too small. Buy stuff that fits and do not show off your underwear. That is all.

When i was at school we had to wear uniform our uniform was very simple we had to wear navy blue skirt or trousers a white blouse and navy blue sweatshirt or cardigan. We must have been one of the only schools in the area where we didn't have to wear a tie. All my school age children have to wear uniform, apart form my eldest who is in six form, i think that they look very smart as my three eldest children's school brought in a new uniform about a year or so again. Before they wore green sweatshirt, white polo shirt and black trousers or skirt. Now they wear black blazer with a white shirt or blouse,black skirt and trousers and a green and white stripped tie. They also have to wear proper shoes they are not allowed to wear trainers unless they are doing P.E. The school is very strict on uniforms and will send a child home to change if they are not wearing the right uniform. As for the teachers so far i have not come across any that have not been suitably dressed for school.

I attended public school in Germany. We didn't have school uniforms. And nobody was sent back for dressing inappropriately even at the high school level, although there were a couple of remarks by teachers when the 'revealing' went too far. Nothing they could do about it though. My mom would have never let me leave the house the way some of the other girls looked, lol. I don't think I ever saw kids in school uniform until I came to the US, where private schools often enforce such rules. I think a couple public ones have uniforms, too, but not very many and not in this area anyway. Our public school system has a dress code so kids won't come in with too revealing clothes. Skirts have to have a certain length, no spaghetti straps, there have to be at least three finger width of material on the shoulder, no exposed belly... I think that's it. Those are the only reasons they can send a kid home for to get changed. As to the clothes being worn out or too long. I'm sure the parents want to get as much wear out of them as possible. With the economy the way it is, who can afford school uniforms anyway. Hand-me-downs, second hand,.... I also noticed that at a certain height it's difficult to find pants. My daughter is in between pant lengths. It's either too short or way too long. I don't want to cut them off so I folded them under and added a couple of stitches to keep things in place but to allow me to add inches through unfolding when she grows. I'm not good at it and it looks a bit bulky but you do what you can to stretch a dollar, right now anyway.

*thinks about what she wears to school* Yep. Pjs. sometimes ill grace the other people with my presence in jeans and a tshirt. I'm homeschooled, Very relaxed uniforms :P lorl Even the public schools out here dont require uniforms, but they do post requirements on things like no wearing hats and stuff. even that they take too far wouldnt even let me wear the hood of my jacket up

In India every school has a uniform... public or private. it is a must and it helps that kids cant go to movies in shows during school time. So one school kid without parents in school time show and phone to school principal. My uniform was white shirt and blue pants and in winters a blue coat on it and school name written on coat and shirt and yes we had blue stripped tie too.

My school uniform was a green trouser a light yellow shirt with green cardigan and jacket. I think schools should be stricter when it comes to uniform. Parents should give greater support in this area. First of all its the parents responsibility to see that their children are properly dressed. Sometimes I wonder if certain female teachers are going to school or to a weekend party. They should be adequately dressed for the proper occasion. © ronaldinu 2008

Hi Humbug, I had a school uniform with a shirt and tie and always had to wear or we were punished, both my girls went to a grammar school and they would have to kneel on the floor and the skirt would have to reach or they were sent home to change, however what my girls and many other would do was roll them up at the waistband to make them shorter after school, little minxes LOL and the roll wouldn't show as their sweatshirts were always a size too big LOL. My sons uniform is very smart and I always make sure he has full uniform on when he arrives at school, he is usually grubby and untucked by the time he gets out though. I was in Bodmin and at Harlyn beach today, I could have called in for a cuppa, not sure where abouts in Cornwall you are but I know a fishy friend is trying to organise a meet. Huggles. Ellie :D

they don't wear school uniform in France

This rebellion against school uniform is quit common. At the school I work at now the girls tend to adapt their uniform by adding big belts. I didn't have to wear uniform when at school. The school I work at is quite strict with uniform, and teachers dress quite smart too. It is important to set an example!

I was in school a long time ago. Back then, we didn't have uniforms in public schools, but parents were the ones who decided what one would wear to school, so in most cases, that meant that everyone was neat and clean and "properly dressed." Girls had to wear skirts, and the schools did make sure they were not too short. If you knelt on the ground and your skirt didn't touch the floor, it was too short, and you could be sent home. It wasn't until my senior in high school that girls were allowed to wear pants, but they had to be pant suits. Jeans were not allowed for boys or girls. And...back then, women teachers wore nice dresses, and men teachers wore dress slacks, dress shirts and a tie. Many also wore sports coats, or at least had them on the back of their chairs to wear when they were walking through the hallways. I think part of our problems today stem from kids and teachers wearing sloppy clothes. It shows a lack of respect for themselves and for each other. I like the idea of uniforms, because it puts the rich and poor on the same level.

Maybe the girls you saw weren't in uniform. After all, if it's a uniform then they should all be dressed alike and not one in a skirt while the other in long pants. Anyway, my uniform was rather ugly. It was a blue skirt which we all tried to make as long as possible and a white collared top with piping. The teachers made sure our skirts never touched our ankles though and they were pretty strict about it too.

Uniform also is one of the important way here in Kuwait and you could never see such design of clothes for it is the School premises would make their uniform and all of the length would be at the same level and it is also that all of the people here are aware of the Government rules.....

Hey there humbug25. I didn't have to wear a uniform and I'm a big fan of school uniform I think that it should be ok for kids to wear there own cloths to school as long as there dressed appropriately and there wearing things that cover there body I think theres nothing wrong with a little self expression as long as what there wearing is respectful and not offensive or to short. when I was I was all about self expression.

humbug well when I went to school we just wore everyday clothes, the girls dresses or skirts and blouses, the boyshirtws and trousers. the kids went to school to learn, not to look' like privates in the army. nowdays I guess they think uniforms are great for some reason, but I just do not see it. To me it makes more sense to allow kids to wear ordinary clothes so that poor people do no have to scrounge around to find money 'to payh for these fancy dancy uniforms.

My school uniform was incredibly glamorous.I had a grey pleated skirt Humbug,a white shirt and a red and black striped tie,a navy cardigan and then for the colder weather I had a gabardine mackintosh,it was green and very unbecoming too,I was once on the school bus ,eating a sherbet fountain,the licorice stick popped out and the sherbet flew all over that precious gabardine mac,I was so panic stricken,I knew that Mum would be hopping mad,hence i hung the mackintosh behind the kitchen door when I went in ,and said nothing,but the sherbet went all sticky and damp and the mac was just a sweet sticky mess.I also had lovely grey/white cotton socks,which were kept up with garters,and the most becoming Clark's brown leather lace up shoes.But on reflection I like school.i had a friend called Ruby,she was such a case,barking she was,we were in the school choir together,we both sang alto,really enjoyed it.

my school uniform is red-white when i am in elementary school, and changed when i was in junior and senior high. it doesnt matter to wear uniform. isn't it mission to show the students that trhey all equal ? that there is no student are rich the other are poor ?

Us girls just had to wear this blue/white dress as our school's colour and in winter have a blue shirt underneath then put over a dress with stockings underneath.