A school in Northampton that enforced strict uniform rules to avoid the sexualisation of children angered pupils and parents when it banned skirts as girls were wearing them above the knee.
It’s now caused further annoyance as the headmaster has now banned skinny fit trousers as well.
Well, I’m sorry girls, but if these two in the article are anything to go by, then they’re taking the proverbial p*ss and the headmaster has a point.
Are those supposed to be school trousers?! They look more like leggings.
They’re not exactly school uniform material, are they?!
What’s so wrong with school uniform anyway? It’s a way of making sure all pupils are wearing the same clothes.
There’s no singling out of children who have so called better clothes than others, or thinking of what to put on every morning.
Everyone’s the same.
It also identifies the school, and the pupils in it.
You’re hardly representing the school, are you if you’re hoiking your skirt up to your hoo ha or wearing trousers that look like they’ve been shrunk in the wash.
Just suck it up and accept that while you’re at school, you’ve got a uniform and rules.
Why get in a twist over not being able to wear certain clothes? It’s the rules, get over it. Respect them and sweat the big things. 🙂
If mine came home complaining about the uniform they had to wear I’d be telling them exactly the same thing – respect the rules…. get on with it and stop moaning… and wouldn’t be encouraging them to take the widdle and then run crying to the press.
What do you think?!
Hear, hear, couldn’t agree more! I will say the same to my daughter when she gets to secondary school as well
Interesting discussion. I think overall it’s better to have a uniform – like you say, it probably means that children are less differentiated by what they wear and that’s a good thing. One less thing to worry about! But I also think that teenagers long to express themselves as individuals and so will always push boundaries. There will always be ways to differentiate themselves through hair/ bags/ coats/ jewellery/ skirt length/ skinny jeans. I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing to be different. Can’t imagine Tracey Emin/ Richard Branson were sticklers for school uniform 🙂
I agree, teenagers always push the boundaries. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being different. Creativity is always a good thing and I thrive on it. 🙂
However why not save it for outside school? It’s important to be creative, be your own person, and explore what you like. It’s also important to have respect for rules as well.
A happy medium is what’s needed…. explore yourself outside the school gates.
Totally agree!
Couldn’t agree more with the comments on here. It makes me think that it is the parents that are causing the trouble (and setting a bad example) more than the kids are. As a stay at home dad who looks after my daughter I know one day I’ll be worried about how she dresses (not for a few years yet though), but schools aren’t the place for that kind of expression, there are plenty of chance outside of it to demonstrate their individuality. I love the look of your blog by the way.
Thanks 🙂
I used to be anti-school uniform but I’ve reversed that position, for two reasons:
Firstly because of this stupid idea some children have that it is important that you wear branded/designer clothes and it is legitimate to bully a child who doesn’t. (I’m currently wearing Tesco Value jeans and proud of it.)
Secondly because it makes children look like children. I really don’t want to see 12 year olds dressed like they’re about to go out clubbing or have just stepped off a catwalk. Let them enjoy being a child before the chance has gone forever.
I’m totally with you. Wear the uniform at school, ‘be yourself’ out of school. Us grown ups have to do it at work. It’s a good lesson in life. I feel the same when you see teenagers in the paper with patterns cut in their hair or eyebrow piercings who have been excluded from school for breaking the rules. They are the rules! Just blinking well follow them and go to school and get yourself an education!
I totally agree. Wearing a uniform instills respect and teaches kids that there is more to life and people than the labels you’re wearing. Kids these days dress too old for their age, short skirts and tight fitting trousers attract the wrong sort of people/attention. I went to a Grammar school, we had crazily strict uniform rules, regularly girls had to kneel on the floor so teachers could check the length of our skirts. That’s life, suck it up and get on with it. More than likely they’ll end up wearing a uniform during their adult working life.
I completely agree. At my school we had a rule that skirts had to be below the knee and 11 inches away from the floor (slight problem for my very short friend whose knees weren’t 11 inches off the floor!). We had to have special permission from the head teacher to take our jumpers off in hot weather and someone in my class was suspended until his shaved hair grew back. I think thats the way it should be, I even thought about sending my daughter to a school further away than our closer one because the nearby one doesn’t have a uniform, but there was a risk we wouldn’t get into that one, so no-uniform it is, even though I hate it.
Aww at your short friend, that made me smile! 🙂
Completely agree. Wear what you like on the weekend.
I totally agree, I wore school uniform through all my schooling, and actually hated when it was no school uniform day as we never had ‘trendy’ clothes and usually only 1 decent outfit. Rules are rules and if you don’t like it they should go to another school or be home educated.
My daughter goes to middle school next year and the uniform there has just been changed / amended and so has the high school. The children now look so much smarter than the previous years I have seen them getting off the bus. I have also looked at the uniform list and it is very strict, which I am pleased about, I hope that by looking smarter and not trying to ‘dress’ up for school she will spend more time learning than trying to impress other people (boys!).