I Had Or Have To Wear A School Uniform

@coary987 Except the kids from impoverished families that can't afford the extortionately overpriced uniform.

If uniform is so necessary, how do schools in other European countries, that don't have uniforms, manage to provide a much better standard of education than UK schools?

@Sharon I thought if you can't afford it the government in UK give you a grant for them?

@Sharon A uniform doesn't have to be expensive. Most primary schools in this country have uniforms that can be purchased in supermarkets for a few pounds.

@Sharon For example this summer dress costs £4. Hardly a king's ransom.

@coary987 Local authorities (County Councils) used to give a small grant to really impoverished families but that was stopped a few years ago, certainly in my area and I believe nationwide. It was just a few pounds anyway, not enough to buy the entire uniform.

Now, some faimilies have to cut down or go without food for a while in order to buy the uniform.

@Oldmanjimbo
Only a few, mostly primary, schools allow parents to buy an inexpensive uniform from the local supermarket. Most schools insist the uniform is bought from the school or the school's "official supplier" - who has to pay a large bribe (commission) to the school. The supplier recoups this outlay by charging extortinate prices for the uniform. That £4.00 dress for example would cost 5 to 10 times that if embroidered with the school's (copyrighted) logo as required by the school's unform regulations.

The principle of free at point of use education at primary and secondary level no longer exists in the UK.

@Sharon I am sorry to hear that.
I am in Scotland and they still get a full grant hear for each kid.
I think its about £30or 40

@coary987 I'm in England, we're not as civilized as Scotland. :( We even have to pay a tax of £8.60 for each prescribed medicine we need.

£30 wouldn't go far buying an English school's uniform. Possibly a shirt or a pair of trousers - with the school's logo.

@Sharon that's terrible England is a lot more richer than Scotland I am in the highlands no one pays for prescriptions hear as far as I know.
Unless its a private one.
Its sad we are supposed to be all together as one UK but it seems there are a lot off differences between us.

@coary987 England is the only country in the UK that still has the prescription tax.

The average cost of an English secondary school's uniform is about £400. I've just asked a neighbour, whose daughter started secondary school last year, what her uniform cost. She said it was just over £500. Even her daughter's socks had to have the school logo so had to be bought from the school's official supplier. It's a complete rip-off.

@Sharon its them ripping off the parents .
Its a disgrace I am truly sorry it must be really difficult if you have 2 teens .

@coary987 As I said, some families have to go without luxuries, like food, to pay for the uniform. It's usually poor quality too so has to be replaced quite frequently.

We're also ripped off on the cost of holidays because the prices rise dramatically during school holidays. I expect that affects Scotland too though.

Schools have even been known to refuse to allow children to take time off to attend family funerals, so the parents can be fined if they take their children out of school to attend.

@Sharon I know a few families that take there kids away for a holiday but the school don't find them hear they just get extra homework to do .
Can I ask have you got kids you don't need to answer that

@coary987 The fines might just be an English thing again. They are set (deliberately in my opinion) at less than the savings parent's can make by taking holidays during term time. That's why I think they're just another cash-cow rather than being intended to deter parents from taking their children on holiday or attending family funerals. Perhaps elderly relatives are expected to schedule their deaths so they occur during school holidays.

My children have grown up and left home now.

@Sharon its really sad its like that in this day and age.
It sounds like it will only get worse every year ?

@coary987 Headteachers are just petty dictators. They have too much power and it's gone to their heads.

For a while, sixth formers were starting to be treated like adults but now sixth form is more or less compulsory, some schools are treating them like little kids. :(

@Sharon its a dam disgrace that's what it is.
Sorry for being so blunt

@coary987 I agree. More and more people are being adversely affected by these dictatorial headteachers. It's no wonder parents no longer support them.

@Sharon and who can blame the parents for that.
They have a valid reason to be like that

@coary987 It's difficult for parents to fight back because doing so can endanger their children by leaving them open to reprisals.

When parents do complain about stupid, petty rules, headteachers often claim they're making fuss over nothing. If it's "nothing", why are they so insistent on keeping the stupid rules?

@Sharon that's a fact it is sad for the kids and parents to.
Its them that suffer and its not right

@coary987 I had a problem with the headmaster of my children's school thinking he was above the law. I wrote about it here - https://similarworlds.com/354138-I-Think-Sexism-Affects-Men-Too/124640-Schools-are-amongst-the-worst-offenders-when-it-co

@Sharon It's their attempt to try to shame people into not complaining. They're just bullies.

@suzie1960 well something should be done about it all the parents should stick together and force a change .
If they don't nothing will change only get worse

@coary987 I agree, there are too many sheeple. Things are getting worse all the time. Every time a headteacher gets away with this buulying it just emboldens them to be even more nasty.

@coary987 That's all because of the Barnett Formula, meaning us English pay extra tax, so every Scottish person gets an extra £1200 more in 'services', such as free university places, prescriptions...