It costs more to dress a kid in a different outfit everyday surely? I say this as someone indifferent to whether uniforms are abolished or not.
Uniforms are cheaper in the long run and remove pressure from parents to buy latest clothing and fashion labels.
Abolish fancy crested uniforms, use generic brands like Dunnes.
Isn’t the whole idea of the uniforms so that parents don’t have to buy their kids the latest designer clothes and so kids can’t be bullied for the clothes they wear? That’s what they told us growing up in the 90s anyway.
Having no uniform would have been an absolute nightmare when I was in school, I probably didnt have 5 different outfits to wear at certain points.
Generic uniforms should be bought in bulk by the school, with the crests sown on, and sold to students/parents at cost price.
I know of a girls public school near me, where the students we not allowed wear a non-school issued jacket, which cost around €100. So you would see girls walking to school in the rain with just their jumpers on as they would get a note in their journal for wearing their own jacket, this along with school uniform requiring dubarrys…… ridiculous
The problem isn’t uniforms. It’s all the other shit parents have to pay for every September.
Make the state pay for the books and not the parents. If the school wants the students to have tablets, let that come out of the education budget. Don’t saddle parents with an extra expense because X company did a deal with the school for iPads. Have generic shirts, fleeces, trousers, skirts as uniforms. No special jackets or jumpers unless it’s a fee paying school.
Uniforms have the advantage of leveling things somewhat. Without them every day could end up like first communion day where so many people try to outdo others to show how well off they are, even if they haven’t a pot to piss in. I don’t think uniforms as such are the problem.
Abolish the school crests, or at least let people buy them as sew on patches, and the costs can be slashed for uniforms. I’m pretty sure there are schools that do this already.
Back in the day when I was buying school uniforms, the school in question insisted on the jumper with the crest having to be specially ordered through the school. Dunnes, and even M&S, had identical jumpers, if not better quality, at about 20% of the price of the official one. They weren’t allowed by the school though as the crest had to be on it. It was ludicrous stuff.
I’m sorry, but since when do we take a consensus from a single individual….?
uniforms are good in general but the fancy crested ones you NEED to get for some reason are fuck off expensive and a nightmare to get
Not the way to go, you’ll have kids trying to compete with fancy expensive clothes
Wouldn’t you end up spending more money on clothes if you don’t have a uniform, not sure just wondering
I really hate the idea of school uniforms, and before anyone comes at me saying its better for under-privileged kids, I grew up broke AF and wore hand me downs all the time and would still prefer that situation to everyone having to dress the same with no ability to hav individual style.
>because no one feels forced to wear designer clothes to school
The irony.
Jesus could you imagine the bullying in schools especially in rough areas if there werent uniforms.
I went to one of the few secondary schools in the country which didn’t have a uniform and I thought it was great I think it’s nice at that age when you’re maybe earning some more money part time and figuring out your style. I wouldn’t be a fan of it in primary schools however.
My kids have 3 or 4 uniforms and they wear them every day, mix and match as they need cleaning. That’s sustainable and very cheap in the long run.
Having a different outfit every day? GTFO.
I’m in the north it’s really becoming ridiculous here. Ours this year is over £400 and will likely need replaced at least once. I don’t understand why a school in Derry has compulsory Nike branded PE kits. It’s also against school policy to wear any rain jacket other than the school £100 one. That should be classed as child abuse in Ireland lol
Set up a national uniform company make them in Ireland no profit.
They don’t even insulate the body like your regular clothes. I remember when I started first year we had to walk between 2 buildings seperated by one building we never used. It was insane, it felt like walking through a tundra.
All uniforms should be tracksuits or overalls or something like that. School is meant to be for overall education (excuse the pun) and growth as a person, but instead we’re factory farming office drones in formalwear
Fuck uniforms all my homies hate uniforms I only wish they came sooner because I’m in leaving cert year now
ITT: People acting like kids in the rest of the world wear their Sunday best designer clothes to school and parents are paying through their noses to enable it.
The way I see it, kids in Ireland either run around in school uniforms or track suits looking like every other antisocial scrote. Neither one is necessary or good looking.
If your crotch goblin makes fun of less privileged kids it’s your fault and your job to fix it. Dressing them the same at school doesn’t erase the fact they know them outside of the school as well.
Good looking clothes don’t have to be expensive.
I get the whole social status levelling of uniforms but the idea of bullying over brands seems a bit over-exaggerated. A common counter-argument I see from those with children in Educate Together schools is that it might be an issue for a week or two and then they get over it.
I’d you are required to wear a uniform, then the person/body requiring it should be paying for it.
I don’t get the arguments for uniforms at all. I had to wear them in school and I absolutely hated it.
My own kids went to a school with no uniforms and there was zero issue. Kids can wear what they want, you can pick up bits in Penneys, h&m, in the sales and I can honestly say this did not cost more than buying a uniform would have.
It’s not the army, why the need for conformity? Why is no individuality allowed? It’s an anachronism and like many things Ireland does, it’s just backwards.
It’s not the 1960’s anymore, sending girls to school in jumpers, skirts and blouses is ridiculous, no trousers allowed, even in the winter, I remember going to school in knee socks, freezing with purple legs and in the summer you’d be sweating. Not to mention what girl would want to cycle to school in a skirt?
And books! Most of it can be digital as they need to have tablet/laptop. Just paid 250 eur for the books. On Monday uniform shopping. One piece is nearly 60 eur..Ridiculous. as a single mother sometimes impossible
I was a teacher for 40 years, about half that time in uniformed schools, the other in non-uniformed. I have also taught in the UK and in Germany. And I can categorically state that uniforms are not a help but a hindrance to teaching and learning. Teachers have to waste so much time disciplining students over rules the students (and many of the teachers) think are ridiculous, and it affects the relationship between them. If you take away uniform rules you take away one thing for kids to kick against. And you let them express themselves.
As for this argument about equality, designer clothes etc – young people are not that shallow. Most of them just throw on whatever they have left on the floor the night before and no one cares. If people want to show off in a uniformed school, they will do it with bag, shoes, phone, whatever…
The only time I’ve see ostentatious displays of designer gear is on the rare non-uniform days in schools with uniform. The kids are so institutionalised and wearing their own clothes is such a novelty that they push the boat out. Well, the girls do. The boys normally don’t bother.
Michael Martin once said that if we abolish school uniforms it will put people out of work. What kind of bullshit is that? Families should struggle so we can keep a worthless industry alive?
No segregation in schools, all kids use only digital text books, and no uniforms.
But how will they know they are being groomed for corporate slavery !
Big Uniform will never allow it.
I always thought it was a bit suspicious. The line about the uniform that has to be bought from a particular shop doesn’t sound right. Is there some kind of kickback for the school or is it a case of “but we’ve used this shop since 1954 and see no reason to change”.
The uniforms we get from our “designated” retailer are over-priced, weirdly shaped and would shrink back when we could afford to run the tumble dryer.
Giving parents the requirements for the uniform then allowing them to choose where to buy them is the fairest way.
Crested uniforms are the biggest con. How is a crest helping anyones education? Some schools insist on crested coats, PE kit, uniforms. The secondary school my girl wants to attend only allows one brand of shoes as well. There is talk of a crested school bag too and a crested iPad cover (that needs to be bought and loaded with books even though I need to pay for the books as well. Expense after expense)
You know what…
ABOLISH THESE FAKE SILLY SEASON UNIFORM / HEAVY SCHOOL BAG FAUX DEBATES THAT COME AROUND EVERY SINGLE FUCK1NG YEAR.
It’s the parents council who give the go ahead to the BOM to continue on with uniforms every single year.
I just spent €400 on books this year, looking through them you can see they leave no chance of selling on the following year, code is expired, companies won’t sell the activity book seperate to the text book. New editions, yet again. Course changes yet again. Teachers switch books yet again. When I went to school, I used my 6 year old sisters books no problem.
Kids went to deis school. Parents on welfare had zero problems decking their kids out in brand new branded clobber outside school every week… But when it comes to school uniforms, it’s straight onto Joe Duffy and newstalk.
My kids don’t wear uniforms, they’re still in primary but no one gives a flying F who’s wearing what. I love not it, it’s way less hassle and less money to be spent.
Our kid’s primary school uniform is a polo shirt (any colour, long or short sleeve) and plain navy tracksuit pants and jumper, no crests. They can wear navy skirt or pinafore if they want. Shoes or trainers are fine.
I went to a secondary school with no uniform, somehow the sky didn’t fall in. All the excuses for them in here read like post hoc rationalisation to me.
Uniforms just aren’t necessary, especially not fussy dressy ones to make kids look like theyire living in the 1930’s. Most of the rest of the world is all the evidence we need of this.
Don’t uniforms end up saving money and avoiding a divide in clothes worn
Same in the north, schools have “secret” kickbacks from the only uniform supplier in the town nearest. Boards of Governors are complicit.
I agree, My mum just spent €200 on uniforms for a school I’m probably going to transfer out of (couldn’t start because my Mum wants me and my sister in the same school, and we didn’t know they were going mixed until last week)
Generic uniforms, put the crest on a tie instead
To the people saying “school uniforms create a level playing field” or whatever, you can still easily tell an old/damaged uniform from a brand new one!
I am completely against school uniforms as I feel that they suppress creativity and self-expression without any major benefits. We also need to stop banning “unnatural” hair colours. What even is the point of doing so?
It’s part of the racket keeping some dodgy little business in the bumcrack of nowhere afloat. They could easily move to generic but for the racket.
I think capping the cost would be better: as someone who grew up in a country that does not use school uniforms, there was always a lot of pressure to have very expensive brands for everyday clothes. My parents could afford to buy quality clothes, but not ridiculous tracksuit bottoms for PE that cost 100€.
I think the uniforms are a good idea, but there should be a max price point so everyone can afford them.
Is she mad? Nope. Get rid of the shirt & tie malark & just have a one colour tracksuit that can be bought in generic shops. Honestly what is the point of a shirt/ tie/ skirt uniform? To set kids up to work for the corporation shite. I’d rather kids be comfy while learning. I remember my uniform for pe had a short pleated skirt, it was imperative that we wore green knickers underneath which the Pe teacher took upon herself to regularly ensure we were wearing. Looking back, what the actual fuck was that about?? Thankfully I was an unattractive teen so it didn’t matter much 😅 anywho I wouldn’t agree with kids wearing their own clothes, imagine the pressure of having labels & brand gear. Generic tracksuit & a polo shirt, be grand.
46 comments
It costs more to dress a kid in a different outfit everyday surely? I say this as someone indifferent to whether uniforms are abolished or not.
Uniforms are cheaper in the long run and remove pressure from parents to buy latest clothing and fashion labels.
Abolish fancy crested uniforms, use generic brands like Dunnes.
Isn’t the whole idea of the uniforms so that parents don’t have to buy their kids the latest designer clothes and so kids can’t be bullied for the clothes they wear? That’s what they told us growing up in the 90s anyway.
Having no uniform would have been an absolute nightmare when I was in school, I probably didnt have 5 different outfits to wear at certain points.
Generic uniforms should be bought in bulk by the school, with the crests sown on, and sold to students/parents at cost price.
I know of a girls public school near me, where the students we not allowed wear a non-school issued jacket, which cost around €100. So you would see girls walking to school in the rain with just their jumpers on as they would get a note in their journal for wearing their own jacket, this along with school uniform requiring dubarrys…… ridiculous
The problem isn’t uniforms. It’s all the other shit parents have to pay for every September.
Make the state pay for the books and not the parents. If the school wants the students to have tablets, let that come out of the education budget. Don’t saddle parents with an extra expense because X company did a deal with the school for iPads. Have generic shirts, fleeces, trousers, skirts as uniforms. No special jackets or jumpers unless it’s a fee paying school.
Uniforms have the advantage of leveling things somewhat. Without them every day could end up like first communion day where so many people try to outdo others to show how well off they are, even if they haven’t a pot to piss in. I don’t think uniforms as such are the problem.
Abolish the school crests, or at least let people buy them as sew on patches, and the costs can be slashed for uniforms. I’m pretty sure there are schools that do this already.
Back in the day when I was buying school uniforms, the school in question insisted on the jumper with the crest having to be specially ordered through the school. Dunnes, and even M&S, had identical jumpers, if not better quality, at about 20% of the price of the official one. They weren’t allowed by the school though as the crest had to be on it. It was ludicrous stuff.
I’m sorry, but since when do we take a consensus from a single individual….?
uniforms are good in general but the fancy crested ones you NEED to get for some reason are fuck off expensive and a nightmare to get
Not the way to go, you’ll have kids trying to compete with fancy expensive clothes
Wouldn’t you end up spending more money on clothes if you don’t have a uniform, not sure just wondering
I really hate the idea of school uniforms, and before anyone comes at me saying its better for under-privileged kids, I grew up broke AF and wore hand me downs all the time and would still prefer that situation to everyone having to dress the same with no ability to hav individual style.
>because no one feels forced to wear designer clothes to school
The irony.
Jesus could you imagine the bullying in schools especially in rough areas if there werent uniforms.
I went to one of the few secondary schools in the country which didn’t have a uniform and I thought it was great I think it’s nice at that age when you’re maybe earning some more money part time and figuring out your style. I wouldn’t be a fan of it in primary schools however.
My kids have 3 or 4 uniforms and they wear them every day, mix and match as they need cleaning. That’s sustainable and very cheap in the long run.
Having a different outfit every day? GTFO.
I’m in the north it’s really becoming ridiculous here. Ours this year is over £400 and will likely need replaced at least once. I don’t understand why a school in Derry has compulsory Nike branded PE kits. It’s also against school policy to wear any rain jacket other than the school £100 one. That should be classed as child abuse in Ireland lol
Set up a national uniform company make them in Ireland no profit.
They don’t even insulate the body like your regular clothes. I remember when I started first year we had to walk between 2 buildings seperated by one building we never used. It was insane, it felt like walking through a tundra.
All uniforms should be tracksuits or overalls or something like that. School is meant to be for overall education (excuse the pun) and growth as a person, but instead we’re factory farming office drones in formalwear
Fuck uniforms all my homies hate uniforms I only wish they came sooner because I’m in leaving cert year now
ITT: People acting like kids in the rest of the world wear their Sunday best designer clothes to school and parents are paying through their noses to enable it.
The way I see it, kids in Ireland either run around in school uniforms or track suits looking like every other antisocial scrote. Neither one is necessary or good looking.
If your crotch goblin makes fun of less privileged kids it’s your fault and your job to fix it. Dressing them the same at school doesn’t erase the fact they know them outside of the school as well.
Good looking clothes don’t have to be expensive.
I get the whole social status levelling of uniforms but the idea of bullying over brands seems a bit over-exaggerated. A common counter-argument I see from those with children in Educate Together schools is that it might be an issue for a week or two and then they get over it.
I’d you are required to wear a uniform, then the person/body requiring it should be paying for it.
I don’t get the arguments for uniforms at all. I had to wear them in school and I absolutely hated it.
My own kids went to a school with no uniforms and there was zero issue. Kids can wear what they want, you can pick up bits in Penneys, h&m, in the sales and I can honestly say this did not cost more than buying a uniform would have.
It’s not the army, why the need for conformity? Why is no individuality allowed? It’s an anachronism and like many things Ireland does, it’s just backwards.
It’s not the 1960’s anymore, sending girls to school in jumpers, skirts and blouses is ridiculous, no trousers allowed, even in the winter, I remember going to school in knee socks, freezing with purple legs and in the summer you’d be sweating. Not to mention what girl would want to cycle to school in a skirt?
And books! Most of it can be digital as they need to have tablet/laptop. Just paid 250 eur for the books. On Monday uniform shopping. One piece is nearly 60 eur..Ridiculous. as a single mother sometimes impossible
I was a teacher for 40 years, about half that time in uniformed schools, the other in non-uniformed. I have also taught in the UK and in Germany. And I can categorically state that uniforms are not a help but a hindrance to teaching and learning. Teachers have to waste so much time disciplining students over rules the students (and many of the teachers) think are ridiculous, and it affects the relationship between them. If you take away uniform rules you take away one thing for kids to kick against. And you let them express themselves.
As for this argument about equality, designer clothes etc – young people are not that shallow. Most of them just throw on whatever they have left on the floor the night before and no one cares. If people want to show off in a uniformed school, they will do it with bag, shoes, phone, whatever…
The only time I’ve see ostentatious displays of designer gear is on the rare non-uniform days in schools with uniform. The kids are so institutionalised and wearing their own clothes is such a novelty that they push the boat out. Well, the girls do. The boys normally don’t bother.
Michael Martin once said that if we abolish school uniforms it will put people out of work. What kind of bullshit is that? Families should struggle so we can keep a worthless industry alive?
No segregation in schools, all kids use only digital text books, and no uniforms.
But how will they know they are being groomed for corporate slavery !
Big Uniform will never allow it.
I always thought it was a bit suspicious. The line about the uniform that has to be bought from a particular shop doesn’t sound right. Is there some kind of kickback for the school or is it a case of “but we’ve used this shop since 1954 and see no reason to change”.
The uniforms we get from our “designated” retailer are over-priced, weirdly shaped and would shrink back when we could afford to run the tumble dryer.
Giving parents the requirements for the uniform then allowing them to choose where to buy them is the fairest way.
Crested uniforms are the biggest con. How is a crest helping anyones education? Some schools insist on crested coats, PE kit, uniforms. The secondary school my girl wants to attend only allows one brand of shoes as well. There is talk of a crested school bag too and a crested iPad cover (that needs to be bought and loaded with books even though I need to pay for the books as well. Expense after expense)
You know what…
ABOLISH THESE FAKE SILLY SEASON UNIFORM / HEAVY SCHOOL BAG FAUX DEBATES THAT COME AROUND EVERY SINGLE FUCK1NG YEAR.
It’s the parents council who give the go ahead to the BOM to continue on with uniforms every single year.
I just spent €400 on books this year, looking through them you can see they leave no chance of selling on the following year, code is expired, companies won’t sell the activity book seperate to the text book. New editions, yet again. Course changes yet again. Teachers switch books yet again. When I went to school, I used my 6 year old sisters books no problem.
Kids went to deis school. Parents on welfare had zero problems decking their kids out in brand new branded clobber outside school every week… But when it comes to school uniforms, it’s straight onto Joe Duffy and newstalk.
My kids don’t wear uniforms, they’re still in primary but no one gives a flying F who’s wearing what. I love not it, it’s way less hassle and less money to be spent.
Our kid’s primary school uniform is a polo shirt (any colour, long or short sleeve) and plain navy tracksuit pants and jumper, no crests. They can wear navy skirt or pinafore if they want. Shoes or trainers are fine.
I went to a secondary school with no uniform, somehow the sky didn’t fall in. All the excuses for them in here read like post hoc rationalisation to me.
Uniforms just aren’t necessary, especially not fussy dressy ones to make kids look like theyire living in the 1930’s. Most of the rest of the world is all the evidence we need of this.
Don’t uniforms end up saving money and avoiding a divide in clothes worn
Same in the north, schools have “secret” kickbacks from the only uniform supplier in the town nearest. Boards of Governors are complicit.
I agree, My mum just spent €200 on uniforms for a school I’m probably going to transfer out of (couldn’t start because my Mum wants me and my sister in the same school, and we didn’t know they were going mixed until last week)
Generic uniforms, put the crest on a tie instead
To the people saying “school uniforms create a level playing field” or whatever, you can still easily tell an old/damaged uniform from a brand new one!
I am completely against school uniforms as I feel that they suppress creativity and self-expression without any major benefits. We also need to stop banning “unnatural” hair colours. What even is the point of doing so?
It’s part of the racket keeping some dodgy little business in the bumcrack of nowhere afloat. They could easily move to generic but for the racket.
I think capping the cost would be better: as someone who grew up in a country that does not use school uniforms, there was always a lot of pressure to have very expensive brands for everyday clothes. My parents could afford to buy quality clothes, but not ridiculous tracksuit bottoms for PE that cost 100€.
I think the uniforms are a good idea, but there should be a max price point so everyone can afford them.
Is she mad? Nope. Get rid of the shirt & tie malark & just have a one colour tracksuit that can be bought in generic shops. Honestly what is the point of a shirt/ tie/ skirt uniform? To set kids up to work for the corporation shite. I’d rather kids be comfy while learning. I remember my uniform for pe had a short pleated skirt, it was imperative that we wore green knickers underneath which the Pe teacher took upon herself to regularly ensure we were wearing. Looking back, what the actual fuck was that about?? Thankfully I was an unattractive teen so it didn’t matter much 😅 anywho I wouldn’t agree with kids wearing their own clothes, imagine the pressure of having labels & brand gear. Generic tracksuit & a polo shirt, be grand.