school uniform rip off

[cherokee]

I was listening to radio 2 this morning but this was also on the news . and they were going on about how schools were appointing specialist outlets to sell their uniforms in order for the school to make money. it told how one girl got excluded from school because her parents couldnt afford the specialist shop prices so bought her child a jumper which was a differant shade of red.from a shop that was pricing them within her budget .. just how bad is that? and also schools putting parents over a barrel and forcing them into buying things like track suits with the school logo on it or a pair of socks with the school colour stripe on them ,costing about £4 a pair .and it goes on .. now having put 4 kids through school myself Iam all for the school uniform but wasnt it introduced to stop kids from being catorgorised..and help the low paid familys feel no different to the high paid ones .? but surely this is a good way for school s to bring back the whole im better than you thing and making a bloody mint in the process.. thank god that trading standards have picked up on it and are taking action before it gets out of hand

[accymel]

Even worse is when the school uniform allowance for 1st uniform for secondary [year 7] has been scrapped so those on very low incomes have been shafted on top of hiked fussy logo prices so how are they supposed to afford it - a nightmare i have to face next year where i will have to get a loan shark to get a school unform

No wonder education system is crap when kids get sent home for not exact logo'd uniform again disadvantage to those that cannot afford it so kids lose out on education for sake of school fussy uniform policy

[cherokee]

I agree accymel fortunately we still get the school grant here but i know many areas have scrapped it , its a disgrace

[accymel]

They have only just scrapped it this year & its not gone down well specially with those that definately need that help.

[cherokee]

seems to me that kids go to school for a fashion parade rather than to learn these days and its not even the parents to blame

[Tinkerbelle]

Primary schools not to bad. I've got two in senior school, so when I've had to pay premium for their uniforms and P.E. kits they tell me that they want £120 Rockport shoes because everyone else has them. £100 La Coste jackets because their mate has one. Cost a bomb TN trainers because they're in fashion at the minute (I thank e-bay for getting those cheaper than the £120 in the shop though ). Stationary has to be the latest fashion, having two girls it has to be Playboy, again hyke the price up to exploit the parents .......... kids who'd have em, I'd be loaded it if I didn't! lol!

[Madhatter]

This has been going on a while and has been spreading across the country. I heard it on the radio last year. The school deffended its decision by saying it was getting them badly needed funds by making parents sponsor them in the form of only being able to buy from appointed outlets.
Idiotic in my opinion.

[WillowTheWhisp]

I was extremely annoyed when conned into purchasing the uniform for Moorhead from the school when Mimi first went there. The colours had been changed and the shop on Abbey Street which had supplied the uniform up to then hadn't been notified.

The shop owner was highly miffed because they'd restocked in all the old colours.

Needless to say I have purchased them from that shop ever since because they are much cheaper, and a better quality than the first ones which I got from the school.

[Madhatter]

schools should supply the uniforms at cost.

[accymel]

Im sorry but the schools can try to riip off parents because of the lack of funding coming in from the Gov or else they need to explain there reasons as to why many low incomed parents have to feed a family on beans n toast for a week for a month to afford to kit out their kids in senior school is beyond beleif!!!

Im sorry but food & essentials come first & whatever i have left then i will attempt to get the best deal i can with uniforms otherwise if its a policy that uiniform is paramount before education then i will gladly tell the education office why if my child is to be sent home!

Mr Blair doing best to counteract child poverty??? providing better educational standards in school???? well this is going about it in the opposite way & many taxpayers would be questioning their tax money & fact of being stung again for their child to receive standard education so whichever financial coin your on its ripping people off - it beggars beleif!!!

[accymel]

Originally Posted by Madhatter

schools should supply the uniforms at cost.

Well thats what i thought it would be, my kids are at priomary & their jumpers/coats/tshirts can be bought from school which isnt bad for price although the choice is still with me whether i choose school orders or Abbey street but still uniform is expensive worse still secondary school . Im so dreading trying to afford it for next year when my eldest starts secondary sept 07.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Madhatter

schools should supply the uniforms at cost.

100% right madhatter, Kids go to school to learn not for a fasion show. If uniforms are required then they must be available at the least cost to all families without causing any hardship to anyone.

[katex]

Originally Posted by jaysay

100% right madhatter, Kids go to school to learn not for a fasion show. If uniforms are required then they must be available at the least cost to all families without causing any hardship to anyone.

The idea of school uniforms is that it does not become a fashion show Jaysay .. can you imagine the problems it there weren't one, and the cost of a daughter or son wanting to look cool every morning .. horrors !!

Just a matter of prioratizing; we all sat in front of our expensive computers whinging about the cost of our childrens everyday school wear, sorry, one of my pet subjects.

The theory is that to test the economical use of an article of clothing is to divide the cost by the number of wears, so work that one out for yerselves.

As to the mandatory purchase from schools, etc., is usually only the blazers, jumpers, etc.. not the shirts, trousers, skirts and so on.

Discipline in schools should be zero rated, and this has to start with the uniform. My son went into school one day with a new pair of Clarke's shoes, they had brown laces (never noticed) .. took 5 mins. before it was spotted ..and told to change them the next day ... good stuff I say.

Every morning I look at the pupils on their way to school, what a sloppy lot, dirty shoes, ties shortened, skirts just below the hip .. one girl has a skirt that is about 20" long with slits up the side, thought it was torn at first .. sorry, but can't be comfortable.

[Madhatter]

Just a matter of prioratizing; we all sat in front of our expensive computers whinging about the cost of our childrens everyday school wear, sorry, one of my pet subjects

I haven't got children. I'm whinging about single parents of three being expected to pay silly costs for designer uniforms that they shouldn't be wearing anyway. As you say, the uniform should be designer free for that very reason, it puts all on a level playing field, standard uniform for all, but it should be designer free at a cost that all can afford.
I'm whinging because I can see it's wrong. I see it as these kids should be well looked after well taught disiplined in the right way, when needed, and shown that people care. They'll be loooking after us when we're old.

[mani]

hmph!

i thought this thread was gonna be about strippers ripping off their school uniforms somewhere... ach!

but totally agree - its just another way to scam. it kinda started when i was in school - they wud choose a obsolete colour for the final year students and there would only be two shops we could buy the £30 jumpers from. either that or get messed around mentally from the sheer peer pressure which alot of people brush off far too easily