Uniform Thinking

at

Saint Brigid’s National School, Greystones, County Wicklow

….the school will allow boys to wear skirts or girls to wear trousers from next September.

Chair of the Board of Management Tom Sherlock said the council approached the principal earlier this year with a well thought out case.

He told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that the board’s initial reaction was “why didn’t we think of it ourselves?”

Gender neutral uniform policy set for Wicklow school (RTÉ)

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41 thoughts on “Uniform Thinking

    1. Rob_G

      Meh – I used to rail against wearing a uniform as a kid, but there are plenty of jobs with some sort of dresscode, so it’s good training for adulthood.

      Plus, reduces a bit the problem of kid x wearing brand-name stuff, whereas kid y’s family can only afford to shop in Penneys, etc.

      1. millie st murderlark

        My kid doesn’t have a uniform, and her school recently did a clothes swap & sale to raise money. It was brilliant and the kids loved being able to swap clothes with their buddies. They were taught about recycling their clothes and second hand clothes.

        It was a really positive idea on the part of the school.

      2. Cian

        double-Meh. Childhood doesn’t have to be training for the crappy parts of adulthood.

        And, having gone to a school that had a uniform, there was always ways that the rich kids could signal their wealth[1] with the expensive gear: be it shoes and coats, or runners/sports equipment.

        [1] this may have been ostentatious for some families, but there were others that just happened to have nice things.

        1. Rob_G

          Yeah – I’m not like madly in favour or them or anything; I just don’t have any problem with schools having a policy on uniforms, jewelry or hairstyles or whatever.

  1. seanydelight

    Whatever about the uniforms, I think they are asking for trouble with the bathroom thing Did I hear the principal say they will be mixed gender?

      1. seanydelight

        Plenty of opportunity for a simple enough interaction among children to get blown out of the water, or a teacher / parent to misread a situation and things become complicated.

  2. A Person

    Can’t they all just wear the same uniform, for example, a track suit? Also should one child, or most probably his (right on) parents, dictate school policy?

    1. Jeffrey

      The tracksuit is used on days with Sports but you couldnt have them in those all day all week. My only issue over the years with Uniform (finished now) was/is the fact that many School will not accept plain jumper with added crest and thus forcing you to buy the 25e over priced jumpers…

      1. George

        Of course you could have them in tracksuits all day every day. They are under 12, it would be much more suitable. I had to wear a tie to school when I was, stupid stuff.

    2. Spaghetti Hoop

      A track suit? If they start wearing ’em as a school uniform then will they ever don a suit?

      ref: Karl Lagerfeld

  3. Murtles

    Sounds great in principal from a progressive adult point of view but I guarantee you the first young fella to walk through the doors with a skirt on will be singled out. Why can’t they let kids be kids?

    1. George

      The skirts aren’t mandatory. Letting the kid wear a skirt IS letting the kid be a kid.

      The policy makes perfect sense. If schools enforce gender specific uniforms they are liable to be legally challenged as employers have been successfully in the past.

      1. SOQ

        So why do students in girl schools still ALL seem to turn up with their nether regions wrapped in what appears to be their granny’s table cloths? Down to below the ankle in some cases.

        All they need is the red cape and the white bonnet.

  4. SOQ

    Were the boys allowed to wear trousers and the girls forced to wear skirts before this? if so then this is a non story- slanted by RTE for whatever reason. Most girls would prefer to wear trousers to school- especially as the skirts usually look something from the 1950’s.

    1. Spaghetti Hoop

      +1
      It is a non-story but the media have jumped all over it because lads wearing skirts (aside from traditional kilts) is hilarious to them. If they relax the skirts only rule for girls then they should relax the trousers only rule for boys. School-specific skirts were not only matronly in design, they were impractical in the cold months, and would ride up the legs when on the bus or general goofing around after school.

    2. George

      There is no slant: “the school will allow boys to wear skirts or girls to wear trousers from next September”. The answer to your question is obviously yes if they going to start allowing them then they weren’t allowed before.

      The headlines refers only to a “gender neutral uniform policy”. This reporting is fair and impartial.

      1. SOQ

        Many schools allow girls to wear trousers already, so whats the big deal? As for boys wearing skirts, well good luck to anyone who wants to be seen wearing those curtains. Taste rather than gender being the issue I think.

  5. Eoin

    Students demanded it. Try telling them ‘NO’ once in a while if you want to prepare the little darlings for the real world when they leave school.

      1. SOQ

        Up north, uniforms not seen by the public are in some offices still enforced. It presents a perception of order and professionalism apparently.

        If you are a member of a paramilitary organisation perhaps- which some ‘offices’ clearly are.

  6. Dr.Fart MD

    i remember when i was in secondary school in the 90’s one of the 6th year girls (i was in 5th year), wore trousers in, saying girls should be allowed. no one else had even thought of doin it, no one was against it except the principal who kept sending her home until she went back to wearin a skirt. i remeber we all thought that was stupid and they shud be able to wear dresses if they want. her arse looked way classer in the trousers too.

    1. Brother Barnabas

      that’s a very good point

      however, i’d say the majority of women can’t get away with wearing those trousers, especially if they’re carrying a bit of timber down there

      and it’s a pity because it can make an otherwise attractive woman a bit frumpy looking

      1. Dr.Fart MD

        i wouldn’t really be lookin at teenagers the age I am. But in general, I think it’s down to individuals, if ya look good in them, class, if ya don’t coz yer heavy, i wouldn’t be lookin anyway so doesn’t bother me.

  7. Vanessa the Holy Face of Frilly Keane

    In my experience getting them out’ve the bed is the hardest chore

    School Uniform is the least of the drama of the school day get out, lunch box, homework journal, brush the hair, school run scrum and parking warfare

    Kids prefer tracksuit days anyway
    It gives them an extra few minutes in the leaba
    And you can kinda get away with having last night’s Spag bol still stuck to it

    A hoo haa over nathin’ imo

    But shur’ like the school yard mummies
    Someone will find outrage and drama and meetings to organise about anything introduced by a primary school principal

    Believe me
    The only people that matter
    The pupils
    Aren’t going to give a jelly tot snot
    As long as it doesn’t involve more homework
    Or prayers
    They’ll still be demons to get out in the morning
    No matter what they’ve to wear

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