The cost of school uniforms

chucken1

I saw an ad for uniforms from Tesco last night and in the top corner it said "in partnership with SVP".

Now this just got me thinking,why do schools have specialised uniforms that cost an arm and a leg?

If everyone could buy the uniforms from Tesco or Dunnes,this would save the state a fortune in the Back to school clothing allowence and people could afford to buy 2 or 3 sets of clothes without too much stress.

I mean why not let people buy the school crest to sew on the jumper for 2 or 3 euro,if the want the school stand out.?

My 2 are finished school nearly 10 years but luckily it was a grey jumper and pants which could be picked up cheaply with a blue polo shirt.

It just seems a silly thing to waste a lot of money on when the children can be just as clean and tidy in the bargain clothes!:)

Any thoughts?

Fittle

I have MANY thoughts on this issue!

In my sons school, it's a crested tracksuit, crested collared tshirt and grey trousers....the tracksuit and tshirt can only be bought from one shop in Ireland (the trousers are the average grey trousers). The tracksuit costs 35euro and each tshirt costs 15euro.....(I buy a minimum of 2 tshirts each year - another growth spurt this summer, so have to buy new tracksuit also)...the bottoms and tops of the tracksuits can't be bought seperately either...

I am on the parents assoc in our school and myself, and many others have mentioned this over the past few years (he is now going into 4th class) and suggested that we have a more 'neutral' uniform and parents could buy the crest (if the school are that hung-up on having a crest:rolleyes:) for a minimal fee from the school. Every parent has always agreed with this idea...there has yet to be one person over the past 6yrs who has disagreed with this idea..and yet, the school still insists on this uniform each year.

I'm sure the Board of Management (in my school anyway) which is headed by our parish priest have a say in whether the uniform stays in its current form, or not....because I have no idea why they would continue to insist that we pay these prices for uniforms...
Rant over!

chucken1

Your last point hit the nail on the head!

I realise most schools have the priest on the Board of Management,but surely if the parents say enough is enough,he can be over ruled?

I mean in all fairness,he's hardly an authority on the cost of clothing a child.

Cant parents just say..here BOM this is whats going to happen from now on?

Fittle

chucken1 wrote: »

Your last point hit the nail on the head!

I realise most schools have the priest on the Board of Management,but surely if the parents say enough is enough,he can be over ruled?

I mean in all fairness,he's hardly an authority on the cost of clothing a child.

I can only speak of experience from my own sons school, and having dealt with this man over the years on various issues, he does have the last say, no matter how many parents sign a petition or approach him about changing something in the school.

We have been trying to bring the School Book Grants Scheme into our school for 5yrs OR a school book rental scheme....and he continues to say no, it can't be done!!!!! Again, only experience from my sons school, can't speak for other schools.

chucken1

What would happen if all the parents agreed (outside of school) to a uniform of their choosing?

Let the children back in September,in uniform, would he close the school?? I doubt it!! Its ridiculous when you think about it :mad:

Morag

The local parish priest is the head of the board of management for all the Catholic National Schools(92% of all national schools) in the country.

He is the Patron's (bishops's) rep on the board of Management and no matter what the parent's want the Patron and his Rep have the final say.

Fittle

chucken1 wrote: »

What would happen if all the parents agreed (outside of school) to a uniform of their choosing?

Let the children back in September,in uniform, would he close the school?? I doubt it!! Its ridiculous when you think about it :mad:

I have found over the years, that with the best will in the world, you'd never get all the parents to agree to that.

We (the group of parents I'm involved with) have almost become the 'baddies' because we continue to raise issues in the school - some of which are dealt with, some which aren't (the school uniform being one of them).

I await the arrival of the new parents with their kids going into JI in September - full of enthusiasm and gusto to involve themselves in the parents association (as I was when my son started) - doesn't take them long to stop involving themselves when they realise their requests fall on deaf ears alot of the time...:(

Orion

Sharrow wrote: »

He is the Patron's (bishops's) rep on the board of Management and no matter what the parent's want the Patron and his Rep have the final say.

That's not actually true. They only have one vote each on anything up for a vote. There are two parents, two teachers and two other nominees on the board.

However, in practice they're surrounded by people who will do exactly what they're told. :rolleyes:

Fittle

Orion wrote: »

However, in practice they're surrounded by people who will do exactly what they're told. :rolleyes:

That's it, in a nutshell!

Morag

Orion wrote: »

That's not actually true. They only have one vote each on anything up for a vote. There are two parents, two teachers and two other nominees on the board.

However, in practice they're surrounded by people who will do exactly what they're told. :rolleyes:

I didn't mention voting

As the head of the B.O.M. sets the agenda for meetings I've seen motions fail to appear on the agenda and the clock ran out on meetings so that when it was raised under A.O.B. the meeting was called to a close due to lack of time.

The final say as in no one will go against them and the only way try and appeal is to make a complaint to the Bishop's palace and needless to say who's side they tend to support.

chucken1

Sharrow wrote: »

The local parish priest is the head of the board of management for all the Catholic National Schools(92% of all national schools) in the country.

He is the Patron's (bishops's) rep on the board of Management and no matter what the parent's want the Patron and his Rep have the final say.

Is'nt this a bit silly? As I said already,he's hardly an authority on raising children and the costs involved?!!

Orion

If the PA has any backbone they could kick up enough stink to force the issue. However I know that PA Committees are generally stocked by brown-nosers too.

It's one of the things I like about ET - there is no vested interest on the BOM.

Orion

chucken1 wrote: »

[/B]

Is'nt this a bit silly? As I said already,he's hardly an authority on raising children and the costs involved?!!

I think you'll find we're all on the same page here chucken1. However this is the reality of it.

Fittle

Orion wrote: »

If the PA has any backbone they could kick up enough stink to force the issue. However I know that PA Committees are generally stocked by brown-nosers too.

It's one of the things I like about ET - there is no vested interest on the BOM.

I'm on our PA with another 5 parents....the chair etc are a group of 6 other people, all of whom are what you describe as 'brown-nosers'....Us 5 are forever trying to put the cat amongst the pigeons, but we seldom get anywhere unless 'he who shall be obeyed' gives the go-ahead, but we'll continue to fight our cause for another few years..... I'm sure he can't stand the 5 of us...if you'd seen the looks he gave us at first holy communion;):p

How does it work at secondary level?

Edit; I definitely regret not sending my lad to an ET school - didn't have one close enough to my home at the time...but if I had to do it over again, that's defo the route I'd take.

magrat

I have had mine in both uniform and non uniform schools. As I was indeed myself as a child!! Mine ended up the opposite of me - in that they had no uniform for primary and uniform for secondary level.

I have one still in primary in an ET school - so no uniform to worry about. I can honestly say its never been an issue either, I have never found any peer pressure or any hassle to 'fit in' and that has been with three different children going through the system there.

For my elder two we had uniform for secondary and will do again now with the youngest - we have another year before we face it again.

There is no two ways about it - the uniform was expensive. I found it especially hard when my son when through his grown spurt - as most teenage boys will do - and he outgrew a total of three pair of school throusers in a year !! And at 55 euro each pair it was difficult.

My daughter ended up much more cost effective - I got her a school skirt on entering 1st year - and she wore that same skirt right up to the end of 6th year! It was in a bit of a sorry state by the end of it but with a bit of sewing we made it ! So that ended up being 60 euro well spent! When my next daughter starts - despite her wanting the trousers option - you can be sure we will be buying the skirt!!

I would prefer a dress code option rather than a uniform in secondary level. I can't see why that can't be done instead. It would be much easier on parents and I also think the kids would prefer it. I know for secondary they argue that the teens 'label' each other with clothes - but I think even within a uniform school they all know which group they belong to. I dont think its just the clothes that do it.

I know from my own experience in secondary - and ok that is a while ago now - we had no uniform and no issues with it. We did have some guidelines issued from the school, more about the lenght of the girls skirts and no ripped jeans etc. But it certainly did not lead to gang warfare or anything even remotely like it!

syklops

I have one still in primary in an ET school - so no uniform to worry about. I can honestly say its never been an issue either, I have never found any peer pressure or any hassle to 'fit in' and that has been with three different children going through the system there.

For my elder two we had uniform for secondary and will do again now with the youngest - we have another year before we face it again.

There is no two ways about it - the uniform was expensive. I found it especially hard when my son when through his grown spurt - as most teenage boys will do - and he outgrew a total of three pair of school throusers in a year !! And at 55 euro each pair it was difficult.

Dont take offence, but at 55 euro per pair of trousers, its no wonder he didnt suffer any peer pressure. I dont even spend 55 euro on trousers for myself. Its the kids who wear no-name 5 euro a pair jeans who suffer peer pressure, in non-uniform schools. I used to dread no uniform days in my school.

chucken1

http://www.barnardos.ie/what-we-do/campaign-and-lobby/2011-school-costs-survey-results.html

From Barnardos today.

(Sorry I dont know how to put up the full article)

Lady Chatterton

We are very lucky with our primary school, we have to buy the school sweater with crest but everything else can be purchased where you like.


I've added a link for the "Back to School Allowance", hopefully, it may be of help.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/SupplementaryWelfareAllowance/Pages/BacktoSchoolClothingandFootwearAllowance.aspx

Morag

chucken1 wrote: »

http://www.barnardos.ie/what-we-do/campaign-and-lobby/2011-school-costs-survey-results.html

From Barnardos today.

(Sorry I dont know how to put up the full article)

angelfire9

My eldest is in a primary school where the uniform jumper has a crest and the school tie costs a fiver but her shirt and skirt are got in dunnes
After she grew out of her junior infants school jumper I cut out the crest and got a new cardigan from dunnes and sewed the old crest on to it I've done this every year since now granted the crest is looking a bit crappy at this stage and I spent about 3 hours embroidering fresh thread over the old crest so that it didn't look ratty but with only 2 years to go it has survived this far and saved me a fortune!! (thank god for my convent education and my abilities with a needle & thread)
The tracksuit cost 80 euro I haven't managed to find a way around that one just yet!

When she goes into secondary she'll have a kilt type skirt that I'll have to buy it goes with a white blouse and a crested jumper I'm thinking already (having seen the crest) I'll be doing it myself ( or trying anyway) if all else fails there's always the cut and sew option:)

magrat

syklops wrote: »

Dont take offence, but at 55 euro per pair of trousers, its no wonder he didnt suffer any peer pressure. I dont even spend 55 euro on trousers for myself. Its the kids who wear no-name 5 euro a pair jeans who suffer peer pressure, in non-uniform schools. I used to dread no uniform days in my school.

If you care to re-read my original post you will see that for secondary school my children had a uniform.

I only spent 55 euro on the slacks from the school uniform shop, which were a requirement of the school and not a fashion choice.

I have dressed my non uniform kids from tesco, dunnes and penny's - on a routine basis - and never have they had an issue in school.

angeldaisy

this year my son goes into 1st class in primary, in order to cut costs I also cut out the crest off last years jumper and sewed in onto a 3 euro navy jumper. I've just bought 2 crested polo shirts and a tie for 17 euro. his tracksuit bottoms were 9euro and his trousers were 6euro. shirts I bought last year in the sale in dunnes and paid 1.50euro for a pack of 2 shirts. So for this year I've spent about 45euro for his uniform and thats with penny pinching. I don't think thats too bad. the only thing I don't scrimp on are his shoes, I buy clarks that have the protective bit at the front of them, last year I went with a cheaper option and ended up buying 3 pairs - so no saving.
Dreading secondary school though, my neice's school skirt has just cost 60 euro! I wouldn't spend that much on myself!!

ash23

I refused to buy the crested uniform for my child. It was mentioned, I said I would happily sew on a crest but no way was I paying €50 for a crested pinafore when I can buy the same type pinny in Dunnes for €8.
That was the end of that.
I see more and more parents following suit and less and less crested items in the school. They are still in uniform, the colours are right etc but just no crests.
In her school they have a crested uniform and a crested PE uniform. It'd be well over €150 to buy the lot as crested whereas you can get them for a lot less without the crest.

eviltwin

My daughters school has the crested jumpers / skirt combo. Not only that their school jacket has to be a certain one which alone costs 70 euros :eek:

And this is a school in a disadvantaged area....

Last year I know some parents tried to get around it by sewing crests from old jumpers on the cheaper versions from the supermarkets but the kids were sent home so I wouldn't risk it.

I wouldn't mind paying the money if the quality justified the price but they don't last all that long and end up looking like rubbish after a few washes.

Janetwebsterem

Schools in Britain have started to switch to iron-on embroidered badges so families can buy jumpers and shirts in Tesco/ASDA. Our kids' school is one of them and I reckon its cut the cost of kitting them out with crested clothes by about two thirds. We used to pay £10 for a logo jumper it now costs us £3.50.

Jo King

Fittle wrote: »

I have MANY thoughts on this issue!


I'm sure the Board of Management (in my school anyway) which is headed by our parish priest have a say in whether the uniform stays in its current form, or not....because I have no idea why they would continue to insist that we pay these prices for uniforms...
Rant over!

Because they are making money out of it. Same with books. They get a commission from the sellers.

implausible

Jo King wrote: »

Because they are making money out of it. Same with books. They get a commission from the sellers.

I don't know about the school you're involved in, but no school that I have experience of makes money from the uniform, unless they are directly selling it themselves. And, unless the school is selling books directly to the students, they don't make money on that either!

lucy2010

My total for the younger 2 is €549.05. That is 2 x school tracksuit each ( thats their unifrom tracksuit only ) their books & book rental scheme & photcopying money etc. Shes 8 , hes 9. Only 3 of his books from last year would do her.

thesimpsons

Sharrow wrote: »

The local parish priest is the head of the board of management for all the Catholic National Schools(92% of all national schools) in the country.

He is the Patron's (bishops's) rep on the board of Management and no matter what the parent's want the Patron and his Rep have the final say.

not true. I've been on 3 different BOMs at primary level (all catholic schools) and while there has always been a priest on the boards, he hasn't been the Chairman on any one of them and was there as another voice. As one of the 2 parents on the BOM, I always found everyone's voice was heard and given an opportunity to speak up. I wouldn't be on a BOM if I was only there as a "yes man". What I did find is that it was the teachers as a body who wanted the uniforms but luckily enough in the schools I was involved with, the uniforms were pretty cost effective and if you wanted to buy from the official supplier you could but could also buy the cheaper option if you wanted to. PAs and their parents reps must be louder and more vocal if they want to do an effective job on the BOM.

I've got 2 kids still in secondary school and while their uniforms are expensive initially (skirt 65e, jacket 70e) I've got 10 yrs out of one jacket as I was able to pass it down to younger child, and the skirts are all saved to pass on aswell.

kneeler

deemark wrote: »

I don't know about the school you're involved in, but no school that I have experience of makes money from the uniform, unless they are directly selling it themselves. And, unless the school is selling books directly to the students, they don't make money on that either!

The school doesn't make the money. It is paid to individuals by way of kickbacks and discounts. Teachers often get a commission for themselves if they persuade the school to introduce a new textbook. That is the way of all procurement.

Rhubar

eviltwin wrote: »

My daughters school has the crested jumpers / skirt combo. Not only that their school jacket has to be a certain one which alone costs 70 euros :eek:

And this is a school in a disadvantaged area....

Last year I know some parents tried to get around it by sewing crests from old jumpers on the cheaper versions from the supermarkets but the kids were sent home so I wouldn't risk it.

I wouldn't mind paying the money if the quality justified the price but they don't last all that long and end up looking like rubbish after a few washes.

Is this a primary or secondary school? I have heard that parents of primary school children are under no obligation to put their child in a uniform and that the school cannot insist that the children wear uniforms. Does anyone know if this is in fact the law?

The school my children go to has a crested navy jumper but plenty of children go in with just plain navy jumpers or with the crest sewn on and thankfully they don't mind at all.