bourbon-biscuit

My kids' school sell the uniform through the school and advised us to buy from them. I did but I really regret it as it's all a nasty poly-cotton 'easy care' blend and I think this is a horrible material to make kids' clothes from. It's not breathable, it's heavy and at the end of the day they come home hot and sweaty and unzip their dresses or remove their shirts and you can feel the heat coming off them.

Also, they do sport/gross motor skills everyday, which is great, but they do it *in* their school uniforms! Friday they wear PE kit but on the other days they do exercise first thing in their nasty poly-cotton uniforms and then dtay in them all day!

What do your kids wear? Do you know where I can get 100% cotton uniforms?

Jan4kids

I think this is the way in lots of schools..... I was kinda shocked at the no P.E kit thing too at first......I just buy a bigger size to let some air in...no way round it at our school as it has to be the exact uniform. I honestly don't think the kids mind or suffer as much as I think they do.They are also not allowed to wear any kind of sandals and ended up in trainers (mainly due to the P.E thing again)...really hot! In Adelaide they had a school dress, sandals were allowed and in really hot weather they were allowed to remove their shoes and lay down by the airconditioner for 'quiet time'....but not here.

Nothing a shower, cool drink and change of clothes can't fix...but I do know where you are coming from.

Jan

jad n rich

The white poly school shirts really :curse: me. They offer a sun safe factor of Zero, really intelligent in a country like australia. 15 year old had first mole cut off on tuesday, thats all 3 kids, despite hats, sunblock and rash vests etc have now had moles removed. You try to protect them and then the school offers a uniform like that

Also education on the dangers of the sun to eyes, school of 2300 kids, do you think one single teen leaves the school wearing a hat let alone sun glasses. It amazes me they can enforce what socks they wear, sun safety and its ohhh kids wont do that, well they wear the bloody socks dont they!

bourbon-biscuit

Interestingly, in NSW at least, schools can't exclude or otherwise children on the grounds of not adhering to the school uniform:

(from: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/...20040025.shtml )

Also, regarding sun protection:

(from: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/...t_from_sun.pdf )


and:
(from: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/...t_from_sun.pdf )

It sounds like your school needs to review their uniform policy.

It just annoys me- the staff are wearing cool cotton, the parents are wearing cool cotton and the kids, the learners, the ones doing the real 'work' are trussed up in polycotton, which is unpleasant and really not good for skin.

I'm thinking of buying a load of 100% cotton stuff when I'm in the uk in July, but that's not a sustainable or long term solution. I can't bring it up with the P&C or anything as I'm very new and they've obviously worked hard to get a good looking cheap uniform for the kids.

ABCDiamond

Our school states:
And everyone seems to wear them correctly. If we nip in to the shop on the way home, my daughter always ensures she puts her hat on when we get out of the car.

jad n rich

Thats interesting, I wonder if it is just good practice and guidelines or actually enforced. Pretty sure I have seen the silly white shirts in NSW too? I love the suggestion of only having 15 minutes at luchtime and a longer break earlier to reduce sun radiation, is that what NSW parents are finding happens.

RenShen

I for one agree with the OP. We arrived in January when it was really hot. When I went to buy the uniforms I could not believe how crappy they were. My eldest is 14 and he is really sticky and stinky when he gets home from school.

I went to a P&C meeting at the primary school though this week. Over 1000 kids in the school and there were only about 6 parents at the meeting.

It seems that some parents are quick to moan about decisions made by the schools but its too late at that point. At least when the uniform decision next comes up I will be at the meeting to sound off!

northernbird

I am the secretary of our school P&C and it is pitiful the apathy that is shown by parents at my school. They are quick to mouth off outside the classroom but not prepared to come and contribute in the proper arena. It is the same group of parents that seem to volunteer for everything. I am sure it is no different at other schools.

To the OP, our school council and P&C make decisions on school uniform and many other issues. Find out who is your uniform coordinator is and have the conversation with them. Offer to take on the task of sourcing an alternative. Put your money where your mouth is.

bourbon-biscuit

That's a bit unneccessarily rude! If you read my posts I said:

FWIW, I agree that it's the usual band of parents and while I've not yet been along to the P&C meetings I do commit to 'Guided Reading' sessions 2x weekly and am first to offer transport help and classroom assistance. I haven't been to the P&C yet because I've only been here since the start of the year and couldn't make it to either meeting thus far. When I do go, I've no intention of bringing it up for the reasons above. Can you imagine how they'd feel if I march in, complain about the current uniform on the grounds that the comfort of the kids hasn't been adequately factored in and then suggest I take up sourcing new stuff I know 100% cotton will be dearer too, so I'm just looking for where I can buy it for my kids.

bourbon-biscuit

BTW, many parents don't contribute to things like P&C because they lack the confidence to be a part of something 'formal' or official, which these things can appear from the outside. I know this for a fact because our previous school worked hard to to bridge parent-staff relations, of which I was both. So it's not always 'pitiful apathy' and that sort of thinking about parents doesn't foster a sense of inclusiveness.

steve`o

but its so true
debra my wife was P&C secretary at our daughters school untill work comminmenst meant she couldnt get to meetings,
i attended the monthly P&C meets in order to support the parenst that could be bothered which was about 18 parents that attended regularly of which 12 were on the committee and thats in a school of approx 3000 students,

sorry but a vast amount of parents dont seem to give a damn and whilst on my soapbox
what with the not sending kids to school for the last week of term all about ?? thats another only in au thing i`ve come across

ABCDiamond

I've not come across that myself. Does it happen a lot in your area ?

northernbird

Clearly I don't know you so my comments were not directed at you personally. However, if you feel that strongly about the uniform go and talk to them. You don't have to be aggressive about it. We recently had a new parent come to our meeting unhappy about the buses we use to transport the children on excursions. She wants buses with seatbelts. Nobody thought badly of her, it encouraged discussion on the subject and further research is now being done about the costs and availability in our area. You don't have to be some stroppy mare storming in demanding changes you know.

You caught me on a bad day, I have been trying to get 4 parents in a 500 child primary school to help out at a bake sale next week. I have been able to get 2, that is what I mean about pitiful apathy.

steve`o

yes
last week of term and the schools deserted fewer than 200 kids turn up

kitty4

I agree with the OP and although I don't have kids - I know how the kids feel - I'm a nurse and it seems all the nursing uniforms on offer at three places I've worked are mostly 100% poly - both trousers and shirts - there is a limited poly/cotton mix to choose from - it's vile to work in at the best of times but in this climate I just don't get it :curse: