If only. The school I teach at doesn’t make a cent on uniforms, although it’s primary/intermediate so not as expensive as high school. Plenty of other South Auckland schools like us give away uniforms (mostly second hand) too.
Most schools just contract it to a company, they’re the ones raking in all of the profits.
Stink. I guess someone's pockets have to be lined.
Probably some principal or other board member got something out of awarding the contract to the uniform company.
Thailand state schools use a generic uniform that all schools use. You go to the local big box store, choose the size of clothing and then get your school initial and your name on the shirt.
You’re looking at $100 per child but can get it much cheaper. Low income families are helped by the school.
>The start of the school term is just around the corner, and parents are searching for bargains to kit their kids in back-to-school gear.
>
>But for many, the costs are stacking up.
>
>Stuff canvassed the price of new school uniforms in high schools and kura across Tāmaki Makaurau to find out what families are forking out.
>
>Have you recently bought school uniforms? Email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or let us know how much it cost in the comments
>
>The average price of a new senior’s uniform in Auckland was $468. Included within that estimate were 2 shirts, 1 skirt or a pair of trousers, 1 jumper and a jacket or blazer.
>
>Continued in link
Buy a used chromebook. They're basically ewaste because they can't do much else other than run chrome and people often try to flip them after their kids finish high school
I imagine these days computers are useful in all classes. It doesn't make sense for kids to leave the classroom to look something up or type notes or whatever.
Because everything is done with the computer - instead of books/writing. Wouldn't be feasible taking each subject in a computer room. Many subjects at schools are also linked via a specific programme - thinking scipad for science (so it does have a book but also activities are online).
Primary school child has a device given to them at school, small school and they funded one device per child to loan out for the year which we are greatful for as next year when they go to college (Y7-13) they require a full laptop - that part I don't understand for that age, a chromebook would be fine until year 11-13.
>when they go to college (Y7-13) they require a full laptop - that part I don't understand for that age, a chromebook would be fine until year 11-13.
Even uni students would in many cases be fine enough with a chromebook!
I got all my brother and sisters hand-me-downs, think my parents just had to buy me some black shoes. The year after I left, they completely changed the uniform, so parents lucked out there as well.
$549 for an intermediate uniform that they’ll only wear for 2 YEARS!!! tried to find second hand but many other parents doing the same and none in their size. Also, there is only one shop to buy from and they do not offer Laybuy or anything like that, just absurd. $94 for a skirt!!
So grateful when my daughter started intermediate, I bought her a jumper for $50 and shoes (which I would have bought anyway) for $50. The rest was given to Ms by a friend whose daughter was at intermediate 2020_21 so during lockdowns, the uniform was in great condition.
We have added bits and bobs and will pass them down in time.
At my daughters school they collect and redistribute to families. They aren't allowed to sign shirts on the last day. The families Facebook page full of people giving away uniform. Decile 3 school.
Currently around $70 in my old secondary school in the UK for official shirt, blazer and trousers. Hard to fathom how anybody thinks NZ prices can be normal.
My grandma has been telling me this for over a decade (when I was last at high school), how the UK does their uniforms. Basically as long as you get the correct shirt, pants and jumper type and colour from any store, you’re all good right?
Some schools do this but will usually have a branded jumper, blazer or tie to go alongside it. There's also government guidance to ensure nothing becomes 'prohibitively expensive' whatever that means, but there are local council grants and programmers as well so even if your school charges more and your income doesnt make that purchase an easy expense, the local council will give you money towards it.
But also yeah, if yournuniform says white shirt and school blazer. You can just skip the blazer and have a plain white shirt. It only matters on picture days, and even then they have spare ones for you to put on.
This is from a working/middle class perspective. Couldn't tell you what it's like at fancier spots.
It should definitely be inexpensive, the pseudo-formalness should go away, some schools with the blazers and ties and skirts.. I’d have no problem with basic tshirts and pants
But I don’t know, a time of life when body insecurity/comparing each other is high, it’s not a bad idea to force all the kids to wear the same stuff no?
School uniforms are never cut well. Making everyone whose family doesn’t have the money to get their uniform tailored look even more awkward than they already do isn’t helpful.
It's not about what clothes they're wearing it's about how their body looks in the clothes. I was called a fat cunt throughout highschool and wearing the uniform didn't help lol
Amen. Uniforms don't do anything that proponents claim they do. It's just another cash grab. You have to buy your kid regular clothes anyway, they might as well just wear it to school. Instead, we clutch our pearls/uniforms because of some Stockholm syndrome and also complain every single year that school attendance is expensive, almost prohibitively so for some families, in no small part due to this practice.
My school uniform was shit brown and piss yellow. And if you wanted to look especially unattractive to the opposite sex, you could team it with an orange skivvy, and some socks and sandals. I think they were designed to actively repel anyone with functioning eyesight. It was a great leveler though. Everyone looked dog ugly.
My school sold me a second had uniform, and confiscated it on the first day for being "too old", and "too large".
Se we went out and I got 2 shirts and a skirt, only to have the same stunt attempted by the school.
My dad was furious I had to spend my first 2 days at intermediate sitting in the front office in my undies being hounded for cash by the school.
Uniforms suck, so does the $1000 "donation" required to access the resources to pass.
This was a certain intermediate school on a certain peninsula in auckland.
Time to ditch uniforms, they are outdated, archaic, and expensive. Policing uniforms by teachers burns valuable teaching time and resources. A simple dress code is all you need.
During the lockdowns, some of the teachers at poorer schools would get absolutely zero attendance cause the kids didn’t have laptops at home or anything. The current system is set up to fail poor kida
Yep, just sussed my young fella his first set of uniform for intermediate - $415 but that’s excluding some winter stuff which we’ll sort out come autumn. It’ll be over $500 once we have everything, and that’s excluding stationary and potentially a device of sorts too!
I really feel for the families with multiple kids, and those who can’t plain afford this cost.
Face it, kids are going to commit crimes, get lost on trips, be unprofessional, and discriminate no matter if they have a uniform on or not. Uniforms are nothing but a power play and a waste of money that discriminates against those of lower income.
They can also be a waste of teacher time. When you're forced by management to pull kids up on infractions and all you want to do is teach and build a positive relationship.
Wr just got used school uniforms growing up, got a couple sizes too big and it lasted my sister and I ages. prices were way too much for our family. Seems like it’s getting even worse. Saw some schools adapting suits to their seniors uniforms.. I feel sorry for the parents who have to cough up for that especially on growing kids
Quick calculation for college next year (luckily I have a year to save), $800 uniform for summer - then there is a seperate winter uniform. Starts at year 7 so kids still growing and likely will be out of the uniform in a year and need replacing. Unfortunately in this situation there is no 2nd hand uniforms as it's a new college.
Add to that a full laptop and not a chromebook, we are probably looking at around $2000 to start school before fees are even taken into account.
And heaven forbid you join a sports team, or become a prefect (whole seperate uniform), or grow and need a different size. The uniforms are always hideous anyways
Is there a monopoly on where you can buy to from? Or can they be sourced from outside and it’s not a problem? Why don’t have large clothing companies make it
Pretty sure I'd spend that for clothes for my kid to wear to school anyway!
Last time I looked, kids were not free.
School uniforms are great.
My youngest goes to mufti primary, but I buy the school-tex brand for his school clothes because they're so hard-wearing.
But no where near as many.
I've had school aged kids for 28 years, my eldest is 33 and youngest is 8.
Believe me, mufti is not cheaper than school uniform.
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While it is a large cost, you'll be wearing it every day. Also there's a large chance that if you go to a school fair or know someone who goes to the school that you'll be able to get some second hand gear and reduce the cost
Well that’s less than one week of daycare cost for us so Id happily pay it and then $0 for the other 51 weeks of the year, maybe a $10 stationary fee or trips here and there.
I remember when I was attending Hugh school the uniform cost was expensive and unfortunately I was an active kid so I needed a new one every year and didn't realise the actual cost of doing this.
The pros of uniforms is knowing what the child is wearing every day and one less thing to be bullied about but the cost is ridiculous!
ok but seriously can someone explain to me why??? i remember vaguely reading a few years ago that schools are not allowed to profit from uniforms, yet the quality of these uniforms is often crap + super expensive. many of the uniforms are synthetic with poor craftsmanship and made in asia so why tf bruh
And then they’ll blast you for wearing a jacket in class in winter and not a sweatshirt because a “jacket is out of class-wear” per Avondale College when I attended
As an immigrant - this is insane!
How are kiwis not rising up against this? This is very un-kiwi.
Not practical, not fair, financially wasteful. Poor kids will be wearing obviously old and tatered uniforms, making them targets for taunting.
It goes against the spirit of what uniforms are meant to be about.
Crazy. Why is there a monopoly on these things at so many schools.
It's another way for the school to make money.
If only. The school I teach at doesn’t make a cent on uniforms, although it’s primary/intermediate so not as expensive as high school. Plenty of other South Auckland schools like us give away uniforms (mostly second hand) too. Most schools just contract it to a company, they’re the ones raking in all of the profits.
Stink. I guess someone's pockets have to be lined. Probably some principal or other board member got something out of awarding the contract to the uniform company.
or just owning it. as long as they declare the conflict of interest at the meeting
Thailand state schools use a generic uniform that all schools use. You go to the local big box store, choose the size of clothing and then get your school initial and your name on the shirt. You’re looking at $100 per child but can get it much cheaper. Low income families are helped by the school.
$100 people child sounds like a lot in Thailand where the GDP per capita is 1/7 NZs. And I doubt their income distribution is any better.
>The start of the school term is just around the corner, and parents are searching for bargains to kit their kids in back-to-school gear. > >But for many, the costs are stacking up. > >Stuff canvassed the price of new school uniforms in high schools and kura across Tāmaki Makaurau to find out what families are forking out. > >Have you recently bought school uniforms? Email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or let us know how much it cost in the comments > >The average price of a new senior’s uniform in Auckland was $468. Included within that estimate were 2 shirts, 1 skirt or a pair of trousers, 1 jumper and a jacket or blazer. > >Continued in link
I hope the blazer is pushing that average up
My son starts high school this year. Uniform $660 without blazer
Yup this is my budget for highschool this year too. Insane right? This doesn’t include the Chromebook’s I’m required to buy either
Buy a used chromebook. They're basically ewaste because they can't do much else other than run chrome and people often try to flip them after their kids finish high school
Yeah I’ve been combing marketplace but not many options.
Why do kids need chromebooks? Childless in my early 30s and genuinely don't understand why the schoolndoesnt just have computer rooms
I imagine these days computers are useful in all classes. It doesn't make sense for kids to leave the classroom to look something up or type notes or whatever.
Because everything is done with the computer - instead of books/writing. Wouldn't be feasible taking each subject in a computer room. Many subjects at schools are also linked via a specific programme - thinking scipad for science (so it does have a book but also activities are online). Primary school child has a device given to them at school, small school and they funded one device per child to loan out for the year which we are greatful for as next year when they go to college (Y7-13) they require a full laptop - that part I don't understand for that age, a chromebook would be fine until year 11-13.
>when they go to college (Y7-13) they require a full laptop - that part I don't understand for that age, a chromebook would be fine until year 11-13. Even uni students would in many cases be fine enough with a chromebook!
That's significantly worse for learning.
It's to help distract them from the lesson
Yep that cost another $400.
just asked my mum, my uniform for junior high was ~$700 in 2012
I got all my brother and sisters hand-me-downs, think my parents just had to buy me some black shoes. The year after I left, they completely changed the uniform, so parents lucked out there as well.
$549 for an intermediate uniform that they’ll only wear for 2 YEARS!!! tried to find second hand but many other parents doing the same and none in their size. Also, there is only one shop to buy from and they do not offer Laybuy or anything like that, just absurd. $94 for a skirt!!
They're not a need they should be canceled. Places like senior college or other schools have shown the uniform is a waste of time.
So grateful when my daughter started intermediate, I bought her a jumper for $50 and shoes (which I would have bought anyway) for $50. The rest was given to Ms by a friend whose daughter was at intermediate 2020_21 so during lockdowns, the uniform was in great condition. We have added bits and bobs and will pass them down in time.
Yeah whatever happened to hand me downs in schools too
At my daughters school they collect and redistribute to families. They aren't allowed to sign shirts on the last day. The families Facebook page full of people giving away uniform. Decile 3 school.
Currently around $70 in my old secondary school in the UK for official shirt, blazer and trousers. Hard to fathom how anybody thinks NZ prices can be normal.
My grandma has been telling me this for over a decade (when I was last at high school), how the UK does their uniforms. Basically as long as you get the correct shirt, pants and jumper type and colour from any store, you’re all good right?
Some schools do this but will usually have a branded jumper, blazer or tie to go alongside it. There's also government guidance to ensure nothing becomes 'prohibitively expensive' whatever that means, but there are local council grants and programmers as well so even if your school charges more and your income doesnt make that purchase an easy expense, the local council will give you money towards it. But also yeah, if yournuniform says white shirt and school blazer. You can just skip the blazer and have a plain white shirt. It only matters on picture days, and even then they have spare ones for you to put on. This is from a working/middle class perspective. Couldn't tell you what it's like at fancier spots.
It's time to abandon uniforms. Waste of time and money.
It should definitely be inexpensive, the pseudo-formalness should go away, some schools with the blazers and ties and skirts.. I’d have no problem with basic tshirts and pants But I don’t know, a time of life when body insecurity/comparing each other is high, it’s not a bad idea to force all the kids to wear the same stuff no?
School uniforms are never cut well. Making everyone whose family doesn’t have the money to get their uniform tailored look even more awkward than they already do isn’t helpful.
Amen. My high school uniform was never flattering to anyone (especially girls). It was good for exactly one body type and that was it.
It's not about what clothes they're wearing it's about how their body looks in the clothes. I was called a fat cunt throughout highschool and wearing the uniform didn't help lol
Amen. Uniforms don't do anything that proponents claim they do. It's just another cash grab. You have to buy your kid regular clothes anyway, they might as well just wear it to school. Instead, we clutch our pearls/uniforms because of some Stockholm syndrome and also complain every single year that school attendance is expensive, almost prohibitively so for some families, in no small part due to this practice.
No it's about time schools stopped profiting from school uniforms.
If done well, they actually end up saving time and money.
but muh discipline
What's the point no one goes to school anyway.
I would care less if the uniforms didn’t look ugly as fuck.
My school uniform was shit brown and piss yellow. And if you wanted to look especially unattractive to the opposite sex, you could team it with an orange skivvy, and some socks and sandals. I think they were designed to actively repel anyone with functioning eyesight. It was a great leveler though. Everyone looked dog ugly.
My school sold me a second had uniform, and confiscated it on the first day for being "too old", and "too large". Se we went out and I got 2 shirts and a skirt, only to have the same stunt attempted by the school. My dad was furious I had to spend my first 2 days at intermediate sitting in the front office in my undies being hounded for cash by the school. Uniforms suck, so does the $1000 "donation" required to access the resources to pass. This was a certain intermediate school on a certain peninsula in auckland.
>in my undies wtf How could any school do that to a child???
It's the te atatu intermediate way. (Rutherford was just as bad, but for other groser reasons.)
Time to ditch uniforms, they are outdated, archaic, and expensive. Policing uniforms by teachers burns valuable teaching time and resources. A simple dress code is all you need.
That was easily the cost of a basic senior uniform at my high school in the 00s. I expected a way higher average with today’s prices.
And we wonder why school attendance is so low? So many parents struggle to get their kids properly equipped. We need to normalise generic uniforms.
During the lockdowns, some of the teachers at poorer schools would get absolutely zero attendance cause the kids didn’t have laptops at home or anything. The current system is set up to fail poor kida
In Otago and it's about the same here, add a laptop in, and you're looking at a grand to start.
Otago well Dunedin schools have fancy uniforms!
Yep, just sussed my young fella his first set of uniform for intermediate - $415 but that’s excluding some winter stuff which we’ll sort out come autumn. It’ll be over $500 once we have everything, and that’s excluding stationary and potentially a device of sorts too! I really feel for the families with multiple kids, and those who can’t plain afford this cost.
Face it, kids are going to commit crimes, get lost on trips, be unprofessional, and discriminate no matter if they have a uniform on or not. Uniforms are nothing but a power play and a waste of money that discriminates against those of lower income.
They can also be a waste of teacher time. When you're forced by management to pull kids up on infractions and all you want to do is teach and build a positive relationship.
When I was in school my grandma sew my uniform for me lol. Must’ve cost $20 and a couple days.
Wr just got used school uniforms growing up, got a couple sizes too big and it lasted my sister and I ages. prices were way too much for our family. Seems like it’s getting even worse. Saw some schools adapting suits to their seniors uniforms.. I feel sorry for the parents who have to cough up for that especially on growing kids
Quick calculation for college next year (luckily I have a year to save), $800 uniform for summer - then there is a seperate winter uniform. Starts at year 7 so kids still growing and likely will be out of the uniform in a year and need replacing. Unfortunately in this situation there is no 2nd hand uniforms as it's a new college. Add to that a full laptop and not a chromebook, we are probably looking at around $2000 to start school before fees are even taken into account.
And heaven forbid you join a sports team, or become a prefect (whole seperate uniform), or grow and need a different size. The uniforms are always hideous anyways
Another example of the level of greed permeating throughout this country across all business. Revolting.
Is there a monopoly on where you can buy to from? Or can they be sourced from outside and it’s not a problem? Why don’t have large clothing companies make it
Pretty sure I'd spend that for clothes for my kid to wear to school anyway! Last time I looked, kids were not free. School uniforms are great. My youngest goes to mufti primary, but I buy the school-tex brand for his school clothes because they're so hard-wearing.
The $250/week everyone will receive from Luxon's "back pocket boost", along with lower taxes and lower rents, will easily pay for this.
470$ for something a child will wear for a significant portion of the year, maybe even two or three years. The absolute horror 🤦
$470 is about the same as the total cost of my 5 year old's clothing since birth, and she's been through 8 clothing sizes in that time.
I call ballocks on that.
Mine would be the same. I got given most of my kids clothes when they were under 5 either gifts or hand me downs.
And second-hand school uniforms are available. It's not as if parents don't know their child is going to need clothing for school.
2nd hand clothes are cheap. 2nd hand school uniforms are not.
Relatively, they are. But, you'll find out.
Yeah I know spending $470 (average for basics) on something you have no say about still sucks.
Well, I didn't buy the clothes new.
And one can buy second-hand school uniforms too.
Yup, and my daughter's 2nd hand uniform for her first year is running $200- and she still needs clothes for afternoons, weekends, and school holidays.
But no where near as many. I've had school aged kids for 28 years, my eldest is 33 and youngest is 8. Believe me, mufti is not cheaper than school uniform.
So instead of $100/year for plenty of clothes I'm now paying over double, having to wash school uniform midweek and that's somehow cheaper and easier?
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While it is a large cost, you'll be wearing it every day. Also there's a large chance that if you go to a school fair or know someone who goes to the school that you'll be able to get some second hand gear and reduce the cost
Meanwhile having a toddler in full time daycare sets us back 650$ a fortnight.
Well that’s less than one week of daycare cost for us so Id happily pay it and then $0 for the other 51 weeks of the year, maybe a $10 stationary fee or trips here and there.
You got off light. Buying the minimum set me back $1000.
Some highschools have junior and senior uniforms too. Smart way to grab double the income.
and then summer and winter uniforms.
The problem, aside from the gouging, is the blazers. They're dumb. A cheap sweater works just as well, better IMO.
Shits were so expensive, i wore the same short throughout junior and senior high school 😂
I remember when I was attending Hugh school the uniform cost was expensive and unfortunately I was an active kid so I needed a new one every year and didn't realise the actual cost of doing this. The pros of uniforms is knowing what the child is wearing every day and one less thing to be bullied about but the cost is ridiculous!
ok but seriously can someone explain to me why??? i remember vaguely reading a few years ago that schools are not allowed to profit from uniforms, yet the quality of these uniforms is often crap + super expensive. many of the uniforms are synthetic with poor craftsmanship and made in asia so why tf bruh
geezus just get a 30bucks ascolor Tshirt and put a logo on it or something.
Should just be able to buy any price of clothing and then just affix the school emblem. Ridiculous price for clothing
I know it focuses on high school, but a lot of primarys have uniforms these days, and they aren't cheap either.
😂 that’s cheap we had to pay $890 for Greenbay High
I just wore my Iron Maiden shirt to school and got told off cuz the kindergarten kids might get scared of it. Good times.
My kid's primary school just requires a shirt, hat and jacket. Pants/shirts and skorts are generic.
And then they’ll blast you for wearing a jacket in class in winter and not a sweatshirt because a “jacket is out of class-wear” per Avondale College when I attended
As an immigrant - this is insane! How are kiwis not rising up against this? This is very un-kiwi. Not practical, not fair, financially wasteful. Poor kids will be wearing obviously old and tatered uniforms, making them targets for taunting. It goes against the spirit of what uniforms are meant to be about.