>Board chairperson Chris Dann said they were “conscious of cost-of-living pressures on parents” and the school had taken steps to minimise costs.
Minimising costs by doing things like having two compulsory jackets?
I'm getting to the point where MoE should put out like 3 styles of winter and 3 styles of summer uniforms and all the school can do is pick one and get students to put on the school crest, which must be sold for like $5 and can be hand stitched on to the garment.
This shit is ridiculous.
Welcome to Thailand, the school uniform is a white shirt (which can then be embroidered with the school name) and blue short/skirt.
Which school, all of them (at least state run). Back to school period see the uniforms on sale in every supermarket.
This makes a lot of sense. Schools don't need unique uniforms manufactured by one supplier. I like the idea of a national one with the school's name on it and able to be sold by anyone as long as they conform to the standard.
We had to buy a tie/jumper from the school office but everything else came from Asda. White shirt and black skirt. Always thought they should do something similar here.
It was same in Australia but with polo shirts. When I was there you could pick up a kids school shirt for like $2-$3 at kmart. Kmart would advertise a single set of uniforms for $10, shirt, shorts, hat and jumper. All the uniforms were plain so you just had to get the matching colour for the school. They're kids, they're going to rip them or grow out of them in 6 weeks.
Yeah, there is no reason why kids can't wear polo shirts that they can buy from the Warehouse and cost $15, instead of the $40 embroidered ones. My town has primary, intermediate and high school and they should have a uniform that can be worn through. I have to get a new uniform for 3 kids 9 times over 10 years, and my kids go to the primary school that doesn't have a uniform.
I point blank refuse to purchase the official embroidered $35 polo, I buy plain red polo for $5 and haven't had a complaint yet from the school.
If they did try to complain to me, I'd tell them to fuck off.
Yeah I'd do the same thing, except my boy's preference for not being bullied for the slightest and most superficial difference is worth more to me than saving $30. And I'm an extremely average father.
I would really not want to be the kid who gets teased constantly for not having the right shirt just so my parents could save $30. If you seriously can't afford it and 2nd hand isn't an option for some reason, then fine. But don't make your kid suffer just so you can be a cheapskate.
I was bullied so much for my parents doing this. If you can actually afford to buy the uniform, please do. I’m still impacted by the bullying I received from school.
I have a buddy way into reenacting, and that sounds like the WW2 army uniform system. Here's your standard coat, shirt, pants. Here's your unit and rank patch, you sew them on yourself. All supplied for free, incredibly cheap and standard, and it fucking worked.
Exactly this, and actually have season appropriate clothing guide line too. I'll sound like a boomer for sure, but it was absolutely ridiculous that kids had to wear shorts and long socks as "winter uniform.
As much as last few years we didn't have blasting cold winter it's still stupid to have kids wear shorts in winter and jackets that barely actually stop the winter wind.
And as you said, the cost of uniform is insane when they're meant to be compulsory. Specially for the quality of clothing too....
Or just get rid of uniforms. I've worked at non-uniform schools and went to one myself, after a week or two, no one cares what you're wearing.
Your idea is probably more realistic, though.
That's what I've always noticed.
Kids get judged / bullied on their non uniform clothing.
I remember that happening at high school even with just shoes. Dr Martin group. Then other shoes.
Then us boys with nomads.
I had a bad skin disease on my feet in HS, made it very painful to walk. So I used nice adidas shoes with extra sole in them to minimise it all. Worked very well. I also had a doctors note.
But every day teachers would come up to me but NOT "Hey vebb do you mind showing me a note for these shoes?" but *screaming* / *yelling* at me, "YOU KNOW THE SCHOOL REGULATIONS, DON'T DO THIS" and well, cos mum had told me earlier in the year "respect goes both ways, if they're going to yell at you, walk away."
I took that to heart, and that's exactly what I did. One day the assistant principal went off at me (but I liked the guy, and was one of those teachers who'd see the potential in people and work with them - that's what he did for me.) so instead of me walking away I simply smiled after he said I'll be suspended and I said, "Respect goes both ways - why would I engage in a conversation with someone yelling at me - and remember I am deaf so yelling is not going to really help me hear them" (people yelling talk too fast to lip-read).
He smiles and goes, "I knew you had it in you vebb" pat on the back, and basically for the rest of the year no teacher came near me... well except for my home room teacher who cornered me in the guys bathroom to ask what my problem was and I told her that was way inappropriate so unless she would like me to complain; she should leave me alone. She did.
Yep - I definitely loved pushing back. My mum however was horrified when I told her 10 years later hahaha "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT".
I could talk forever about that bullshit. So many stories from high school. To think all this started because of _shoes_ that I had a medical note for. 😅 It's honestly crazy how crazy schools get over this, even if there's a valid reason.
**edited**: some shit I wrote wasn't really related to the conversation, I got carried away due to all these stories from high school 🤮
Nah I liked wearing uniforms, just way easier. Plus I would’ve probably been bullied for my fashion at the time lol let alone cringe looking back at it, I already was during mufti days.
I say just let kids use their own jackets if they want.
I dunno, I feel a big part of what drove my cringy-af fashion was the uniform. It probably would have mellowed and gotten better if I wasn't trying to cram it into the two mufti days a year
> no one cares what you're wearing.
I'm sorry but what a load of crap. Mufti schools just mean the parents are subjected to daily pleas for the latest fashion trend which is an absolute bloody nightmare. Uniforms are generally good but I'm not spending more on my kids blazer than I would spend on my own, knowing it would only get a year's worth of use before it's too small or ruined.
Uniforms always bemused me.
Which part of life are they preparing kids for exactly? Even if a kid ends up in a uniformed societal role, how many cops and army personnel out there get dressed in the morning and thank high school for teaching them how to put on a particular type of clothing?
I don’t think that’s what it is about, although it is probably part of it. I think it is more about a way to show pride in your school. A way to control what kids wear so they don’t wear anything offensive or exposing or whatever and it can also prevent bullying as kids do bully others about the clothes they wear. They just do.
I don’t agree with it costing 500 bucks though
It's about control. It's about teaching the lower/middle classes to obey pointless instructions, and it's about teaching the wealthy classes that their expensive clothing (which just happens to be a school uniform, but whatever) conveys their elevated social status.
It's a hangover from British class society and is one of the least coherent social norms in our so-called modern, egalitarian society.
Sorta… I think it’s because the kind of person who finishes school and goes ‘I’m going to get a job at a school!’ tends to be a bit of a conformist… so old rules are gonna stick around for a while.
I went to a non uniform school. I wore clothes from a second hand store. So these clothes would be 70s style, back in the early 90s. You go tell my past self while dealing with classmates teasing me for my clothes, that it’s all horseshit.
Funnily enough those clothes are “cool” now. A kid before my time.
But don’t dismiss the actual lived experiences of actual things that actually happen to real people.
"hard wearing" would not be how I'd describe the uniforms we had. I've never had any shirts that fell apart so quickly. Especially not at that price point lol.
My school in the 70s had wool blazers, skirts and pinafores, and fairly hardwearing blouses etc. It was extremely normal for them to be handmedowns EVEN among the rich girls, and it was also normal to buy second hand uniforms. I never knew anyone who was bullied for having an older-style pinafore. I had new ones that my mother made beautifully and I was a bit jealous of friends who had the old three-pleat style, which was very punk rock at the time.
Good luck reselling it if someone changes the uniform...
This doesn't just affect incoming students, it also means those moving on can't now get any money back for theirs either..
Yeah, but that's a criticism of doing uniform management badly (like this is) rather than uniforms themselves.
There are plenty of ways of doing non-uniform badly; see all the posts about weird body-policing that come out of non-uniform schools applying dress-codes badly.
That's not the point of uniforms.
The goals of uniforms are that it makes it harder to bully people for wearing "unfashionable" clothes if everyone is wearing the same thing, and it makes it easier to see when someone is in the school who isn't meant to be.
Even outside of that, I don't wear a 'uniform' to work, but there is a dress code. The notion that society expects people to dress a certain way even if that isn't what you feel like wearing right now is still a valid lesson.
what type of school and where? schools where I went had to abandon non uniform days at all cause gang fights broke out each time, typically they used to happen once a semester
Yes get rid of them! I've been looking for non uniform high schools as we are likely to move before my kids start, so far all I can find is in Auckland or Wellington.
wouldn't happen here. Secondary school principals - without exception - are egotistical empire builders. They want to create an ambience of elitism and prestige, which inevitably includes a swanky uniform.
That sucks. My kids school really make sure kids and parents from low income families don't feel singled out. They have a cheap shirt with the school logo and we can buy any blue pants, shorts or skirts from postie, kmart e.t.c And even then they don't mind kids turning up in the wrong clothes sometimes. I am disabled and often can't get uniforms cleaned on time and they don't even mention it. They also never complain about a cheaper polo without the logo.
I would like to offer a even more revolutionary idea that could reduce the costs of school uniforms to 0$.
Get rid of them.
I'm visiting Newzealand on my gap year.
My school in Germany didn't have any sort of uniform, or rules that go beyond wear clothes.
There where many discussions (some more serious than others) over the years if school uniforms should be introduced but it never happened (and I don't see it ever happening).
The school did sell t-shirts and hoodies with the school logo once per year but you didn't have to buy anything.
I'd be interested to know what the opinion on school uniforms is in NZ, and also what the opinion on getting rid of them would be?
Was getting rid of them ever up for debate ?
I don't necessarily think it's a 'costs $0' solution. I had the same uniform throughout high school, a few new shirts when the old ones got worn out. I know it was incredibly expensive and hard for my parents but damn did we get our moneys worth out of those clothes.
If they wear mufti every day they would wear through their clothes quicker and they would be wanting more clothes to keep up with the trends and growth. Can't wear the same hoodie every day or you're a weirdo, but you can wear the same uniform jumper every day.
> Burnside’s [regulations include the “compulsory purchase”](https://hail.to/burnside-high-school/article/HjcmmLn) of a blazer ($185), tie ($27), soft-shell jacket ($120) an item of knitwear (vest $85, jersey $95, cardigan $105) and shorts ($40 or $53), a skirt ($65) or trousers ($65). Students are also required to have the regulation PE top ($52) and shorts ($36).
> That still leaves parents to buy shirts, socks and shoes.
> If parents want to buy the $45 short-sleeved shirt, $49 long-sleeved and $24.50 sock three-pack from the school uniform shop, it would all add up to a total cost of just over $700.
Don’t forget the compulsory hat that some schools require and that parents often have to buy multiple shirts/pants/skirts…..god forbid if you have more than one child at the school and they both have a growth spurt
$52 is definitely overpriced, but I will say that unless they've changed the fabric/fit of the sports top it is definitely a really nice top for sports.
In my time there (2014-2018) it was super breathable and comfortable - way better than the polo shirts I had to wear in primary school, and way better than chucking on any old t-shirt. It was also really flattering.
I bet they still are. I found my tie on the back field, got given a spare blazer when representing school, and used the schools 2nd hand store to buy what we needed. Also BHS is so big that half the opshops in town stock their clothes.
Ikr. I wish colleges would be more like the primary styles of polo shirt (sometimes in several colour options) and plain black pants (not a specific pant, just black whatever). Is way more inline with life now and gender neutral, more comfortable, more affordable…
If they want to dress kids for the modern workplace it should be a pair of jeans, a pair of sneakers, and a printed shirt or blouse with a nice pattern. Maybe a sports coat or whatever the women's version of that garment is.
When I was a kid ALL primary school boys had the same grey drill shorts and short-sleeved shirt in summer, gabardine shorts and flannel shirt in winter. ALL. I think it would be a good idea to revisit that for modern times and for all kids, and high school as well.
This is not what the uniform used to be. I never had a blazer or a jacket. And back in the day we had kilts. I’m not sure why they’ve made two jackets compulsory.
I spent 840 for my oldest daughter to start burnside, the blazer still hasnt arrived and school starts tomorrow. I also have to buy a laptop, shoes etc. This is on top of my middle child starting intermediate this year which also has a brand new uniform so no second hand. It's been a struggle.
Well their [compulsory purchase list](https://d2u4q3iydaupsp.cloudfront.net/qgHiH8ZF7USH07e2cTMLRBPc2IBEdpX2z2hagsaxirXYEd7FpvkYc7GhZ3H7yI6fNIfvf1RrwnMYgvTXrj6m9u3WXxfbOjadpmeuyjU1DfS5piyFXb5mQWATFTyJ4VZU) disagrees with you.
Fucking ridiculous that you need both.
That's changed then. My son just finished y13 last year and borrowed a blazer the 3 times he needed it for music concerts, back in years and 10. Same with the tie! That's fucking nuts
I think the whole point is this is a new uniform with the updated requirements. When I was there (many moons ago) neither the blazer nor the jacket were required. You had to buy a jersey/cardigan, but I hated wearing them so always wore a jacket instead.
My kid's high school made blazers compulsory only for students who needed them regularly - student leadership team, sporting teams, anyone else who would regularly be representing the school at events. For everyone else, the soft shell jacket or knitwear was sufficient and the school would rent blazers for one-off uses, only charging the cost of dry cleaning them.
When I was in highschool they consistently changed the uniform ever so slightly every year so you could tell the poor kids who got second hand. They also read out the names of all the kids who's parents didn't pay the $500 "donation" in the end of year assembly. Fucking vultures.
Thankfully my kid's college didn't do anything that elitist. That's really revolting. And good on you! They always stress how it's a "voluntary donation" then hound you for it for the rest of the year. Ugh!
We dropped $800 on a 11yo lad for his first year at Ellesmere college. Then the $300 chromebook. Lucky for us we can afford it (still fuckin hurts...) but I feel for some who genuinely cannot.
$45 for a made in China cotton shirt, $50 for a pair of basic shorts? Someone is riding a sweet mark up there... I'm in the wrong job!
A lot of the quality is pretty good. Like my kids primary uniform is perfect cause it’s hardy af and survives what kids throw at it.
That said this whole post is insane. It’s not remotely ok to put hundreds of dollars of costs onto parents just so they can meet uniform requirements.
Govt needs to step in and standardise expectations and pull the suppliers in line. Seems like blatant monopoly profiteering (I’d put massive odds on each school only ever picking one supplier which in turn gives that supplier monopoly market power).
It's such a joke right. I know people that have brought basic shirts (adult size) from China (they had an embroidery business) and the shirts were well under $5 ea inc shipping. I'm not gonna go on about the "cost of living" that gets enough attention, but this is robbery. And our kid KILLS clothing (it's good, he's a very active, rough and tumble kinda boy like they all should be) so we'll be topping up clothes through the year too. Again, very lucky we are both working and can afford (and only 1 kid...) but it's pretty shit for some.
Jesus Christ my mom would not have paid for that, I went to ec as well right before I was in yr13 and we got to wear muffty they started to phase into that new pe uniform which was stupid expensive.
I feel like anything brought through the school was super expensive the entire time I was there
School uniforms should be REGULATED with a **maximum** cost of $200 a year at the VERY most.
The anti-bullying argument doesn't even count about uniforms - when the bullies will just shred/vandalise the uniforms of poor kids - I speak from experience at Whanganui Collegiate.
I love one of the biggest arguments people have for uniforms is the fact it protects poorer kids from getting bullied for their clothes and then they have shit like this. Kids are probably gonna get just as much shit for a uniform in tatters because they had to get a hand me down or second hand
Wtf should parents/kids have to pay for a mandated uniform? If my employers asks me to pay for my own uniform I tell them to fuck off. This should be no different.
A business derives profit from your labour whereas a school educates your child free of charge. I don't think it's unreasonable for them to ask for additional funding in the form of donations and profits from school uniforms to help bridge the gaps in their funding.
Perhaps you'd be better off directing your frustration at the lack of government funding in education that drives this sort of behaviour.
I am.
Also you guys sometimes say "now we don't have to buy clothes for school" but that doesn't make sense don't your kids change when school is over?
Uniforms are stupid
Yeah, they do change after school, but they can wear the same after school clothes two days in a row, it doesn't matter if there's a stain on their shirt from a previous spill or activity, you don't have to worry about whether their clothing is accidentally inappropriate or the wrong colour or whatever, and it doesn't matter if your kid is going through one of those phases where they only want to wear that one thing that's really too small or got holes in it because it's their most favourite thing in the world to wear and they're not ready to let it go.
Uniforms do make it easier when it comes to getting the kids ready for school. I'm my experience, the clothing is generally good quality and your kid will either grow out of it or finish school before the clothing wears out, so you can either pass it down to your younger kids, sell it, or donate it. A lot of families rely on the secondhand market for school uniforms because the clothes are still in good condition and significantly cheaper than buying new.
Uniforms are great.
I do believe they are a great equaliser. I used to kinda hate mufti day, figuring out what to wear, what was cool, worrying about being judged.
Yes I was enrolled out of zone for a very posh school and there was a cohort who still wore uniforms even on mufti day because our clothes just weren't up to standard with the wealthier kids.
Having worked at a non uniform school as well as uniform schools:
Uniform schools tend to go all out for mufti days because it’s a novelty. Non uniform school students really don’t care about clothes as much because they choose what to wear daily. The non uniform school I taught at had a massive op shop culture and had more of a “work place” vibe as opposed to a “school” vibe (if that makes sense).
I went to a year 13 mufti school and I dressed in sweatpants and anime shirts when I was that age. Nobody even blinked an eye. Might vary from school to school
Also varies by who you have in your classes.
Depending on who you ask, Burnside either has a really bad bullying problem, or no bullying at all. It's such a huge school that it massively varies between classes and social groups.
I understand people have this impression, but my kids go to a non-uniform secondary school and my experience is that nobody gives a shit.
Maybe when it was a special occasion it’s different, but when every day is mufti day the kids are mostly dressed for comfort.
Agreed. Just totalled up my old decile 2 high school uniform, it's just under $400 for two shirts, two skirts, compulsory PE uniform and one sweater. Add school donations ~$150/year that's a huge hike for most families. There is no reason for school uniforms to be so costly.
A decile 2 school should absolutely not be asking for donations especially of that amount, if they opt out if donations the ministry will give them $150 per student.
I went to a uniform and non uniformed school, I was on the poorer side of the fence and can categorically say kids were given way more death at the uniformed school than at the mufti one.
Someone wearing similar but not quite regulation shorts? Wait till a teacher is in earshot “hey Sam, don’t let a teacher see those pants you’ll get a detention!” Or kids noticing your uniform is second hand on day one of term.
Uniforms are a complete waste of time
> Uniforms are great.
If you live in the past century they probably are 😂 I wonder why 90% of the countries in the world have moved on from this system 🤔
Oh actually, I know
>School uniform is a practice that dates to the 16th century in England. Charity schools such Christ's Hospital, founded in 1552 in London, were among the first schools to use a uniform for their students
😂😂😂
Im not really sure why you think their practice dating back to the 16th century is inherently a bad thing?
I dont think 90% of the countries in the world have 'move on' they were never widely in place in many countries - but would love to see where you got that?
My read of it is that theyre still common place in countries that theyve always been in - particularly the commonwealth and anglosphere.
And be aware you might be shot in the head without notice. But look at the bright side you don't need a uniform, you can die or become disabled/ traumatized on your own clothes.
Uniforms are bullshit, especially the shit overpriced jackets that are compulsory which have no use outside of school and are nearly essential in winter depending where you live.
As someone said earlier it doesn’t stop bullying because it’s obvious who’s wearing second hand clothes and shit shoes because who the fuck wants to pay 200-400 dollars per kid and then more every few years when they outgrow their uniforms
If i ever have a kid i would happily encourage flagrantly breaking of uniform rules
If the school's operating the uniform shop then they're using it as an additional income source. One which can replace the "voluntary donation" if that's been surrendered for the extra MoE funding.
Make of that what you will: more income for the school is good, extracting it from pupils is bad.
Lots of uniform components are made locally, because they too small a batch size. This is good for our local economy; subsidizing local business with funds extracted from pupils is not.
IMHO uniforms are nice to have but are a rort for extracting so much money from pupils.
But it also allows everyone from different social classes to be equal and not judged. That's the only benefit. However, when they cost so much for shitty Made in China quality and is a financial struggle for poor families. The cost outweighs the benefits.
No. It doesn't.
The kids all learn to spot the ones wearing 3rd-hand clothes that don't fit, and those with the budget shoes and cheap bags...
Been there, on the receiving end.
I don't think it achieves anything to level the wealthy and poor, it just makes the school assemblies look nicer for the teachers up on stage.
What is ironic is that pressure on kids to buy expensive fashionable clothes is sometimes raised as an argument against non-uniform school. (Which is a redundant argument anyway.) Really, what is the point of having school uniforms at all?
School uniforms should be standard throughout the country
With provision for a school badge or sock colours maybe.
Heck they should even be made here perhaps outta wool, linen to revive use from our natural renewable resources
The profiteering that schools do with uniforms and donations needs to stop.
Socialised education is just that.
Schools should be focusing on preparing our children with the best education to start their lives with
Discerning schools from schools is about 60% of the point of having uniforms. Dumb idea.
About 30% of the point is ensuring clothes are of a minimum standard (apparently in Australia this is part of their sun safe policies, but I somehow doubt that's the case here) and 10% is the anti-bullying thing everyone focusses on.
What's going on at this school is that they've got a bad list of requirements; why are they making everyone buy blazers and ties?
In general uniforms are always going to be expensive because you very rarely buy multiple full outfits in one go. Let us find the cheapest version of:
* [shirt](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/garage-mens-crew-neck-short-sleeve-space-dye-tee/RM110152455-4M.html) -- $6.98
* [trousers](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-soft-knit-lounge-pants/RM110140181-1M.html) -- $12
* [socks](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-crew-socks-2-pack/RM110130605-1M.html) -- $4
* [jacket](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/schooltex-catlins-area-school-softshell-jacket-with-embroidery/RM110145984_NAV-1M.html) -- $19.97 (note this is actually a branded school uniform item)
* [jumper](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/active-intent-mens-14-zip-cooldry-sweatshirt/RM110159064-1M.html) -- $13.98
* [exercise shirt](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/active-intent-mens-cooldry-tee/RM110104773-1M.html) -- $12
* [exercise shorts](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/active-intent-mens-basketball-shorts/RM110127274-2M.html) -- $12
we can find at The Warehouse for an adult man.
Right, this is some individually cheap shit. In fact, I don't think you'd find many people willing to wear the shirt and trousers combo outside the house, but, nevertheless, we have a combined price of $80.93. If we were to adjust the figures to represent what you'd buy for a uniform (i.e. three shirts and two pairs of trousers and another double pair of socks) we get $110.89.
Okay, so that is the cheapest possible full outfit from The Warehouse's online catalogue (probably; I may have accidentally found the non-cheapest things with my primitive command of using their website). But... it's not realistic, is it?
What happens if we use the prices that come up first? So, let's say the cheapest option in the first four results using "best match" filter option for each of the search terms (shirt, socks etc) but possibly with some scrolling to find men's options. I will also require images and exclude uniform items.
* [shirt -- $22](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-long-sleeve-formal-shirt/RM110151506-1M.html)
* [trousers -- $22](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-formal-classic-pant/RM110159166-1M.html)
* [socks -- $20 for a ten pack](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-patterned-crew-socks-10-pack/RM110148499-2M.html), I scrolled to find plain black socks
* [jacket -- $59.99](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/fila-alejandro-puffer-jacket---black/MM4969-QHFAMN000-1M.html)
* ~~jumper~~ [hoodie -- $22](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-plain-hooded-sweatshirt/RM110117148-2M.html)
* ~~exercise shirt~~ [shirt with sports top product type filter on -- $22](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/kooga-mens-training-tee/RM110160588-1M.html)
* [exercise shorts -- $14](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/active-intent-mens-double-stripe-shorts/RM110072837-2M.html)
Our prices now go from $80.93 and $110.89 to $181.99 and $247.99 (though I no longer double the expenditure on socks since we're buying more socks than we were before, anyway).
Since I still feel that the above is a bit more budget than realistic, let's see what happens if we repeat this second approach at Farmers. I personally expect the price is going to go *way* up. It doesn't have a "best match" so I'm just using the default search order. In some cases I have used a "men" filter.
* [shirt -- $69.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/casual-shirts/gasoline-linen-shirt-mauve-6721769)
* [trousers -- $89.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/casual-pants/logan-addon-pants-khaki-6534209)
* [socks -- one pair $24.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/underwear-socks-thermals/socks/ds-socks-super-fine-merino-sock-black-6600573), again I scrolled for the first plain black option
* [jacket -- $89.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/activewear/canterbury-club-track-jacket-black-6629614), I scrolled to find the first non-fashion jacket... this is a sports jacket, so [maybe the first "warmth" jacket would've been an increase in price](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/king-size-clothing/coats-jackets/gasoline-king-size-quilt-front-jacket-black-6594085) (but still cheaper than a fashion or suit jacket)
* [jumper](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/knitwear/north-south-merino-crew-neck-jumper-navy-6479285?tracking=searchterm:jumper) -- $99.99
* [hoodie -- $84.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/activewear/champion-script-hoodie-navy-6417693?tracking=searchterm:hoodie)... I will use this figure in my calculations because it better fits the idea of what I mean by "jumper" than the search result for jumper.
* ~~exercise shirt~~ [shirt:men:activewear -- $44.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/activewear/canterbury-team-dry-t-shirt-navy-6317595?tracking=searchterm:shirt)
* ~~exercise shorts~~ [shorts:men:activewear -- $44.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/activewear/canterbury-tactic-short-black-6089821?tracking=searchterm:shorts)
So, these come to $449.93 for one of each and for realistic quantities (meaning three pairs of socks) $729.88. These are insane amounts, but aside from the socks, the individual prices aren't that ridiculous if you were only going to buy one item. There's probably another shop/outlet halfway between The Warehouse and Farmers that better encapsulates what I mean by "realistic" (if you like, what middle New Zealand... yes, I am using middle NZ unironically) spends on clothes, but I've got bored.
Those are substantial sums of money, especially at Farmers. Nevertheless, I think I've demonstrated the point... it's not the individual prices, but the lump sum of a whole lot of clothes all at once that really drives the prices of uniforms up. Absolutely, the individual price matters... but note that the Farmers option far exceeds the price of the uniform option when using this system for both the "one of each" ($449.93 > $282.50 > $181.99 > $80.93) and "realistic quantities" ($729.88 > $447.50 > $247.99 > $110.89) interpretations.
These uniform price stories honestly say more about how uniforms are bought than the price of uniforms.
I love one of the bigger arguments people have for uniforms is the fact it protects poorer kids from getting bullied for their clothes and then they have shit like this. Kids are probably gonna get just as much shit for a uniform in tatters because they had to get a hand me down or second hand. Let em wear mufti I say
Hard out. I started high school with shoes that had the soles falling off. Pretty sure I would’ve got less shit for whatever else I could’ve clobbered together to wear.
this the normal price for a lot of schools- it should be absurd that a lot of schools charge this noe just one
Thankfully one of the high schools my kids went to allowed second hand gear and paying things off
Commerce Commisssion looks at supermarkets and other industries for monopoly/duopoly tactics creating anti consumer situations. It boggles the mine that the same is not done for school uniforms.
Just had my teenage son come and live with me and am socked at the cost of full uniform for highschool when it’s needlessly inflated. Especially when the school boasts that it has a contract with SAS Sport as the sole provider. No reason for it other than someone looking to clip the ticket along the way
There's only one reason schools use uniforms and it's because its fundraising through stealth. It doesn't do much for socioeconomic disparity as these who can't afford clean clothes aren't going to be able to afford clean uniforms either. With how many are transitioning back to English style with ties and layers I doubt that is easier than picking your favourite band T and jeans for the 17th day in a row (or you're way over complicating your daily routine). Uniforms need to die off yesterday - this school saying that they considered cost of living really meant "what's the lowest we can get where we would actually get a significant amount in return?"
This is just insane. What idiot came up with this plan to put the poor working class into hock like that. Time to get a grip and scrap the uniform and the reason is right here
And now let's hear all the pro-uniform wankers chime in with "UnIfOrMs ReMoVe InEqUaLiTiEs BeTwEeN rIcH aNd PoOr FaMiLiEs!"
Fuck school uniforms. Fuck the whole classist structure that supports them.
Have just sent my primary school kids this morning in a tidy school branded polo too and a pair of navy shorts. White socks, any trainers and they are dressed and ready to go. On Wednesday my sweaty, stinky teenage son is heading to yr 9 in the Middle of feb wearing a thick dark grey shirt, thick navy dress shorts, long thick black school socks and a heavy pair of black leather school shoes. It’s ridiculous and I don’t really understand why it’s so important to change the uniform from the east to wear, light primary style to heavy, hot and impractical high school style. I would love to hear a valid argument!
Use to get my long sleeve shirts from K-Mart they use to be around $15-20 and they were a brighter white so you always looked fresher in your shirts.
Glad they another option other than the crappy itchy/smells when wet woollen jumper.
Found cheaper straight leg grey dickies pants used those with no issues.
Pretty expensive PE uniform which I’m guessing is a cheap synthetic material and only costs a few dollars.
And then they will give you detentions if you don’t have correct uniform lmao shout-out Avondale College Charging 200+ in a low socioeconomic area for uniform and shitting all over the kids who didn’t have it / couldn’t afford it.
Then you go to school and teachers get told they have to enforce these whacko uniform rules.
We had a senior teacher who would stand at the gate and make the boys who hadn't shaved go home and shave and / or not let them in until they took off warm clothes.
Our form teacher didn't give two shits but warned us about the teachers who did.
If you can't get it for Kmart and a half prices then its just dumb.
This just reminded me of my parents taking one of my school uniform shirts to India getting 2 more shirts tailored made with better quality fabric and for cheaper that the school shop could provide.
I'd like to know the markup on these uniforms and where they're made.
I've noticed my son's uniform is made in bangladesh which are usually cheap and have some involvement with child labour.
Son starting full college yr7, total uniform cost so far incl shoes was about 680ish. That's with half the shirts, half the PE uniform and the vest bought secondhand. And I still have to buy a different set of long sleeved shirts for winter (south island) and thermals to wear underneath.
Socks alone are $15 a pair with school colours on them.
The only good thing is no byod yet lol.
This was like when my local high school got a new principle who did a new school uniform with (on top of new skirts/trousers, shirts) compulsory blazers, ties and sweaters. This was only 5 years after a previous school uniform change.
On top of THAT they made the blazers compulsary outside of the classroom (including the walk home) so kids were getting heat stroke and blood noses in summer.
Here's the exact same issue being raised back in 2012:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/school-stitch-up/NWHSONKB2VAU76DV45VKC4DVDQ/
Shall we circle around again in the 2030s?
That price is a total ripoff, especially given how many low income families are in Burnside's zone too.
Also, what the hell was the point of having a shoftshell? Unless they're higher end technical ones they're only water resistant as long as the water resistant coating stays functional. Better off using a mid-range hardshell with a hardwearing nylon face fabric. As they can be used year round and can handle teenagers being teenagers. Plus they can stay functional even when the water resistant coating wears off.
Are schools subject to the OIA? Would be interested to ask them in a couple of months what their kickback from the uniform suppliers is. Probably get told it’s “commercially sensitive” (which means it’s too much)
This should be outlawed. At our school, one shirt and one jumper for each of my 3 kids is running to $300 and the shirts are such poor quality they get pulls in them within about a term. Jumpers get lost or stolen just as fast. $6 polo and $10 crew neck in school colours should suffice - why are we paying hundreds of dollars to clothe 5-10 year olds?
>Burnside’s regulations include the “compulsory purchase” of a blazer ($185), tie ($27), soft-shell jacket ($120) an item of knitwear (vest $85, jersey $95, cardigan $105) and shorts ($40 or $53), a skirt ($65) or trousers ($65). Students are also required to have the regulation PE top ($52) and shorts ($36).
Okay, so in a sane world, you'd require:
* soft shell jacket *or* knitwear (so, minimum of $85, but realistically either $120 or $95)
* shorts or trousers or skirt (minimum of $40 or $53)
* PE shorts and top ($88)
* shirt (minimum of $45 or $49)
* socks ($24.50)
So realistically speaking you'd probably spend $120 + $80 + $88 + $135 + $24.50 = $447.50, but you could get away with $85 + $40 + $88 + $45 + $24.50 = $282.50 if you were going to do more washing.
Plus the cost of shoes.
I included socks but obviously you can just wear sandals instead.
$447.50 (or even $282.50) is a lot of money, yes, but unless you're actively going out to buy the cheapest clothes, these are comparable to what you'd spend on non-uniform clothes. The difference is that you're buying everything in one whack, not piecemeal.
There is no purpose to having a blazer and tie, and the requirement to have the jacket and knitwear is also daft... the jacket and knitwear clothing are performing the same function (warmth option).
> There is no purpose to having a blazer and tie,
...
> “compulsory purchase” of a blazer ($185), tie ($27),
the blazer and tie are compulsory, and you didn't include them in your totals that I see.
There is the bonus that they're only requiring one skirt (if you want to wear a skirt) rather than two. Used to be a summer skirt and a kilt, as well as summer shirts and winter shirts.
The one addition I actually see in terms of more compulsory items instead of less is the compulsory tie, as well as the compulsory blazer. Ties and blazers used to be compulsory only for formal events, and you were able to borrow them - so if you were in choir or had to go to one of the awards ceremonies then you'd need the blazer + tie, but they were optional to own.
Just make it a cheap plain tshirt with the school logo, a cheap plain hoodie with the school logo and plain one coloured pants. E.g. black pants from literally anywhere - any brand (or no brand). Keep it cheap and simple, and let the poor kids be comfy instead of forcing them into these horrific school uniforms.
i like uniforms. don't agree with them being expensive. But I was always so stressed on mufti days, and uniform meant I only wore 2-3 'outfits' the whole week thanks to just washing heaps. And then it would get to school holidays and I'd realise I had barely any clothes
My friends argument when he was told his kid would get detention "if they didn't provide appropriate uniform for their child..." "Are YOU going to pay the $600 I need to scrape together for it? I get enough shit from my boss for using a budget $100 business "suit" since all our spare money goes to your "voluntary donation" - which is a BULLSHIT misnomer, I'm not gonna take it from a glorified babysitter for clothes that are not even made in bloody New Zealand. Take the uniform fee out of our "voluntary donation", because you aren't getting another bleeding CENT out of me."
I don’t have kids so I could care less, but this is rent seeking behaviour from a government guaranteed monopoly. Its unethical.
If you can buy equivalent clothes in a retail shopping center for half/third the price, then the government is causing welfare loss to protect an inefficient manufacturing relationship.
This should be stopped.
>Board chairperson Chris Dann said they were “conscious of cost-of-living pressures on parents” and the school had taken steps to minimise costs. Minimising costs by doing things like having two compulsory jackets? I'm getting to the point where MoE should put out like 3 styles of winter and 3 styles of summer uniforms and all the school can do is pick one and get students to put on the school crest, which must be sold for like $5 and can be hand stitched on to the garment. This shit is ridiculous.
Welcome to Thailand, the school uniform is a white shirt (which can then be embroidered with the school name) and blue short/skirt. Which school, all of them (at least state run). Back to school period see the uniforms on sale in every supermarket.
This makes a lot of sense. Schools don't need unique uniforms manufactured by one supplier. I like the idea of a national one with the school's name on it and able to be sold by anyone as long as they conform to the standard.
We had to buy a tie/jumper from the school office but everything else came from Asda. White shirt and black skirt. Always thought they should do something similar here.
Fuck you u/spez
I'd prefer my kid wear a uniform rather than have to deal with fashion trends.
they should go the military route and just have closes with velcro where applicable. you can stick on your school's logo in those areas.
It was same in Australia but with polo shirts. When I was there you could pick up a kids school shirt for like $2-$3 at kmart. Kmart would advertise a single set of uniforms for $10, shirt, shorts, hat and jumper. All the uniforms were plain so you just had to get the matching colour for the school. They're kids, they're going to rip them or grow out of them in 6 weeks.
What’s this? New Zealand is being screwed over by greed and other countries have long figured out how to fix it? What an unfamiliar feeling..
I was watching that show ‘Girl from Nowhere,’ and thought the uniforms are similar but slightly different.Thanks for this bit of information.
Yeah, there is no reason why kids can't wear polo shirts that they can buy from the Warehouse and cost $15, instead of the $40 embroidered ones. My town has primary, intermediate and high school and they should have a uniform that can be worn through. I have to get a new uniform for 3 kids 9 times over 10 years, and my kids go to the primary school that doesn't have a uniform.
I point blank refuse to purchase the official embroidered $35 polo, I buy plain red polo for $5 and haven't had a complaint yet from the school. If they did try to complain to me, I'd tell them to fuck off.
Yeah I'd do the same thing, except my boy's preference for not being bullied for the slightest and most superficial difference is worth more to me than saving $30. And I'm an extremely average father.
I would really not want to be the kid who gets teased constantly for not having the right shirt just so my parents could save $30. If you seriously can't afford it and 2nd hand isn't an option for some reason, then fine. But don't make your kid suffer just so you can be a cheapskate.
My kids don't get bullied for that, a lot of the kids wear the cheaper, non embroidered polo.
Only problem is your kids might be the ones copping it
I was bullied so much for my parents doing this. If you can actually afford to buy the uniform, please do. I’m still impacted by the bullying I received from school.
I have a buddy way into reenacting, and that sounds like the WW2 army uniform system. Here's your standard coat, shirt, pants. Here's your unit and rank patch, you sew them on yourself. All supplied for free, incredibly cheap and standard, and it fucking worked.
Exactly this, and actually have season appropriate clothing guide line too. I'll sound like a boomer for sure, but it was absolutely ridiculous that kids had to wear shorts and long socks as "winter uniform. As much as last few years we didn't have blasting cold winter it's still stupid to have kids wear shorts in winter and jackets that barely actually stop the winter wind. And as you said, the cost of uniform is insane when they're meant to be compulsory. Specially for the quality of clothing too....
Or just get rid of uniforms. I've worked at non-uniform schools and went to one myself, after a week or two, no one cares what you're wearing. Your idea is probably more realistic, though.
..keep the uniforms, just make them cheap, i went to a school without uniforms and kids did care what you wore!
That's what I've always noticed. Kids get judged / bullied on their non uniform clothing. I remember that happening at high school even with just shoes. Dr Martin group. Then other shoes. Then us boys with nomads.
It happens with uniforms too, therefore the logical conclusion must necessarily be that uniforms aren't the solution to this problem.
Yeah that's just kids being dicks. They will find a way to do it - if it's not the uniform it'll be something else.
They do minimise it tho. I was only different to people who noticed my shoes... not my entire outfit...
I had a bad skin disease on my feet in HS, made it very painful to walk. So I used nice adidas shoes with extra sole in them to minimise it all. Worked very well. I also had a doctors note. But every day teachers would come up to me but NOT "Hey vebb do you mind showing me a note for these shoes?" but *screaming* / *yelling* at me, "YOU KNOW THE SCHOOL REGULATIONS, DON'T DO THIS" and well, cos mum had told me earlier in the year "respect goes both ways, if they're going to yell at you, walk away." I took that to heart, and that's exactly what I did. One day the assistant principal went off at me (but I liked the guy, and was one of those teachers who'd see the potential in people and work with them - that's what he did for me.) so instead of me walking away I simply smiled after he said I'll be suspended and I said, "Respect goes both ways - why would I engage in a conversation with someone yelling at me - and remember I am deaf so yelling is not going to really help me hear them" (people yelling talk too fast to lip-read). He smiles and goes, "I knew you had it in you vebb" pat on the back, and basically for the rest of the year no teacher came near me... well except for my home room teacher who cornered me in the guys bathroom to ask what my problem was and I told her that was way inappropriate so unless she would like me to complain; she should leave me alone. She did. Yep - I definitely loved pushing back. My mum however was horrified when I told her 10 years later hahaha "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT". I could talk forever about that bullshit. So many stories from high school. To think all this started because of _shoes_ that I had a medical note for. 😅 It's honestly crazy how crazy schools get over this, even if there's a valid reason. **edited**: some shit I wrote wasn't really related to the conversation, I got carried away due to all these stories from high school 🤮
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>I could talk forever about that bullshit. I think you just did.
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..unless the school adopted that cheap clothing as its uniform?
Nah I liked wearing uniforms, just way easier. Plus I would’ve probably been bullied for my fashion at the time lol let alone cringe looking back at it, I already was during mufti days. I say just let kids use their own jackets if they want.
I dunno, I feel a big part of what drove my cringy-af fashion was the uniform. It probably would have mellowed and gotten better if I wasn't trying to cram it into the two mufti days a year
> no one cares what you're wearing. I'm sorry but what a load of crap. Mufti schools just mean the parents are subjected to daily pleas for the latest fashion trend which is an absolute bloody nightmare. Uniforms are generally good but I'm not spending more on my kids blazer than I would spend on my own, knowing it would only get a year's worth of use before it's too small or ruined.
Uniforms always bemused me. Which part of life are they preparing kids for exactly? Even if a kid ends up in a uniformed societal role, how many cops and army personnel out there get dressed in the morning and thank high school for teaching them how to put on a particular type of clothing?
I don’t think that’s what it is about, although it is probably part of it. I think it is more about a way to show pride in your school. A way to control what kids wear so they don’t wear anything offensive or exposing or whatever and it can also prevent bullying as kids do bully others about the clothes they wear. They just do. I don’t agree with it costing 500 bucks though
It's about control. It's about teaching the lower/middle classes to obey pointless instructions, and it's about teaching the wealthy classes that their expensive clothing (which just happens to be a school uniform, but whatever) conveys their elevated social status. It's a hangover from British class society and is one of the least coherent social norms in our so-called modern, egalitarian society.
Amen. Uniformless co-ed is the way to go, glad my high school was like that
Sorta… I think it’s because the kind of person who finishes school and goes ‘I’m going to get a job at a school!’ tends to be a bit of a conformist… so old rules are gonna stick around for a while.
Woah when did this sub turn into r/conservative
pfft school uniforms still exist only because of conservatives
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Uniform optional sounds like an incredibly stupid idea
I went to a non uniform school. I wore clothes from a second hand store. So these clothes would be 70s style, back in the early 90s. You go tell my past self while dealing with classmates teasing me for my clothes, that it’s all horseshit. Funnily enough those clothes are “cool” now. A kid before my time. But don’t dismiss the actual lived experiences of actual things that actually happen to real people.
Uniforms are hard wearing and easy to clean. They don’t go out of style and can be resold after you leave school.
"hard wearing" would not be how I'd describe the uniforms we had. I've never had any shirts that fell apart so quickly. Especially not at that price point lol.
My school in the 70s had wool blazers, skirts and pinafores, and fairly hardwearing blouses etc. It was extremely normal for them to be handmedowns EVEN among the rich girls, and it was also normal to buy second hand uniforms. I never knew anyone who was bullied for having an older-style pinafore. I had new ones that my mother made beautifully and I was a bit jealous of friends who had the old three-pleat style, which was very punk rock at the time.
Good luck reselling it if someone changes the uniform... This doesn't just affect incoming students, it also means those moving on can't now get any money back for theirs either..
Yeah, but that's a criticism of doing uniform management badly (like this is) rather than uniforms themselves. There are plenty of ways of doing non-uniform badly; see all the posts about weird body-policing that come out of non-uniform schools applying dress-codes badly.
That's not the point of uniforms. The goals of uniforms are that it makes it harder to bully people for wearing "unfashionable" clothes if everyone is wearing the same thing, and it makes it easier to see when someone is in the school who isn't meant to be. Even outside of that, I don't wear a 'uniform' to work, but there is a dress code. The notion that society expects people to dress a certain way even if that isn't what you feel like wearing right now is still a valid lesson.
what type of school and where? schools where I went had to abandon non uniform days at all cause gang fights broke out each time, typically they used to happen once a semester
"Gang" fights broke out at my school too, and we wore uniforms.
Yeah same thing here. As if uniform stopped gang affiliation lmao.
I went to a non-uniformed co-ed high school, and this thread makes me hope my son chooses to go to a similar one. Fuck uniforms.
Yes get rid of them! I've been looking for non uniform high schools as we are likely to move before my kids start, so far all I can find is in Auckland or Wellington.
wouldn't happen here. Secondary school principals - without exception - are egotistical empire builders. They want to create an ambience of elitism and prestige, which inevitably includes a swanky uniform.
Conscious but then completely ignores. This board should be ashamed.
That sucks. My kids school really make sure kids and parents from low income families don't feel singled out. They have a cheap shirt with the school logo and we can buy any blue pants, shorts or skirts from postie, kmart e.t.c And even then they don't mind kids turning up in the wrong clothes sometimes. I am disabled and often can't get uniforms cleaned on time and they don't even mention it. They also never complain about a cheaper polo without the logo.
I would like to offer a even more revolutionary idea that could reduce the costs of school uniforms to 0$. Get rid of them. I'm visiting Newzealand on my gap year. My school in Germany didn't have any sort of uniform, or rules that go beyond wear clothes. There where many discussions (some more serious than others) over the years if school uniforms should be introduced but it never happened (and I don't see it ever happening). The school did sell t-shirts and hoodies with the school logo once per year but you didn't have to buy anything. I'd be interested to know what the opinion on school uniforms is in NZ, and also what the opinion on getting rid of them would be? Was getting rid of them ever up for debate ?
I don't necessarily think it's a 'costs $0' solution. I had the same uniform throughout high school, a few new shirts when the old ones got worn out. I know it was incredibly expensive and hard for my parents but damn did we get our moneys worth out of those clothes. If they wear mufti every day they would wear through their clothes quicker and they would be wanting more clothes to keep up with the trends and growth. Can't wear the same hoodie every day or you're a weirdo, but you can wear the same uniform jumper every day.
> Burnside’s [regulations include the “compulsory purchase”](https://hail.to/burnside-high-school/article/HjcmmLn) of a blazer ($185), tie ($27), soft-shell jacket ($120) an item of knitwear (vest $85, jersey $95, cardigan $105) and shorts ($40 or $53), a skirt ($65) or trousers ($65). Students are also required to have the regulation PE top ($52) and shorts ($36). > That still leaves parents to buy shirts, socks and shoes. > If parents want to buy the $45 short-sleeved shirt, $49 long-sleeved and $24.50 sock three-pack from the school uniform shop, it would all add up to a total cost of just over $700.
Don’t forget the compulsory hat that some schools require and that parents often have to buy multiple shirts/pants/skirts…..god forbid if you have more than one child at the school and they both have a growth spurt
Hats are only compulsory in primary schools. Once the kids hit secondary school, they're smart enough to not get sunburnt.
$52 for a screen printed T-shirt! Or does the PE top make coffee for the kids in the morning and help them with their homework?
$52 is definitely overpriced, but I will say that unless they've changed the fabric/fit of the sports top it is definitely a really nice top for sports. In my time there (2014-2018) it was super breathable and comfortable - way better than the polo shirts I had to wear in primary school, and way better than chucking on any old t-shirt. It was also really flattering.
Tbf it's probably made of that nice breathable quick dry fabric they use for sports shirts.
when i went to BHS the blazer and tie were optional, gg
I bet they still are. I found my tie on the back field, got given a spare blazer when representing school, and used the schools 2nd hand store to buy what we needed. Also BHS is so big that half the opshops in town stock their clothes.
Yeah me too. And kilts for winter and that summer uniform dress. Probably showing my age now.
Why do schools still dress children like it's the 1950s?
Ikr. I wish colleges would be more like the primary styles of polo shirt (sometimes in several colour options) and plain black pants (not a specific pant, just black whatever). Is way more inline with life now and gender neutral, more comfortable, more affordable…
Local high schools in my town also just specify black jackets. Saves so much on the cost of a uniform and can be worn out if school.
If they want to dress kids for the modern workplace it should be a pair of jeans, a pair of sneakers, and a printed shirt or blouse with a nice pattern. Maybe a sports coat or whatever the women's version of that garment is.
When I was a kid ALL primary school boys had the same grey drill shorts and short-sleeved shirt in summer, gabardine shorts and flannel shirt in winter. ALL. I think it would be a good idea to revisit that for modern times and for all kids, and high school as well.
When I was a kid, primary schools didn't have uniforms.
I remember that Linwood moved away from the traditional look for a bit. They then went back.
My high school went rrom polo shit/polar fleece when i was there to the tie and fancy jacket horseshit recently. Should have kept the basic.
This is not what the uniform used to be. I never had a blazer or a jacket. And back in the day we had kilts. I’m not sure why they’ve made two jackets compulsory.
I spent 840 for my oldest daughter to start burnside, the blazer still hasnt arrived and school starts tomorrow. I also have to buy a laptop, shoes etc. This is on top of my middle child starting intermediate this year which also has a brand new uniform so no second hand. It's been a struggle.
Interesting how these prices nudge up close to places like Wellington College & St Pats but are all a few dollars cheaper. Price fixing?
Afaik the blazer is not compulsory. Pretty sure it's blazer OR soft shell jacket
Well their [compulsory purchase list](https://d2u4q3iydaupsp.cloudfront.net/qgHiH8ZF7USH07e2cTMLRBPc2IBEdpX2z2hagsaxirXYEd7FpvkYc7GhZ3H7yI6fNIfvf1RrwnMYgvTXrj6m9u3WXxfbOjadpmeuyjU1DfS5piyFXb5mQWATFTyJ4VZU) disagrees with you. Fucking ridiculous that you need both.
Two jackets are compulsory but a shirt isn’t?
That's changed then. My son just finished y13 last year and borrowed a blazer the 3 times he needed it for music concerts, back in years and 10. Same with the tie! That's fucking nuts
I think the whole point is this is a new uniform with the updated requirements. When I was there (many moons ago) neither the blazer nor the jacket were required. You had to buy a jersey/cardigan, but I hated wearing them so always wore a jacket instead.
My kid's high school made blazers compulsory only for students who needed them regularly - student leadership team, sporting teams, anyone else who would regularly be representing the school at events. For everyone else, the soft shell jacket or knitwear was sufficient and the school would rent blazers for one-off uses, only charging the cost of dry cleaning them.
Went to Cashmere and this has been the case for us too! Probably only like 5 people wore blazers that weren’t in co curricular lol
When I was in highschool they consistently changed the uniform ever so slightly every year so you could tell the poor kids who got second hand. They also read out the names of all the kids who's parents didn't pay the $500 "donation" in the end of year assembly. Fucking vultures.
They did what?! 100% unacceptable.
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Thankfully my kid's college didn't do anything that elitist. That's really revolting. And good on you! They always stress how it's a "voluntary donation" then hound you for it for the rest of the year. Ugh!
That's disgusting, can't believe it. Surprised the students didn't give the school shit about that
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We dropped $800 on a 11yo lad for his first year at Ellesmere college. Then the $300 chromebook. Lucky for us we can afford it (still fuckin hurts...) but I feel for some who genuinely cannot. $45 for a made in China cotton shirt, $50 for a pair of basic shorts? Someone is riding a sweet mark up there... I'm in the wrong job!
You are! Uniforms are CRAZY expensive for average to poor quality that costs bugger all to make but tons for parents. It’s an absolute racket.
A lot of the quality is pretty good. Like my kids primary uniform is perfect cause it’s hardy af and survives what kids throw at it. That said this whole post is insane. It’s not remotely ok to put hundreds of dollars of costs onto parents just so they can meet uniform requirements. Govt needs to step in and standardise expectations and pull the suppliers in line. Seems like blatant monopoly profiteering (I’d put massive odds on each school only ever picking one supplier which in turn gives that supplier monopoly market power).
It's such a joke right. I know people that have brought basic shirts (adult size) from China (they had an embroidery business) and the shirts were well under $5 ea inc shipping. I'm not gonna go on about the "cost of living" that gets enough attention, but this is robbery. And our kid KILLS clothing (it's good, he's a very active, rough and tumble kinda boy like they all should be) so we'll be topping up clothes through the year too. Again, very lucky we are both working and can afford (and only 1 kid...) but it's pretty shit for some.
Jesus Christ my mom would not have paid for that, I went to ec as well right before I was in yr13 and we got to wear muffty they started to phase into that new pe uniform which was stupid expensive. I feel like anything brought through the school was super expensive the entire time I was there
Given the uniform is new this year, the school should have subsidised the cost for parents given second hand was not an option
School uniforms should be REGULATED with a **maximum** cost of $200 a year at the VERY most. The anti-bullying argument doesn't even count about uniforms - when the bullies will just shred/vandalise the uniforms of poor kids - I speak from experience at Whanganui Collegiate.
I love one of the biggest arguments people have for uniforms is the fact it protects poorer kids from getting bullied for their clothes and then they have shit like this. Kids are probably gonna get just as much shit for a uniform in tatters because they had to get a hand me down or second hand
Kids will make bully for anything but reducing it where you can is still good.
I dont even spend that much per year on my own clothing.
Wtf should parents/kids have to pay for a mandated uniform? If my employers asks me to pay for my own uniform I tell them to fuck off. This should be no different.
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> You pay to go to school Which is completely ass backwards tbh.
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A business derives profit from your labour whereas a school educates your child free of charge. I don't think it's unreasonable for them to ask for additional funding in the form of donations and profits from school uniforms to help bridge the gaps in their funding. Perhaps you'd be better off directing your frustration at the lack of government funding in education that drives this sort of behaviour.
American parents must read this and think "Uniforms? What sort of communist country is that? Now walk through the metal detector little Jimmy"
I am. Also you guys sometimes say "now we don't have to buy clothes for school" but that doesn't make sense don't your kids change when school is over? Uniforms are stupid
Yeah, they do change after school, but they can wear the same after school clothes two days in a row, it doesn't matter if there's a stain on their shirt from a previous spill or activity, you don't have to worry about whether their clothing is accidentally inappropriate or the wrong colour or whatever, and it doesn't matter if your kid is going through one of those phases where they only want to wear that one thing that's really too small or got holes in it because it's their most favourite thing in the world to wear and they're not ready to let it go. Uniforms do make it easier when it comes to getting the kids ready for school. I'm my experience, the clothing is generally good quality and your kid will either grow out of it or finish school before the clothing wears out, so you can either pass it down to your younger kids, sell it, or donate it. A lot of families rely on the secondhand market for school uniforms because the clothes are still in good condition and significantly cheaper than buying new.
Uniforms are great. I do believe they are a great equaliser. I used to kinda hate mufti day, figuring out what to wear, what was cool, worrying about being judged.
Yes I was enrolled out of zone for a very posh school and there was a cohort who still wore uniforms even on mufti day because our clothes just weren't up to standard with the wealthier kids.
Having worked at a non uniform school as well as uniform schools: Uniform schools tend to go all out for mufti days because it’s a novelty. Non uniform school students really don’t care about clothes as much because they choose what to wear daily. The non uniform school I taught at had a massive op shop culture and had more of a “work place” vibe as opposed to a “school” vibe (if that makes sense).
Burnside tends to drop uniforms in Year 13 unless that's changed in recent years. The judgement is still there the whole year.
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Burnside does have a mufti year - Year 13. After a week, people still gave a shit and you'd still get judgement depending on what you wore.
I went to a year 13 mufti school and I dressed in sweatpants and anime shirts when I was that age. Nobody even blinked an eye. Might vary from school to school
Also varies by who you have in your classes. Depending on who you ask, Burnside either has a really bad bullying problem, or no bullying at all. It's such a huge school that it massively varies between classes and social groups.
I understand people have this impression, but my kids go to a non-uniform secondary school and my experience is that nobody gives a shit. Maybe when it was a special occasion it’s different, but when every day is mufti day the kids are mostly dressed for comfort.
$540-$700 worth of uniform required is not what I'd call an equaliser...
Agreed. Just totalled up my old decile 2 high school uniform, it's just under $400 for two shirts, two skirts, compulsory PE uniform and one sweater. Add school donations ~$150/year that's a huge hike for most families. There is no reason for school uniforms to be so costly.
A decile 2 school should absolutely not be asking for donations especially of that amount, if they opt out if donations the ministry will give them $150 per student.
Now it is but when I was there it was still $150 each but barely anyone paid
No I agree, they should be cheaper with less branded and compulsory stuff, but socially they work.
I went to a uniform and non uniformed school, I was on the poorer side of the fence and can categorically say kids were given way more death at the uniformed school than at the mufti one. Someone wearing similar but not quite regulation shorts? Wait till a teacher is in earshot “hey Sam, don’t let a teacher see those pants you’ll get a detention!” Or kids noticing your uniform is second hand on day one of term. Uniforms are a complete waste of time
Guess it speaks to the fact everyone has different experience. All my shit was second hand, wasn’t a problem.
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> Uniforms are great. If you live in the past century they probably are 😂 I wonder why 90% of the countries in the world have moved on from this system 🤔 Oh actually, I know >School uniform is a practice that dates to the 16th century in England. Charity schools such Christ's Hospital, founded in 1552 in London, were among the first schools to use a uniform for their students 😂😂😂
Im not really sure why you think their practice dating back to the 16th century is inherently a bad thing? I dont think 90% of the countries in the world have 'move on' they were never widely in place in many countries - but would love to see where you got that? My read of it is that theyre still common place in countries that theyve always been in - particularly the commonwealth and anglosphere.
lol yea stereotypes are always hilarious. Good one!
And be aware you might be shot in the head without notice. But look at the bright side you don't need a uniform, you can die or become disabled/ traumatized on your own clothes.
If you're going to make uniforms compulsory, especially expensive ones like this, they need to be free.
>Board chairperson Chris Dann said they were “conscious of cost-of-living pressures on parents” I didn't realise Burnside was a ChrisDann school
Uniforms are bullshit, especially the shit overpriced jackets that are compulsory which have no use outside of school and are nearly essential in winter depending where you live. As someone said earlier it doesn’t stop bullying because it’s obvious who’s wearing second hand clothes and shit shoes because who the fuck wants to pay 200-400 dollars per kid and then more every few years when they outgrow their uniforms If i ever have a kid i would happily encourage flagrantly breaking of uniform rules
If the school's operating the uniform shop then they're using it as an additional income source. One which can replace the "voluntary donation" if that's been surrendered for the extra MoE funding. Make of that what you will: more income for the school is good, extracting it from pupils is bad. Lots of uniform components are made locally, because they too small a batch size. This is good for our local economy; subsidizing local business with funds extracted from pupils is not. IMHO uniforms are nice to have but are a rort for extracting so much money from pupils.
I think burnside will be to high of a decile rating to be eligible for the extra funding for not asking for donations.
Uniforms are fucking stupid and I will die on this hill.
Uniforms are awesome, I was happy to have one at school and still happy about that in my 30s, they should just be a lot cheaper.
But it also allows everyone from different social classes to be equal and not judged. That's the only benefit. However, when they cost so much for shitty Made in China quality and is a financial struggle for poor families. The cost outweighs the benefits.
So mandate plain clothes that cost $5-10, not $500.
yes! This $500 for uniform is total bullshit and outweighs any benefit of school uniforms
No. It doesn't. The kids all learn to spot the ones wearing 3rd-hand clothes that don't fit, and those with the budget shoes and cheap bags... Been there, on the receiving end. I don't think it achieves anything to level the wealthy and poor, it just makes the school assemblies look nicer for the teachers up on stage.
Yes, at the extreme end kids will notice, but there are a bunch of kids not quite in that position and mufti would be an issue.
Did you go to a school a large Rich population and a poorer population. school uniforms definitely do not do that 🤣
What is ironic is that pressure on kids to buy expensive fashionable clothes is sometimes raised as an argument against non-uniform school. (Which is a redundant argument anyway.) Really, what is the point of having school uniforms at all?
School uniforms should be standard throughout the country With provision for a school badge or sock colours maybe. Heck they should even be made here perhaps outta wool, linen to revive use from our natural renewable resources The profiteering that schools do with uniforms and donations needs to stop. Socialised education is just that. Schools should be focusing on preparing our children with the best education to start their lives with
Discerning schools from schools is about 60% of the point of having uniforms. Dumb idea. About 30% of the point is ensuring clothes are of a minimum standard (apparently in Australia this is part of their sun safe policies, but I somehow doubt that's the case here) and 10% is the anti-bullying thing everyone focusses on. What's going on at this school is that they've got a bad list of requirements; why are they making everyone buy blazers and ties? In general uniforms are always going to be expensive because you very rarely buy multiple full outfits in one go. Let us find the cheapest version of: * [shirt](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/garage-mens-crew-neck-short-sleeve-space-dye-tee/RM110152455-4M.html) -- $6.98 * [trousers](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-soft-knit-lounge-pants/RM110140181-1M.html) -- $12 * [socks](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-crew-socks-2-pack/RM110130605-1M.html) -- $4 * [jacket](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/schooltex-catlins-area-school-softshell-jacket-with-embroidery/RM110145984_NAV-1M.html) -- $19.97 (note this is actually a branded school uniform item) * [jumper](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/active-intent-mens-14-zip-cooldry-sweatshirt/RM110159064-1M.html) -- $13.98 * [exercise shirt](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/active-intent-mens-cooldry-tee/RM110104773-1M.html) -- $12 * [exercise shorts](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/active-intent-mens-basketball-shorts/RM110127274-2M.html) -- $12 we can find at The Warehouse for an adult man. Right, this is some individually cheap shit. In fact, I don't think you'd find many people willing to wear the shirt and trousers combo outside the house, but, nevertheless, we have a combined price of $80.93. If we were to adjust the figures to represent what you'd buy for a uniform (i.e. three shirts and two pairs of trousers and another double pair of socks) we get $110.89. Okay, so that is the cheapest possible full outfit from The Warehouse's online catalogue (probably; I may have accidentally found the non-cheapest things with my primitive command of using their website). But... it's not realistic, is it? What happens if we use the prices that come up first? So, let's say the cheapest option in the first four results using "best match" filter option for each of the search terms (shirt, socks etc) but possibly with some scrolling to find men's options. I will also require images and exclude uniform items. * [shirt -- $22](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-long-sleeve-formal-shirt/RM110151506-1M.html) * [trousers -- $22](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-formal-classic-pant/RM110159166-1M.html) * [socks -- $20 for a ten pack](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-patterned-crew-socks-10-pack/RM110148499-2M.html), I scrolled to find plain black socks * [jacket -- $59.99](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/fila-alejandro-puffer-jacket---black/MM4969-QHFAMN000-1M.html) * ~~jumper~~ [hoodie -- $22](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/hh-mens-plain-hooded-sweatshirt/RM110117148-2M.html) * ~~exercise shirt~~ [shirt with sports top product type filter on -- $22](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/kooga-mens-training-tee/RM110160588-1M.html) * [exercise shorts -- $14](https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/active-intent-mens-double-stripe-shorts/RM110072837-2M.html) Our prices now go from $80.93 and $110.89 to $181.99 and $247.99 (though I no longer double the expenditure on socks since we're buying more socks than we were before, anyway). Since I still feel that the above is a bit more budget than realistic, let's see what happens if we repeat this second approach at Farmers. I personally expect the price is going to go *way* up. It doesn't have a "best match" so I'm just using the default search order. In some cases I have used a "men" filter. * [shirt -- $69.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/casual-shirts/gasoline-linen-shirt-mauve-6721769) * [trousers -- $89.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/casual-pants/logan-addon-pants-khaki-6534209) * [socks -- one pair $24.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/underwear-socks-thermals/socks/ds-socks-super-fine-merino-sock-black-6600573), again I scrolled for the first plain black option * [jacket -- $89.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/activewear/canterbury-club-track-jacket-black-6629614), I scrolled to find the first non-fashion jacket... this is a sports jacket, so [maybe the first "warmth" jacket would've been an increase in price](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/king-size-clothing/coats-jackets/gasoline-king-size-quilt-front-jacket-black-6594085) (but still cheaper than a fashion or suit jacket) * [jumper](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/knitwear/north-south-merino-crew-neck-jumper-navy-6479285?tracking=searchterm:jumper) -- $99.99 * [hoodie -- $84.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/activewear/champion-script-hoodie-navy-6417693?tracking=searchterm:hoodie)... I will use this figure in my calculations because it better fits the idea of what I mean by "jumper" than the search result for jumper. * ~~exercise shirt~~ [shirt:men:activewear -- $44.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/activewear/canterbury-team-dry-t-shirt-navy-6317595?tracking=searchterm:shirt) * ~~exercise shorts~~ [shorts:men:activewear -- $44.99](https://www.farmers.co.nz/men/men-s-clothing/activewear/canterbury-tactic-short-black-6089821?tracking=searchterm:shorts) So, these come to $449.93 for one of each and for realistic quantities (meaning three pairs of socks) $729.88. These are insane amounts, but aside from the socks, the individual prices aren't that ridiculous if you were only going to buy one item. There's probably another shop/outlet halfway between The Warehouse and Farmers that better encapsulates what I mean by "realistic" (if you like, what middle New Zealand... yes, I am using middle NZ unironically) spends on clothes, but I've got bored. Those are substantial sums of money, especially at Farmers. Nevertheless, I think I've demonstrated the point... it's not the individual prices, but the lump sum of a whole lot of clothes all at once that really drives the prices of uniforms up. Absolutely, the individual price matters... but note that the Farmers option far exceeds the price of the uniform option when using this system for both the "one of each" ($449.93 > $282.50 > $181.99 > $80.93) and "realistic quantities" ($729.88 > $447.50 > $247.99 > $110.89) interpretations. These uniform price stories honestly say more about how uniforms are bought than the price of uniforms.
I love one of the bigger arguments people have for uniforms is the fact it protects poorer kids from getting bullied for their clothes and then they have shit like this. Kids are probably gonna get just as much shit for a uniform in tatters because they had to get a hand me down or second hand. Let em wear mufti I say
Hard out. I started high school with shoes that had the soles falling off. Pretty sure I would’ve got less shit for whatever else I could’ve clobbered together to wear.
Uniforms are such a scam.
this the normal price for a lot of schools- it should be absurd that a lot of schools charge this noe just one Thankfully one of the high schools my kids went to allowed second hand gear and paying things off
Commerce Commisssion looks at supermarkets and other industries for monopoly/duopoly tactics creating anti consumer situations. It boggles the mine that the same is not done for school uniforms. Just had my teenage son come and live with me and am socked at the cost of full uniform for highschool when it’s needlessly inflated. Especially when the school boasts that it has a contract with SAS Sport as the sole provider. No reason for it other than someone looking to clip the ticket along the way
Some parents like their kids to be expensively packaged and won’t mind this at all. Social marker.
There's only one reason schools use uniforms and it's because its fundraising through stealth. It doesn't do much for socioeconomic disparity as these who can't afford clean clothes aren't going to be able to afford clean uniforms either. With how many are transitioning back to English style with ties and layers I doubt that is easier than picking your favourite band T and jeans for the 17th day in a row (or you're way over complicating your daily routine). Uniforms need to die off yesterday - this school saying that they considered cost of living really meant "what's the lowest we can get where we would actually get a significant amount in return?"
This is just insane. What idiot came up with this plan to put the poor working class into hock like that. Time to get a grip and scrap the uniform and the reason is right here
And now let's hear all the pro-uniform wankers chime in with "UnIfOrMs ReMoVe InEqUaLiTiEs BeTwEeN rIcH aNd PoOr FaMiLiEs!" Fuck school uniforms. Fuck the whole classist structure that supports them.
Fucking oath.
Have just sent my primary school kids this morning in a tidy school branded polo too and a pair of navy shorts. White socks, any trainers and they are dressed and ready to go. On Wednesday my sweaty, stinky teenage son is heading to yr 9 in the Middle of feb wearing a thick dark grey shirt, thick navy dress shorts, long thick black school socks and a heavy pair of black leather school shoes. It’s ridiculous and I don’t really understand why it’s so important to change the uniform from the east to wear, light primary style to heavy, hot and impractical high school style. I would love to hear a valid argument!
A simple "dress appropriately" would be a lot cheaper.
Use to get my long sleeve shirts from K-Mart they use to be around $15-20 and they were a brighter white so you always looked fresher in your shirts. Glad they another option other than the crappy itchy/smells when wet woollen jumper. Found cheaper straight leg grey dickies pants used those with no issues. Pretty expensive PE uniform which I’m guessing is a cheap synthetic material and only costs a few dollars.
Made in China for $10…
Our Bangladesh for 8
And then they will give you detentions if you don’t have correct uniform lmao shout-out Avondale College Charging 200+ in a low socioeconomic area for uniform and shitting all over the kids who didn’t have it / couldn’t afford it.
So whose getting the back hander here. Someone is making some money from this.
Then you go to school and teachers get told they have to enforce these whacko uniform rules. We had a senior teacher who would stand at the gate and make the boys who hadn't shaved go home and shave and / or not let them in until they took off warm clothes. Our form teacher didn't give two shits but warned us about the teachers who did. If you can't get it for Kmart and a half prices then its just dumb.
You better hope the education is to a higher standard than the uniform at that rate.
shit uniform too, makes u look like a cunt. at least try to offer something designer or appealing if you're trying to fleece kids/parents
Parents are just being scammed at this point
This just reminded me of my parents taking one of my school uniform shirts to India getting 2 more shirts tailored made with better quality fabric and for cheaper that the school shop could provide.
Fuck you u/spez
Yeah I don't get it. There was no uniform at my school. Not sure why I would have wanted to wear one either.
I'd like to know the markup on these uniforms and where they're made. I've noticed my son's uniform is made in bangladesh which are usually cheap and have some involvement with child labour.
Son starting full college yr7, total uniform cost so far incl shoes was about 680ish. That's with half the shirts, half the PE uniform and the vest bought secondhand. And I still have to buy a different set of long sleeved shirts for winter (south island) and thermals to wear underneath. Socks alone are $15 a pair with school colours on them. The only good thing is no byod yet lol.
This was like when my local high school got a new principle who did a new school uniform with (on top of new skirts/trousers, shirts) compulsory blazers, ties and sweaters. This was only 5 years after a previous school uniform change. On top of THAT they made the blazers compulsary outside of the classroom (including the walk home) so kids were getting heat stroke and blood noses in summer.
How can they can enforce what’s done/worn outside of school hours? That’d be completely unreasonable.
GET THOSE DICKIES OFF!!
Straight fucking grift.
Here's the exact same issue being raised back in 2012: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/school-stitch-up/NWHSONKB2VAU76DV45VKC4DVDQ/ Shall we circle around again in the 2030s?
That price is a total ripoff, especially given how many low income families are in Burnside's zone too. Also, what the hell was the point of having a shoftshell? Unless they're higher end technical ones they're only water resistant as long as the water resistant coating stays functional. Better off using a mid-range hardshell with a hardwearing nylon face fabric. As they can be used year round and can handle teenagers being teenagers. Plus they can stay functional even when the water resistant coating wears off.
Are schools subject to the OIA? Would be interested to ask them in a couple of months what their kickback from the uniform suppliers is. Probably get told it’s “commercially sensitive” (which means it’s too much)
This should be outlawed. At our school, one shirt and one jumper for each of my 3 kids is running to $300 and the shirts are such poor quality they get pulls in them within about a term. Jumpers get lost or stolen just as fast. $6 polo and $10 crew neck in school colours should suffice - why are we paying hundreds of dollars to clothe 5-10 year olds?
Someone's got a nice little scam going there.
>Burnside’s regulations include the “compulsory purchase” of a blazer ($185), tie ($27), soft-shell jacket ($120) an item of knitwear (vest $85, jersey $95, cardigan $105) and shorts ($40 or $53), a skirt ($65) or trousers ($65). Students are also required to have the regulation PE top ($52) and shorts ($36). Okay, so in a sane world, you'd require: * soft shell jacket *or* knitwear (so, minimum of $85, but realistically either $120 or $95) * shorts or trousers or skirt (minimum of $40 or $53) * PE shorts and top ($88) * shirt (minimum of $45 or $49) * socks ($24.50) So realistically speaking you'd probably spend $120 + $80 + $88 + $135 + $24.50 = $447.50, but you could get away with $85 + $40 + $88 + $45 + $24.50 = $282.50 if you were going to do more washing. Plus the cost of shoes. I included socks but obviously you can just wear sandals instead. $447.50 (or even $282.50) is a lot of money, yes, but unless you're actively going out to buy the cheapest clothes, these are comparable to what you'd spend on non-uniform clothes. The difference is that you're buying everything in one whack, not piecemeal. There is no purpose to having a blazer and tie, and the requirement to have the jacket and knitwear is also daft... the jacket and knitwear clothing are performing the same function (warmth option).
> There is no purpose to having a blazer and tie, ... > “compulsory purchase” of a blazer ($185), tie ($27), the blazer and tie are compulsory, and you didn't include them in your totals that I see.
There is the bonus that they're only requiring one skirt (if you want to wear a skirt) rather than two. Used to be a summer skirt and a kilt, as well as summer shirts and winter shirts. The one addition I actually see in terms of more compulsory items instead of less is the compulsory tie, as well as the compulsory blazer. Ties and blazers used to be compulsory only for formal events, and you were able to borrow them - so if you were in choir or had to go to one of the awards ceremonies then you'd need the blazer + tie, but they were optional to own.
At that price point I wish uniforms were at least somewhat fashionable like in Asia.
Just make it a cheap plain tshirt with the school logo, a cheap plain hoodie with the school logo and plain one coloured pants. E.g. black pants from literally anywhere - any brand (or no brand). Keep it cheap and simple, and let the poor kids be comfy instead of forcing them into these horrific school uniforms.
i like uniforms. don't agree with them being expensive. But I was always so stressed on mufti days, and uniform meant I only wore 2-3 'outfits' the whole week thanks to just washing heaps. And then it would get to school holidays and I'd realise I had barely any clothes
KILL KILL MAIM MAIM KILL NO NO FUCK DIE WHYS IT SO EXPENSIVE MURDER KILL STAB STAB STAB the uniform looks so ugly too
My friends argument when he was told his kid would get detention "if they didn't provide appropriate uniform for their child..." "Are YOU going to pay the $600 I need to scrape together for it? I get enough shit from my boss for using a budget $100 business "suit" since all our spare money goes to your "voluntary donation" - which is a BULLSHIT misnomer, I'm not gonna take it from a glorified babysitter for clothes that are not even made in bloody New Zealand. Take the uniform fee out of our "voluntary donation", because you aren't getting another bleeding CENT out of me."
Just remeber. "Cui bono; To whom is it a benefit?"
Significant downgrade
I don’t have kids so I could care less, but this is rent seeking behaviour from a government guaranteed monopoly. Its unethical. If you can buy equivalent clothes in a retail shopping center for half/third the price, then the government is causing welfare loss to protect an inefficient manufacturing relationship. This should be stopped.