Expensive school uniforms in South Africa – what parents can do about it

[BusinessTech]

Expensive school uniforms in South Africa – what parents can do about it

Parents are not powerless when it comes to dealing with costly school uniforms in South Africa.

 

[Lupus]

Time the government scraps school clothes, it's another tax that has no benefit.
Also don't come here with oh but it's a leveler as all the kids have to wear the same, that's BS even with uniforms you'll know the better off kids cause they will have new uniforms.
With no uniform the poor kids could actually get decent normal clothes that they can wear all the time, instead of one uniform they will need to also wear it out.
One uniform can be 2 normal sets of clothes, especially if you just go with pnp, Mr p or pep store clothes.

 

[Lupus]

Buy secondhand school clothes. They all look the same anyway.

Oh no they don't, you know when it's second hand and honestly it's not fair, uniforms should be scrapped, another tax

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Or just do away with this crap altogether.

To avoid kids competing in a fashion parade, each school should have generic colours eg. black pants and white shirt like what Crawford does...

 

[Lupus]

Or just do away with this crap altogether.

To avoid kids competing in a fashion parade, each school should have generic colours eg. black pants and white shirt like what Crawford does...

Not all Crawfords and the ones that don't are really expensive

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Not all Crawfords and the ones that don't are really expensive

Sure, was just an example. If schools are set on uniformity then just have generic colours. Casual clothes are also more comfortable to work in. As you said the other kids will in any event know who's better off based on the condition of uniforms...

 

[Lupus]

Sure, was just an example. If schools are set on uniformity then just have generic colours. Casual clothes are also more comfortable to work in. As you said the other kids will in any event know who's better off based on the condition of uniforms...

I mean we all knew as kids, uniforms were a bit tattier, shoes a bit worn.
Though you'll get kids like my son who couldn't be bothered and go with the old shirt cause it was in the cupboard, thankfully his school actually allows black sneakers as he hates school shoes

 

[Lupus]

If you complain about the price of school clothes you should not have children. Children have always cost a faking fortune and clothes are like the 6th most expensive thing they need.

Now if you require something to scare you into celibacy while giving you colon cancer. Look up the price of nappies. Christ all mighty that is a scary figure.

I've got an 11 year old, I know the costs trust me.
Biggest waste is the uniform

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

If you complain about the price of school clothes you should not have children. Children have always cost a faking fortune and clothes are like the 6th most expensive thing they need.

Now if you require something to scare you into celibacy while giving you colon cancer. Look up the price of nappies. Christ all mighty that is a scary figure.

It's not about affordability. This is an obvious money making racket for no obvious benefit.

Kids will know who is better off anyway. Not just based on the condition of their uniforms but the stationery they use, the bags they have etc.

If anything uniforms just take it a level up, and now the dick measuring contest is about which school has the better uniform, badge, name, history, perceived exclusiveness etc. So what's the leveler for schools?

 

[chuckles_the_cnt]

the leveler is simple - it's a south african education, seen as k*k the world over ;-)

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

I dunno where you got that idea from. School uniforms are formal clothes that promote neatness and tries to convince children to take pride in their appearance. Just like army or police uniforms.

Except you don't need a uniform to take pride in your appearance.

If anything, at current prices it achieves exactly the opposite. No biggie for those who can afford it. For those who can't, there's no pride in wearing a brown shirt that should be white or shoes that are coming apart...

 

[Arzy]

Biggest issue with school uniforms are the bored moms on the SGB.

 

[koeks525]

I feel for all the parents. I remember a school blazer was R1000 back in my day (2007 - 2012). I wonder how much those things are now.

Making the uniform generic sounds tough. Schools might complain about how it won't be easy to see which students represent which schools - especially for things like derbies, public events, etc.

Biggest issue with school uniforms are the bored moms on the SGB.

Hahaha, the desperate housewives club

 

[Sensorei]

Or just do away with this crap altogether.

To avoid kids competing in a fashion parade, each school should have generic colours eg. black pants and white shirt like what Crawford does...

There's always going to be competition though. There will be that girl with R6000 Versace black jeans with a white R5000 Gucci blouse.

 

[rvZA]

The problem is not expensive school uniforms. The problem is a monthly R3k, R4k or even R5k school fee per child at government schools.

 

[RedViking]

 

[RedViking]

There's always going to be competition though. There will be that girl with R6000 Versace black jeans with a white R5000 Gucci blouse.

How dare she!!

 

[Lupus]

I dunno where you got that idea from. School uniforms are formal clothes that promote neatness and tries to convince children to take pride in their appearance. Just like army or police uniforms.

Sure then the uniforms should be part of the school fees, not a separate item that costs twice even four times as much as regular clothing. You can't have pride in your uniform when it's not new and some other kids have worn it. You can easily tell which kids can't afford it, as Mike said same as stationary, school bags etc.

 

[Lupus]

There's always going to be competition though. There will be that girl with R6000 Versace black jeans with a white R5000 Gucci blouse.

So what, that is how it is in the real world as well. At least the kid with the normal clothes can wear them outside in the real world as well and not have to worry about only having one outfit for school and it's literally their only outfit

https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/school-uniforms-place-burden-on-poor-families-310142

This was back in 2007 already

 

[Lupus]

I feel for all the parents. I remember a school blazer was R1000 back in my day (2007 - 2012). I wonder how much those things are now.

Making the uniform generic sounds tough. Schools might complain about how it won't be easy to see which students represent which schools - especially for things like derbies, public events, etc.

Hahaha, the desperate housewives club

In my day it was R500 and I had 3 over the course of my school career, the first one from Standard 6 to Standard 8, my dad was happy I stopped growing, then in Standard 9 he had to get another one as it was full colours and that was of course a completely different colour.
I then had to keep both as I couldn't wear the full coloured one in pictures for the extra murals I didn't achieve them in, I also couldn't wear the other one as it had a half coloured stripe down the seam of it, so I sometimes borrowed a friends normal one for those photos where I didn't have half or full colours.