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

[backstreetboy]

Do you have kids? Or are you referring to when you were in school? Cause if you were in school you'd not know as your parents covered it.

Sure I would. Had to wear the crap.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

I too actually support uniforms.

There are just way too many kids who can't afford clothes of luxury brands. Knowing what kids were like when I was at school... I can only imagine what today's kids would be like. SAVAGE!

That will happen either way, uniform or not. They will rip on whatever they want, like the kid who has wheels on his bag or a Nokia 3310 or whatever.

If they want uniformity then just specify the colours and let the kids wear whatever the f they want in those colours...

 

[Lupus]

True,

Mine are slow growers though. Laaitie luckily decided to quit sports. Growing like a caterpillar... Would probably have to have replaced his sportswear twice a season. Strange how sons grow. Short chubby little shyte. Then all of a sudden, taller than me, zero body fat and the feet of a bigfoot...

Yeah my son is the same, in 2020 he was short and chubby, now he's taller and skinny, he's now wearing adult small clothes for the length, which makes uniforms freaking hard to get as most stop at 14 or so.

 

[Lupus]

Sure I would. Had to wear the crap.

Yes but you didn't pay for it.

 

[noxibox]

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.

Yes, we could always tell. And the poorer the kids the shabbier and older their used clothes.

 

[noxibox]

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.

Why would I want to waste money on clothing they absolutely don’t need? School uniforms are a clear waste of money. Arguments in their favour are entirely spurious. The most hilarious part of all this nonsense is that the government is clinging to a British tradition. It doesn’t get more white and colonial than the old British public school.

Look up the price of nappies. Christ all mighty that is a scary figure.

They were cheap.

 

[noxibox]

School uniforms are formal clothes that promote neatness and tries to convince children to take pride in their appearance.

That is total nonsense. It is one of those typical entirely spurious arguments. If you can’t promote neatness and pride in appearance without uniforms you have much more serious problems that uniforms won’t actually fix.

Army uniforms are there to promote mindless conformity.

 

[Ecko_1]

Not sure how the uniforms and stationary is a leveler. At my son's school all uniforms must be purchased at the uniform shop and the stationary list is prescribed down to the item barcode. Even the lunch boxes and pencil cases are prescribed and Compulsory. That being said, it cost me like R6k for uniforms and stationary for 2023.

 

[Ecko_1]

When I was in high school uniforms were a differentiator. Guy were mocked for wearing guvvies and school shoes. Most of the guys preferred to wear Dickies/Collies and Grasshoppers/Dakotas. The result was 50 shades of grey pants and a mix of suede and leather shoes.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

I mean if you really want to send your teenage daughter to school with her tits and koek on display for the whole to see feel free. Somehow I don't think she will appreciate you sending her to school naked so daddy can save some money. To each his own, I guess.

I don't think he said that. Since when does "you don't need a uniform" = "you don't need clothes, go show your tits and koek"?

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

He is the guy who told me school clothes are completely unnecessary. What am I suppose to take away from that sentence?

Yes, he said clothing you don't need. Not clothing altogether. Are you ok upstairs?

 

[SyntaxError]

Yes but you didn't pay for it.

I had to. Out of my pocket money over a 24 month period + interest. Still busy paying too... Uniforms need to go go.

 

[Sheppard_za]

My wife works at a high school with a big gap between rich and poor (think parents who can't send all their kids to school every day because the taxi fare for all 3 is too expensive vs matrics coming in with Audi's and Golf GTI's to write matric exams) and according to her, the poorer kids struggled the most during covid times when they were allowed to come to school with casual clothes. The best solution would be standardising shirts and pants, and buying the blazers, ties and jerseys at the school at cost price, the same goes for sportswear. The kids should also be allowed to wear sportswear or school uniforms.

 

[Düber]

I think uniforms are expensive for what they are, but they are made (usually) out of good hard wearing fabric and do seem to last.

Having two girls I shudder to think what normal clothes would cost if they wore them constantly, especially to keep up appearances.
As it is they are forever buying new outfits.

 

[FiestaST]

Text books in '23 are off the chain.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1612899140102397973

 

[SauRoNZA]

Text books in '23 are off the chain.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1612899140102397973

Yeah the fact they are still physical books is likely why it's so expensive.

Go digital and get it over with.

 

[bwana]

Yeah the fact they are still physical books is likely why it's so expensive.

Go digital and get it over with.

Except digital versions often cost just as much and you don't actually own them, they're licensed, so you can't resell or even reuse for a sibling.

But back to uniforms...

 

[SauRoNZA]

Except digital versions often cost just as much and you don't actually own them, they're licensed, so you can't resell or even reuse for a sibling.

But back to uniforms...

For text books I’ve found they are usually far cheaper.

I’m sure there are outliers but should average out.

You can’t resell them, but depending on what system they are used with can sometimes share with siblings.

Sometimes they are even open format.

 

[Aghori]

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

wtf, I pay R5k per month for a good prvate school. Gov schools are insane for charging that now...

 

[rvZA]

wtf, I pay R5k per month for a good prvate school. Gov schools are insane for charging that now...

All schools are now jumping the bandwagon. Last year, for online schooling we paid R1,800 per child. This year they raised the price to R3,200 per child. In order to make some money, I see some government schools this year started renting out school books to children at R2k+ which needs to be paid with registration. Everyone is trying to get some of the money that is left in the country before it all runs out. It is an ugly money hunt and money grab situation we are facing.