A few months ago I wrote a couple of blog posts about concerns I have over school uniform. I’ve added another gripe to my list: the school tie.
I put it to you the school tie is the most pointless piece of school attire in the history of humanity. Not just pointless, but in a worst case scenario, dangerous.
I am, in truth, a fan of school uniform. That said, the office-like attire our children are forced to wear limits their ability to explore the world and play. It also sends completely the wrong messages to girls who can’t do a cartwheel or climb a tree without revealing their underwear to the world.
The tie is, without a doubt the craziest example of us adults forcing round children into square holes. Why oh why do we make our kids go along with this charade?
My eldest daughter, having reached junior school age, had to start wearing a tie back in September. Like most of her peers, she wears a clip on tie.
I confess, I am a tie snob. On the rare occasions I wear a bow tie, I always wear a proper one. I therefore struggle with seeing her wearing a clip on tie that, I should add, she still struggles to attach to her shirt.
At some point she will progress to wearing a proper tie. This may deal with my snobbery, but it won’t deal with the safety element.
Okay, okay, I accept the world is not populated by seek and destroy school ties that are programmed to find young children simply to exterminate them. I do, however, want my kids to be free to climb trees and climbing frames and play at the local park without the risk of falling and strangling themselves.
We raise children not to put things round their necks. We then send them off to school wearing ties and tell them to “go out and play.” It’s a daft, inconsistent message.
There we have it. That was my rant against the school tie. Where do you stand on this thorny issue? Are you for or against this ridiculous piece of attire?
4 thoughts on “Politics of school uniform Pt.III: The school tie”
I agree. A tie is extremely dangerous. Considering children are prohibited from wearing earrings I would have though a tie would ring alarm bells.
I remember being in school and sent home with a note because I bought black PE shorts instead of a black PE skirt.
I’m not joking. I did say PE SKIRTS!! WTF??
Being sent home for wearing shorts instead of a skirt? How bizarre. At my daughter’s school boys and girls wear shorts so it wouldn’t be an issue but that sounds incredibly petty. Interesting point you make about earrings. I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for commenting and do come back again.
Thankfully the girls school don’t have ties as part of the uniform and although the rest of the uniform is certain colours and styles the school is not too strict and give a lot of choice for the kids to wear.
The older children have of course left school but a few years ago they changed the uniform and brought in blazers for girls and boys and ties in their secondary school caused quite a stir with parents. Great rant/post mate
Thanks Nigel. I’m all for uniform, but the uniform kids are expected to wear is very odd. Yes they’re in an educational environment, but that doesn’t mean kids shouldn’t be kids. School uniform as it stands does not promote this idea.