School Uniforms

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Hi,
I am beginning to think about schools for my daughter and lately uniforms have been on my mind. I grew up going to public school in Canada - no uniforms, not even a strict dress code - and so I have no clue about this. I gather it is very common for schools in HK to require school uniforms. I was hoping to get some input from anyone who wore uniforms to school as a child or who's children wear uniforms to school.
I am wondering if the uniforms are:
Comfortable?
Made of a "breathable" or natural fabric?
"Play" friendly?

Do the children mind losing their individuality?
Do the children wonder why girls are always in dresses/skirts while boys are in shorts/pants?
Do schools let children "accessorize"? (belts, jewellery, coloured socks - within reason)
Can parents tailor the uniforms for a better fit where necessary?
Can girls wear shorts or leggings under the dresses? Or wear the boys style shorts/pants?

I realize that different schools will have different rules, but I would like to get any input to hopefully understand the requirements. Also, are there any schools that don't require uniforms?
Thanks!!
 
I went to school in Australia (private school) - but ALL schools (even public) have uniforms there. Although not for "preschool" (kindergarten in HK).

Our uniforms were comfortable and I actually liked not having to pick clothes to wear ;) I think that one of the pros for uniforms is that everyone wears the same - there's less peer pressure to have certain brands and all that.

I never felt like we lost our individuality, it's just clothes - and our individuality is so much more than that. Different people wore different styles of shoes, different hair dos and accessories, different jewelry... everyone needed white socks but different people had different kinds/lengths (although we weren't meant to). Uniforms were tailored differently - and different people liked them differently... some girls had them as tight and short as they were allowed, others had really baggy. They were quite comfy and all though.

At my school, we were allowed shorts or leggings under the dresses, I think when I was leaving that they were bringing in that the girls could wear trousers, but I think they had to be the same fabric as the skirt.

I know you're asking about schools in Hong Kong and I can't help you with that - but as an adult now, having been through school with a school uniform, I would prefer my kids to go to a school which has a uniform. I think it makes them look smart, they can represent the school better when out on excursions (and are probably easier to spot too!!), and I think it probably decreases the amount of peer pressure associated with clothing/brands etc too.

Hope that helps a bit!!

Nicole
 
>> Do the children mind losing their individuality?

No, seriously this whole uniform thing has nothing to do with individuality. The kids don't start behaving like sheep from 1984 just because they're wearing uniforms.

Talk to any two kids from the International system and you'll figure out that they consider themselves individuals and more importantly the key things that they identify themselves with are all pretty unique.

>> Do the children wonder why girls are always in dresses/skirts while boys are in shorts/pants?

Cuz girls are girls and boys are boys. I've yet to have my kid ask me why I wear pants and his mum wears skirts, let alone wonder why they do this in school.

>> Do schools let children "accessorize"? (belts, jewellery, coloured socks - within reason)

Ideally, they should have a limit to what you can do with your uniform.

One of the benefits about having a uniform is that everyone wears the same outfit .. there are no cool people, no fashion trends and no competitions on whose parents can afford better clothes.
 
I went to several schools in Australia - public and catholic. public school had a dress code -- either school uniform (which was designed by parents and then 'voted' upon) or school colours (blue, red or white -- no logos, cartoons or the like. Just the colours).

I also thought it was good not to have to pick what to wear and thus compete with the latest fashions or buy the 'in' thing (which I undoubtedly could not afford).

My DD's wear uniforms for playgroup and for school and I think they are very happily comfortable in them.

You wear a leotard for gymnastics or a tutu for ballet and tap shoes for tap dancing so why should school be any different...
 
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