Back to being drones

I know it isn't a very British attitude but one of the things that makes me sad at the end of the Xmas school holiday is that first morning when I see them all in their uniforms ready for school. We live in a dark and dismal grey country with constant rain. It is mid-winter and yet we insist on dressing little kids in dull blacks, whites and greys. It seems so perverse. When left to their own devices Charlotte usually wears tight jeans (often in  neon colours) and a baggy but bright jumper, Marcel prefers his polo shirt and jeans, Anna wants anything sparkly, Léon is going through his snowman jumper phase and Amaia is coming up with quirky combos such as jumpers with bright summer dresses on top. Over and above that they all have nice jackets - Léon's is a bright rust colour, Anna's stripy neon colours, Charlotte's is red and furry, Amaia's purple, only Marcel's is navy but instead all these cheery things have to be closeted away in favour of two navy school jackets and two black blazers that are not fit for the climate so are invariably worn with a hoody underneath and a cagoule on top. And don't even get me started on ties... no one in industry wears a tie any more so why are six year old girls forced into them? I want my kids to express their personality through their clothes - not lose their personality conforming to a dreary, meaningless dress code that belongs more in 1914. I know they supposedly look smarter, but kids aren't meant to be smart, they are meant to be comfortable, or wacky or messy or whatever suits them. Basically they are individuals and I hate the way the uniform robs them of their individuality. Guessing my pupils' personalities from their clothing was one of the things I loved most about teaching in France.

Ok, first (but not last) rant of 2014 over...