School Uniform – The Endless Debate

September will soon be upon us, bringing us the challenge, as parents, of (re)establishing the school routine. Yet, in this country, going back to school not only signifies a change in the daily activities of our children, it also dictates their appearances by way of a uniform.  Although, as we constantly assure our children, there are many advantages to the wearing of school uniform, I personally grapple with the idea and wonder whether this prescriptive approach to their personal appearances is truly beneficial.

School uniform helps members of the public to distinguish which school a child attends, thus helping to maintain a safe community (should the child be making trouble).  However, contrary to helping to solve problems, uniform can fuel  prejudice towards a child for it clearly marks their status within society – for example, one can instantly tell the likely financial position of the child’s family, for their uniform marks them as attending either a state or a private school.

When King Henry VIII was on the throne and school uniforms were first established on a large scale, they were affordable to many as they were blue in colour – the cheapest dye at the time.  However, nowadays, certainly in the private sector, a school blazer can cost ten times as much as a decent suit jacket in Marks and Spencer’s.  Surely this is not the most cost-efficient way of clothing our children and we would actually save money if school uniform was scrapped.

Individual expression is another issue.  Although a child’s school equipment, such as their lunchbox and stationery, is unique to them, it is almost impossible for them to make any individual, visual impact on those around them.  Most schools not only enforce a strict uniform but also publish guidelines for hairstyles, shoes make-up and jewellery. Naturally, this clone-like approach can cause children to feel that they are simply ‘one of a crowd’, thus demotivating them both socially and academically.

It’s time for us to step back from the chaos of getting our children back to school and question this long-accepted tradition that we, as parents, have always taken for granted.   

By Ash Nolan