The school holidays have come to an end: parents, it’s finally time to relax. Or is it? I can’t be the only parent scrambling to put together school uniform for the new school year.
In fact, do we really need school uniform in 2024?
After all, it’s really only ourselves and the countries of the old Empire that still insist on school uniform, which the rest of the world thinks is a relic of the past.
Certainly the likes of the Americans and Scandinavians find our insistence on smart shoes, ties, and badged jumpers or blazers rather eccentric.
We put the question to the good readers of The P&J, and within a few hours of posing the question, more than a hundred of you had got in touch with your views.
A majority of you remain in favour of school uniform, chiefly as an antidote to peer pressure and bullying. However, even among those in favour of uniform, some feel it should be cheaper for parents.
Meanwhile, a sizeable minority think school uniform should be consigned to the history books.
‘School uniform prevents so much pressure on parents’
Reader Alison McIntosh said: “You should feel proud of your school, proud to get up every day and wear your school tie. It also takes away bullying for not wearing branded clothes, which can also be pricey for parents.”
Suzi Michie agreed. “Uniforms put less pressure on parents to make sure they have the latest gear, and reduces that side of the bullying aspect.
“Also, from a safety point of view, if the schools are out and about at events you can clearly see from the uniform which child should be with which school.”
Joanne Singer said: “Uniforms prevent so much pressure on parents to make sure their kids have the latest gear to stop them being bullied.”
And Nancy Duncan feels school uniform is a no-brainer.
“It’s a leveller. I read a study done in London in the 1990s when school uniforms in most state secondary schools had all but gone.
“There was a lot of bullying of kids who didn’t have the latest label, and there was very little pride or respect in their school.
“After reintroducing school uniform in the secondary schools, in one trial borough they saw a change in behaviour within a year, and the children were proud to say they went to their school.”
‘Can you imagine kids in school competing over who has the best designer outfit?’
Lauren Allanach said school uniform “stops children competing over branded clothes.”
And Kelly Smith added: “I don’t think kids should be wearing fancy watches to school either – ‘if you don’t have an Apple Watch you can’t play with us.’”
Margaret Gill said: “We should definitely keep school uniforms. Can you imagine kids in school competing over who has the best designer outfit, arriving in school in torn jeans or shorts?
“Uniforms are smart and give them pride in their school. They also save parents a fortune on designer clothes and fighting with their kids every morning about what they want to wear.”
Lisa Dyson thinks school uniform helps kids prepare for life after school.
“Almost every workplace has some sort of uniform or dress code,” she said. “If you instill this in schools then it’s not such an alien concept when they get to the world of work.”
Other readers, though in favour of school uniform, think they should be made cheaper for parents.
Nicola Ferries said that “some blazers cost a fortune,” and Jay Carroll said: “I’m for school uniform so everyone is the same, but it should be kept basic. A coloured jumper but not blazers and ties as they are so expensive.”
Teresa Grant added: “A school jumper keeps everyone the same, so there’s no social divide across different financial situations. Divides like that cause bullying, always have and most likely always will.
“But I do have to say, the prices of some of these embroidered items really is quite high for some families.”
‘School uniform should be scrapped’
Meanwhile, a number of readers are dead against school uniform, and think it should be scrapped sooner rather than later.
Trevor Gibb said: “Uniforms are outdated. As long as your child is in school learning what does it matter?”
Dougie Clayton said: “It should 100% be up to the child whether they wear one or not. If it was my choice, I’d rather they just got rid of uniforms.”
And Fiona Craig said: “You either have a jobsworth head teacher who feels it appropriate to dish out detention or exclude children when they are wearing the wrong shoes, or they are so relaxed that it isn’t worth having a uniform policy.”
Tanya Di made her feelings perfectly clear. “Flip the question on its head and imagine all teachers were required to wear uniform to work, like in McDonald’s,” she said.
“It will immediately be more difficult to see them as a person, rather than a function or role.
“Could the same be happening with children, making it easier for teachers to yell at the whole class and more difficult to ‘see’ each kid?
“The brightest kids will go on to university, where there’s no uniform. I don’t see any peer pressure around clothing brands being an issue on campus, and this weird power dynamic of kids against teachers is also absent.
“School uniform should be scrapped. Standards can remain, for example smart casual, length of skirt and so on.
“Let kids learn to navigate how they will actually be expected to dress when they grow up.”
‘It was just another thing for teachers to pick on you for’
Eve Masson thinks school uniform “should at least be more relaxed for teenagers in 2024.”
She added: “It restricts freedom of expression at a time when it’s most important to them.
“Diversity and inclusivity is being recognised and accepted in so many other ways now, it seems absurd to me that kids should be told they have to wear black shoes, for example.”
And Stewart Boavista based his anti-uniform stance on personal experience.
“I hated school uniform. It did absolutely nothing for so-called discipline. It was just uncomfortable, for no reason.
“As an adult I avoid any formal event after having that nonsense forced on me at school.
“It was just another thing for teachers to pick on you for.”
Conversation