Having had three children that have already left school and one that is currently coming toward the end of her time in primary education, school uniform has been a frequent topic of conversation. At a recent social gathering, the topic came up again, one of the local senior schools has a very strict uniform policy. Whilst I agree that having a uniform can be a positive thing, listening to the teenagers discussing the impact it has on them at school made me look at it differently.
I remember when I was at school we had to wear knee length skirts, white shirts with horrible stiff collars, and a house tie. As we made our way through the school, and became belligerent, rebellious teens, we found ways of flaunting the uniform rules. We would wear shorter skirts, and in one fashion phase long skirts to the ankles. You were cool if you had a “kipper” tie at one point, and not cool if you had a “slim jim” tie at another. We didn’t have blazers or regulation long grey socks, we could tweak it to show our individuality. I don’t remember anyone being sent home for wearing their tie the incorrect way, or having an extreme hair cut.
The issues that were surfacing weren’t necessarily due to the students individuality being threatened. I was told that you have to wear full uniform, including a blazer unless the temperature outside reaches above 32 degrees. This appalled me, I asked them if the school had air conditioning, the answer was no. I asked them if the staff in the school had to wear office wear, including jackets throughout hot days. I was told no, and that in fact they felt some of the teaching staff dressed inappropriately, wore too much make up, and in some cases had piercings that would get a student sent home.
To parents, having a uniform is convenient, it’s easy to kit a student out if you have uniform (although it can be expensive). It eliminates the need to provide lots of outfits that suit the current fashions, it means that all the children look the same and can reduce bullying.
However, if we expect our children to uphold a dress code, wouldn’t it only be fair to expect those in charge of teaching them to have one themselves? If an institution such as a school, has rules, surely these should apply to everyone involved? If respect is to be gained by the adults in charge, maybe they need to think carefully before they dress each morning?