With the end of half-term nearing for schools in England, students have had to readjust to the comfort (or discomfort) of their school uniform.
In the past, school uniform was a mark of status and wealth for those who could afford the luxury of education, but now in modern-day England, is school uniform necessary?
Yes-it’s a safety measure and sets a clear dress code:
Implementing school uniform is perhaps one of the biggest safety measures a school can take when looking after their students.
On school trips, young children often wander off toward something more eye-catching, drifting further away from the safety of their class.
By wearing a vibrant jumper or hat with a school logo, younger children can be spotted more easily in a sea of people.
School uniform also reduces pressure around fashion choices.
“You don’t need to worry about looking cool and picking your own clothes every day.”, says student Elise Black.
With schools being a place for focused learning and challenging subjects, students do not need the extra pressure of abiding a dress code.
School uniform gives a student one less thing to worry about knowing they won’t be turned away at the school gates for wearing an unsuitable outfit for school.
No-it’s uncomfortable and can be expensive:
Despite how well-polished a student’s school shoes are or how crisply ironed their shirt is, school uniform can be uncomfortable.
“Uniforms can be uncomfortable and leads to constant adjustments and fidgeting.”, says student Tanika Thanabalasingham.
Especially during colder months, students are forced to wear thicker clothing such as wool jumpers or nylon tights.
Itchy materials can bring students great discomfort and take their focus away from their work.
Moreover, school uniform can be expensive to purchase.
It’s inevitable that a student will lose their jumper or end up with a large food stain on their school uniform, resulting in another trip back to the uniform store.
This puts pressure on a parent or guardian to constantly replace their child’s uniform while spending a large amount of money.
Although schools want their students to be presentable, the prices of school uniform can stop families helping their children to do so.
There are concerns on how well school uniform enhances the learning of students.
However, people also favour uniform as it sets the focused mood and environment for learning.
What is your view on the ongoing debate with school uniform?
Is school uniform necessary?
