In an informal poll on a radio station I listen to regularly, parents voted almost unanimously that all students should wear school uniforms and that this was an issue that did not require significant debate. The callers were convinced of the many benefits.
One of the primary reasons parents support the idea of having a uniform speaks to the different aspects of safety. It allows teachers and school staff to very quickly identify who is a student and who is not, from a distance. This means that the school can proactively manage potential threats associated with unwanted visitors, intruders, threats of violence and theft, something that is a sad reality in many of our schools, both nationally and internationally.
Uniforms are also very useful when taking children on field trips. There is nothing more terrifying for a teacher than a student wandering off while on a school outing. A uniform makes them easier to see and this means there is a good chance they won’t get too far away.
Beyond physical safety, the importance of emotional safety is critical to a learner’s success at school. School uniforms take out one of the many dimensions of bullying that are so prevalent in most of our schools. Not being able to follow the latest fashion trends or have the right brand of sneakers, or more importantly not having a range of different everyday clothes allows bullies to single out these learners more easily.
If everyone is wearing the same clothes it creates a sense of cohesion because it communicates a clear message of equality. This is particularly important in a school where there is significant diversity among the students. Regardless of their identity, how they identify or socioeconomic class, a uniform creates the idea that everyone can start from the same point in the classroom and therefore succeed.
In many affluent independent schools currently embarking on a transformation agenda, there are a number of learners on scholarships, so this is critical. Coping with the expectations of family, the school and the “need to prove” to yourself and to the school that you can maintain the scholarship are difficult enough without the added stress of standing out because of what you are wearing. Socioeconomic differences are less noticeable.
The idea of cohesion and being part of something bigger allows the school to create a sense of community and belonging. This does, of course, assume that the uniform and associated rules are culturally sensitive, conscious of religious practices, gender identity and so by inference are inclusive.
Regardless of age, learners’ uniforms promote a strong sense of group identity and allow them to feel part of something bigger than just themselves. You just have to think back to the excitement of your Grade 1 child when you were buying their first school uniform and they often wanted to wear it days before school started. The value of learning to work together rather than focusing on their individual differences and objectives promotes collaboration and social cohesion — key skills in building our country.
Nothing stresses a parent out more than trying to tame the chaos of the morning routine. A stressful, chaotic start to the day impacts on your relationship with your child, the time it takes for them to navigate their emotions and then to be able to settle into the start of their school day. Having a uniform not only helps to streamline the morning’s activities, but also creates structure and routine.
Helping your child to put out the basics the night before and pack their school bag creates routine and structure that contribute to a sense of certainty for them. This is reassuring and sets the tone for the next day.
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For all these reasons and many more it is imperative that the high cost of school uniforms is addressed. Parents seldom consider the cost of buying school uniforms when choosing a school and are often unaware of the extent of these costs. So how do we do this?
The Competition Commission has published a national guideline on school uniforms and they report that they have seen an improvement in awareness and increasing levels of compliance in the past few years. Despite this, the cost of uniforms is still incredibly high and given the already stressful cost of living, school uniforms should not contribute to the list of expensive necessities.
Schools need to make their school uniforms affordable and where possible keep branded items to a minimum. This gives parents choice regarding which retailer they use to get the basics like socks, shirts, skirts, shorts, and trousers.
Schools should take into account the cost of all the items of uniform — including sports kit that parents need to purchase throughout the year — and publish them on their website alongside the fees. In addition, the school uniform policy should also be available to prospective parents of that school.
Single-supplier contracts should be avoided unless regular tendering processes are followed and more than one supplier can compete for the tender. In negotiating these tenders, quality, durability, local availability of fabric for uniforms as well as cost and value for money should be part of the negotiation.
Having a second-hand school uniform shop is imperative. In addition to being an extra income source, it can provide an exchange policy of equivalent-quality clothes where the parent brings in an item and exchanges it for a larger size at minimal or no cost. This information should also be published and available to current and prospective parents.
Finally, schools across the board should engage with parents and learners when developing or reviewing their uniform policy. Certain aspects of our uniform need to be decolonised given our hot summers and practical reasoning. That however is a discussion for another time. DM
Heather Blanckensee is Head of College at Sacred Heart College Johannesburg.
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One thing we could improve cost with is a generic base (eg grey pants white shirt) and then differentiate schools with chest badges. I am horrified by what schools prescribe for bespoke uniforms. Our textile industry could halve uniform costs if we went generic.
The argument that uniforms are the great leveller is a tired one. Anyone at school (I’m a school teacher) can tell who the the kids are who can’t afford the fashionable stockings, the tailored shirts.
And those who can’t afford them at all. I, and my colleagues have done our fair share donating uniforms and repairing the split pants of rapidly growing teenagers.
And as a leveller, why are there different rules for teachers, who aren’t expected to wear a uniform?
And the type of school uniform? Most uniforms identify with the corporate world, store and tie. Some might see this as a plus, but this mode of dress does not reflect the future lives of most learners who will not enter that world. And it does not reflect the more practical skills learners should be practicing at school, not just desk learning. Woodwork in a suit? Art class in a suit? Never mind being completely impractical for getting to school in: cycling, walking long distances in heat and cold.
And uniforms are invariably gender specific: girls bring forced to wear skirts in summer, boys, shorts.
If uniforms continue to be the norm, which I disagree with, they should at least be flexible, practical and customisable to some extent.
The purpose of school should be to develop independance, identity and individuality. It’s not surprising that most kids leave school without a clue as to what they want to do with themselves. Uniforms are part of the formula causing that problem.
As always, Heather provides insightful and considered inputs into the educational discourse. Well written, Heather
The article sounds like a one sided sales pitch, the benefits exaggerated. Kids can be bullied over their ratty school uniform just the same. Being easily identifiable might be a good thing sometimes, but could also make kids targets. The cost can also be an unfair burden on many parents. Kids expressing individuality might not be such a bad thing. Teachers might better spend their time teaching than being uniform police. I admit a bias here.. had to wear a uniform and hated it!
I’m a supporter of uniforms, but not the costs associated with them, especially for poor families. I would actually support a subsidy on uniforms, if I thought that it could be done without corruption from the get go.
What absolute rubbish. All the tired old tropes trotted out here.
Crime is rooted in social, economic and experiential circumstances. Many kids are set up for failure from day one by the very ‘uniformity’ (of exam-centric rote learning) that the author espouses. That failure can manifest itself as crime. In any case, a learner can come home, change out of their uniform and go shoplifting. What about the high achieving, uniform-wearing learners who graduate on to white collar crime and corruption?
The same can be said of the bullies who trade their uniforms for suits (uniforms?) and carry on their behaviour in the workplace. And what bearing does a school uniform have on the growing phenomenon of online bullying? None whatsoever.
I had to chuckle at the author’s recommendation that learners should wear as few branded items of clothing as possible. Are not the badges, colour-coding, and cut of school uniforms the epitome of branding? And bad branding at that. Not only do they look ridiculous (and reinforce outdated gender stereotypes) but they smack very dangerously of a bygone colonial era.
It is our system of education itself that is, ironically, the problem. How about more lessons in emotional intelligence instead of Shakespeare, social responsibility instead of quadratic equations, care and respect rather than competition, critical thinking instead of unquestioning acceptance. Just Google Finnish education to see what I mean – and not a uniform in sight.
What absolute rubbish. All the tired old tropes trotted out here.
Crime is rooted in social, economic and experiential circumstances. Many kids are set up for failure from day one by the very ‘uniformity’ (of exam-centric rote learning) that the author espouses. That failure can manifest itself as crime. In any case, a learner can come home, change out of their uniform and go shoplifting. What about the high achieving, uniform-wearing learners who graduate on to white collar crime and corruption?
The same can be said of the bullies who trade their uniforms for suits (uniforms?) and carry on their behaviour in the workplace. And what bearing does a school uniform have on the growing phenomenon of online bullying? None whatsoever.
I had to chuckle at the author’s recommendation that learners should wear as few branded items of clothing as possible. Are not the badges, colour-coding, and cut of school uniforms the epitome of branding? And bad branding at that. Not only do they look ridiculous (and reinforce outdated gender stereotypes) but they smack very dangerously of a bygone colonial era.
It is our system of education itself that is, ironically, the problem. How about more lessons in emotional intelligence instead of Shakespeare, social responsibility instead of quadratic equations, care and respect rather than competition, critical thinking instead of unquestioning acceptance. Just Google Finnish education to see what I mean – and not a uniform in sight.
The points are noted – even if taken with a bag of salt. As a parent, I have tried to read on this matter, and have come across simpler “uniforms” that do not seem to reflect teachers’ and institutions pre-occupation with regimentation and control. Also, given South Africa’s Calvinistic CNE background, it is hard to simply accept the arguments above without reflecting on the manner in which uniforms are enforced, and to question if it is not more to do with creating uniformity and in fact subservience. If pupils (and indeed parents) simply accept and obey, then NOTHING is questioned/challenged. I so often dropped my kids at school in the rain – they were petrified to take the along rain jackets we had bought (I was told there was not place to hang these 🙄). Instead, kids held blazers over their heads and rain for shelter. I dropped my kids one winter morning – at 3-4 Celsius, and drove to work in a coat. It struck me that this seemed contrary to what the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child might direct. Perhaps a well done survey of esp youth might throw up better solutions, rather than what have already been referred to to as worn out tropes. If teachers cannot deal with change and being challenged, how can they be expected to produce young adults that can cope with the rapid and constant flux that will be their real world??
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Uniforms are ugly, expensive and level everyone to nondescript. Parents pay a fortune for these horrors. Children need to learn about their own style choices and what works when. They can be creative and gain confidence using real clothes. Modern clothes are more suited to active youngsters than suit and tie. We don’t need today’s children to look like Edwardian throwbacks or orphans from the poorhouse. They need to live in the real world. School uniform gets stolen too. The rich kids have a set for each weekday the rest wear the same set all week. So you can still spot who’s who.