Should we ban school uniforms?

There is a strong argument in favour of retaining school uniforms, namely that in the absence of standardised clothing, class distinctions will be amplified and peer pressure on poorer students increase.

One danger of removing uniforms is that richer students will start flaunting their branded clothing while children of parents of limited means will start pressuring their parents to compete in a fashion battle where they  always end up the losers.

As an egalitarian I have always subscribed to this line of thinking despite feeling uneasy on the regimentation entailed in forcing children to wear the same uniform. The liberal in me revolts against the socialist in me, I guess.

My uneasiness on uniforms grows as I watch my own son growing up as an individual with a strong  inquisitive and creative  character.  It is true that the availibility of a uniform relieves parents from the headache of choosing a clothing item every day but at the same time the sight of legions of students wearing the same clothes as they wait for the school bus depresses me.  Neither did I like my brown uniform and spotted tie when I was a kid. 

There is something unsavoury about school uniforms; a sort of enforced conformity and a stifling of individual creativity and self-expression, two things which are very lacking in Malta. Uniforms make students look the same and kill the joy of choosing what to wear each day - a simple act of self expression which children tend to enjoy from a very tender age.

Uniforms also emphasise the idea of schools being institutions rather than an integral part of community life where people dress in the way they like most of the time except in circumstances where one’s job requires being recognised in a particular role. Removing uniforms will give schools that informal aura which makes learning fun. 

Apart from that, some uniforms currently in use are anachronistic. For example why should girls wear skirts rather than more comfortable trousers or jeans? And why should children wear blazers or ties?

Official reports suggest that monopolistic practices have resulted in uniforms becoming more and more expensive. Apparently there is also a cost to standardisation which in itself is conductive to monopolies. For how can one have competition when only one product is available?

So why not think out of the box? Is there a way of reconciling genuine concern on social inequality with a celebration of diversity and freedom?  Instead of uniforms schools can have a dress policy which promotes simple, comfortable and affordable clothes ex. a t-shirt/top and jeans/trousers. 

A dress policy will give parents and children a greater choice from a wider range of products offered in the wider market.  A voucher system on clothing items could also be considered for the benifit of low income parents.  Children should be free to  opt for the kind of clothing in which they feel most comfortable. The starting point of the discussion should be that children should feel comfortable in their own clothes.

Surely a decision to remove uniforms is not a simple one to take but one worth exploring through pilot projects in particular schools or experimented in dress down days.  This will give experts and parents the opportunity to analyse the pros and cons of having a uniform or not.  But here we are not inventing the wheel.  In countries like Spain, Italy and Germany children wear normal clothes at school and  uniforms are scorned as reminder of a fascist and authoritarian past.