A GLASGOW high school set some high standards for the rest of the country last when it recently became the first in Scotland in almost a decade to achieve an “excellent” rating.
Hyndland Secondary graded off the charts after an inspection by Education Scotland inspectors who visited the school in November last year.
Dr Rachel Shanks understands reasons both for and against uniforms.[/caption]
Cameron Wyllie sees lots of benefits in school uniform.[/caption]
But their recent success isn’t the only thing that helps pupils stand out from the crowd.
It’s also the only school in the city where students can wear what they like and a uniform isn’t compulsory.
The debate over whether kids should be expected to dress in their school’s colours has been a point of contention as some argue that the branded clothing is too expensive.
While others say a uniform promotes equality and helps everybody feel a part of the same team.
We spoke to Rachel Shanks, Interdisciplinary Director for Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity at the University of Aberdeen, and former head teacher Cameron Wyllie who offered their views on the issue.
Cameron Wyllie – FOR
YOUNG people are under enormous amounts of pressure from social media already.
Making them dress more or less in the same way reduces one area of pressure.
“Wearing what you want” is a myth — in schools without uniforms young people are often wearing what they believe other young people think they should be wearing.
Ironically this leads to a sort of common denominator or indeed uniformity — black jeans, black puffer jackets, very short black skirts, black tights, trainers.
Often young people coming out from school as a group look like a black hole.
I should say that when I say “school uniform” I would be happy if there was a lot of flexibility in the uniform code.
My only rule would be that the “uniform” needs to ensure the young person can be identified as being from a particular school.
I think the issue of cost is moot — young people have to wear something to school and that must cost; secondly, I would be very happy with school uniforms being a means-tested benefit, as with school lunches.
I’m not much taken with the argument about “expressing individuality” — there has to be a balance between young people growing as individuals and them being part of something.
I don’t believe for a nanosecond that young people in uniform are “less individual” than those not in uniform. Also schools have a function to fulfil and grouping, large or small, aids that function.
Schools want young people to be proud of their school and to feel part of it. Uniform helps that, particularly out of school — older pupils know that the young kid upset on the bus is from their school. It makes them part of something.
This also means they are identifiable by the general public.
Yes, it may make them less inclined to muck about in the street and on public transport, but it also means the public can comment favourably to the school on the behaviour of their pupils.
This was one of the great joys for me when I was a head.
Rachel Shanks – AGAINST
ONE argument against school uniforms is that it protects freedom of expression for young people.
This right is important and is covered in article 13 of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child which was incorporated into Scottish law in 2024. Freedom of expression in relation to school clothing is about letting young people express their personality and identity through their clothes and how they wear them.
Having no set school uniform could also mean that school staff spend less time looking at what is being worn at school. In a sense school staff are having to police what young people are wearing to check whether it complies with the school uniform policy.
It can be cheaper to have one “wardrobe” of clothes rather than two separate sets of clothes (one for home and one for school). Having one set of clothes and shoes that can be worn all the time could be more affordable.
Not having a school uniform means that children and young people can wear what they feel most comfortable in.
Examples of young people who might feel more comfortable wearing their own clothes to school include young people who are neurodivergent, those with skin conditions as synthetic school uniform can be itchy, and young people who might be more comfortable in their own clothes for religious reasons.
The UK is an outlier in Europe with most European countries not having school uniforms.
Throughout the rest of the world school uniform is more common.
However, school uniforms do partly help to mask the economic differences between pupils to help them feel a sense of belonging at school and to feel more comfortable, as they are wearing the same clothes as everyone else.
It is important that whatever youngsters wear, school clothing is affordable, comfortable and sustainable and school uniforms can be a way to achieve that if pupils and parents and carers are fully involved in deciding what is to be worn, what it is made of and where it can be purchased.
