Should Schools Across Australia Ditch Uniforms?

Imagine: Free dress day, every day. But we asked members if that’s really a good thing. Here’s one great response.

Australian schools should keep uniforms.

Before you shout at me, let me explain.

My parents had to work hard and save to ensure that my sister and I could have a decent education.

While we saved money by buying second hand textbooks (more like fifth hand, usually), I always had the school’s uniform to wear if I started at a new school, whether it be primary, secondary, or moving into a selective entry school in Year 9.

Having the uniform to wear was the best feeling ever, and I would continue to wear it until I graduated from that school. Wearing the school uniform gave me a sense of belonging. Sure, my textbooks were tattered and old, and when the teacher asked to turn to page 301, it would be on page 243 in my book as I was working from a different edition. However, my uniform made me look neat and I felt very smart in it.

Even though I was not as well off as some of the other students, I still belonged to their school. My uniform proved that. I could go to the shops with my family for groceries, and I would still wear my uniform, and this time, with pride. I was happy to represent my school in the community.

In fact, a school uniform did more than just give me a sense of belonging and pride. It formed part of who I am today. It formed my identity.

What if those schools did not have a school uniform? I would have most likely wound up wearing three-year-old K-Mart T-shirts (not that there is anything wrong with that). I would have had five colours or patterns, one for each day, and I would have had to mark them down in a diary so I would not re-wear the same colour on the same day the following week.

I would have been judged for not being able to afford branded clothes. I would have seen others wearing nice items from Cotton On, or, for those even fancier, maybe even Tommy Hilfiger. They could wear something different every day, and it would be weeks before I would see the same shirt again.

Not having a uniform would have shown the whole school I am from a different socioeconomic status. It would show the school that I am different. A sense of belonging? Probably not so much anymore. Sense of pride? What pride?

I’ve been to schools that I would consider ‘rough’ and I've also been to a selective entry school. No matter where I went, the unfortunate truth I found is that we are always being judged.

But if having the same uniform as everyone else is one less thing to be judged on, I am all for it. It made life and my time at school that little bit easier.

Congratulations to Grant for winning this week's writing challenge: Should Schools Across Australia Ditch Uniforms? Grant wins a $50 Westfield gift card for his submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Competitions section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge

Photo: iStock.com/DGLimages