DO YOU think all school pupils should wear a uniform?

Some uniforms can be expensive and impractical – especially for parents with less money to spend on branded ties, blazers – and in some cases, even socks.

However, a strong argument for a uniform is that everybody is wearing the same clothes, stopping some children being targeted by bullies in the playground.

Let us know what you think in the comments

We asked our readers on Facebook what they thought, here’s what they said:

Deborah Wallington: “Yes, it helps stop the clear differentiation between richer and poorer. The last school I taught at realised that on non-school uniform days the attendance of the poorer children dropped. When asked about this there was an overwhelming response that the poorer children felt that they would be judged on their clothes.”

Helen Lloyd: “I was educated in the UK and Canada where there is no school uniform and the uniform is definitely a positive. Everyone is the same, less snobbery. Keep it reasonably prices, skirts optional and a sensible length. Poor kids get bullied with no uniform policy. It also gives a better standard of dress.”

Gordon Craig: “I’m in favour of a simple and cheap school uniform. Otherwise brand snobbery and poverty become an issue. There is sufficient bullying at school already.”

Stephen Cave: “Yes absolutely, school uniforms are essential.”

Richard King: “No. It’s only used as a disciplinary measure to keep students in line. If students turn up in raggedy, old uniform it’s more acceptable than being well turned out in a non-uniform. Ridiculous.”

Jay Stratford: “With a uniform, no child can be bullied if they don’t have the latest fashion or they come from different backgrounds to their peers. I think it should be mandatory, kids have enough problems with bulling without giving them yet another excuse to pick on each other.”

Collette Daley: “Not a uniform as such but joggers and a plain T-Shirt.”

Marie Hadaway: “Yes. But all school policies on uniforms should be flexible.”

Kath Lamont: “Yes it gives them the ability to address their ideas of respectability.”

Gillian Houali: “I think they should, but affordable, my girls school has a uniform which you buy in supermarkets and then you buy the school badge for jumpers and cardigans from the school. Win win.”

Debbie Giles: “Yes, definitely keeps everyone on an even keel, no one is better than the other.”

Julia Sheppard: “Yes there is a risk of bullying here in today’s society of so much peer pressure.”

Laura Simpson: “Yes but if they’re gonna have a zero tolerance policy on their uniform they’d better make sure they also got a zero tolerance on bullying as well.”

Sally-Ann Neal: “Yes I do, but they need to be more affordable. Some of the items are expensive. If you have two or three children it can be really expensive to kit them out.”

Dawn Hanson: “Yes, but only if they are reasonably priced. Too many schools insist on stupid colours that you can only buy from their suppliers and they cost a fortune. What’s wrong with sticking to easily obtained colours from the supermarket, high street shops and adding their colours with the ties?”

Tracey Brain: “Yes 100per cent so the kids can be identified easily if they go missing.”

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