School uniform is under

discussion elsewhere at present. Apparently someone objected to buying the right sort of socks for their child to wear. 

The article does not say what sort of socks are required or what sort of socks the child was wearing but I suspect the child was wearing something that stood out. That is not the point of a uniform.

I have no problems with the idea of a school uniform. I have never yet heard a parent or guardian complain that they are not a good idea. Most people I have discussed the idea with over the years have greeted the idea of a uniform with relief. It saves discussion, arguments and much more. There is much less in the way of competition. Going to and from school it tells you where the more senior little darlings attend school. If they start to misbehave then it is much easier to find them. Ask anyone who works in the local shopping centre or on the rail service and they  will tell you that students in uniform are more likely to behave. They know that serious misbehaviour will lead to a report to the school.

I remember an occasion some years ago when a couple of likely lads from the local high school were foolish enough to do something silly and dangerous at the local railway station. Unbeknown to them they were seen. The damage they caused was recorded. Their uniforms told the police where to look. Come Monday morning the police were at the school and the two boys found themselves in serious trouble. They were no longer heroes to their mates. Yes, uniform has uses.

There was a uniform in every school I attended. As "the head's kids" we had to wear it and wear it well. I went through the usual range of box pleated tunics and at least five different colours of blazer. There were cotton dresses and then cotton/polyester dresses in summer. The smallest school I attended had a uniform. It did not get worn all the time because of remoteness and the impossibility of obtaining one but everyone wore the same style of "school jumper" (sweater/pullover) on an excursion. We wanted people to see where we came from.

Much later I was involved with a school for children with physical disabilities. It always interested me that it was the students of that school who asked if they could have a uniform. They were, rightly, very proud of their school. They wanted a uniform to show the world where they attended school. There was no sense of shame or isolation about attending a "special" school. They wanted people to know how good their school was and they saw a uniform as a way of saying it.

Uniform does not have to be complicated or expensive. In many places it just consists of clothing the chosen colour and a t-shirt or sweatshirt with a logo. When a parent argues with that then I suspect they argue with other things as well. Are they doing their child any favours?