Life | School uniforms, should all children have them in Sweden? |
 With Sweden’s upcoming elections there are debates and discussions across different categories and aspects of life from tax reforms to immigration. These discussions have been going on for years now but one of the topics that hold a lot of personal importance is that of children wearing uniforms in school.However inconsequential this might sound, it is a topic that demands attention. There are many people who feel that Swedish schools should not have uniforms just like American schools but where does that lead us? Headlines seen on The Local “Swedish students worse at maths and science: study” and “Basic maths befuddle Swedish third graders” could be seen as one effect. Uniforms in schools are not only to distinguish students from one school to another but for a larger cause, which is to instill discipline and unity amongst students. A school badge also shows a history and a tradition and a sense of achievement that most modern schools seem devoid of. Surely students in baggy track-suits, short skirts and shabby t-shirts etc present an image of chaos, while neat jackets, shirts and trousers exudes confidence, determination, discipline and a sense of purpose? It’s no wonder we talk more about the lack of respect particularly among school children today. And let’s not even talk about mobile phones in classes! Let’s move away from the social aspect of wearing uniforms and move into the economic aspect. Uniforms will save the children/families the stress of having to keep up with the latest fashion and expensive brands or rummaging in the Sale bins for ‘it’s just for school’ items. Instead, the focus will be on what they learn in school rather than what they wear. Secondly, school uniforms would save parents the excess expenditure. Could the schools own range of affordable ‘easy care clothes’ be the answer? School children walking around looking like Christmas trees!What people need to understand is that freedom doesn’t lie in the colourful façade that one can create through bright shades of green, red, and yellow, in-fact a friend of mine once described school children ‘walking around looking like Christmas trees!’Basically, what I am trying to say is that it is good to have some colour and creativity in life but uniforms would not be a restriction of this, as some people may perceive. Freedom is a state of mind!  Let’s ask a simple question;
Why do personnel from many corporate companies choose to wear formal wear even uniforms as opposed to casual wear? The answer is simple: to create impact, to be taken seriously, and above all formal clothing does help one to focus clearly on work rather than office gossip. The same thing goes for school uniforms. School uniforms are the formal work wear for children. There must surely be a defined line between school and leisure, a time to learn and a time to play. Without uniforms the lines are blurred and the street attitude easily becomes the academic attitude. You must also ask yourself why Private Swedish Schools have uniforms. The most important thing however is that a school uniform bridges the visual gap between family incomes - one of the first causes of bullying, inferiority complexes and personal segregation can be pointed directly at the style of ones clothes. School uniforms could be the first step towards achieving a closer and proud bond with the school, making school life a better place. /Andy Collins |
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