I’m not sure when school uniforms became a thing in Irish primary schools but they’re certainly a thing now. There are very few schools (outside the Educate Together and CoI system) that don’t do uniforms but are they fit for purpose anymore? Parents tend to argue that they reduce bullying or they make everyone equal but both of these arguments don’t stand up to scrutiny. To me uniforms create more problems, particularly when it comes to gender conformity and then there’s the whole problem of religious iconography on them. Ultimately, they are divisive tools rather than giving a sense of belonging. They are also dull dull dull!
Podcast Show Notes: Access Undone Ep 1
If you were to walk into any primary school and compared it to the classroom you might have sat in only a generation ago, apart