Getting Used to a Uniform

In an age where discipline and personal standards are at a premium, wearing school shoes and taking time to dress properly is fundamental to a child’s personal development. It makes them look better and gives the child a sense of self respect. It also identifies that child with a certain school.

A time will come in their adult life where they need to wear set things to work. This doesn’t simply apply to office-based staff; it is the case for many jobs. For example, you have to wear a uniform when you work at Sainsbury’s or as a security guard. Many jobs also have a basic requirement in the sense that they require a person to wear a specific pair of safety boots. Wearing set shoes at school gives the child some understanding of what adult life has in store for them.

The main problem associated with wearing specific school shoes is the associated cost of buying them. Prices are rising exponentially and it is undoubtedly becoming harder for families to pay their way. The thing is, many of the people who are so vociferous in their complaints drink and smoke heavily. Simply cutting out their 20-a-day smoking habit would pay for a quality pair of shoes in as little as a week!

A further argument for wearing a specific pair of shoes each day to school is that it means that those who can’t afford to buy flashy shoes only have to wear a set, standard pair. This is completely contrary to the argument about uniforms costing too much for parents to afford. Children have to wear something to school and it is arguably going to be a lot cheaper for them to wear a set shoe each day than to wear a new expensive pair or have to pay for a wardrobe full of shoes every time they show up. If the child cannot compete with some of the wealthier families it can result in teasing and other associated problems. This prevents this scenario from ever arising.

What happens if a family chose to buy the cheapest shoes available instead of a tried-and-tested version chosen by the school? It could create a situation where the inferior shoes fall to pieces before term ended. This could mean that the child has to walk about with a hole in the sole or the stitching coming undone. It could mean that they have been bought plastic shoes that don’t allow feet to breathe properly. Contrarily, a specific school shoe may not be right for a certain child. For example, they may not be comfortable because their feet are too wide or they don’t go up to a big enough size. I am sure that most schools employ a sensible policy with regard to this and will be flexible provided there is a satisfactory medical reason.

This isn’t a simple argument in the sense that people should decide whether they wish to wear trainers or shoes as shoes have a set standard associated with them regardless. I can’t recall many children being desperate to wear any particular school shoe. This would give the parents more control over their family budget.

There are so many different types and colours of shoes available. If all the children turned up wearing different colour shoes, by definition, they would no longer be ‘uniform’. This is proven by the fact that if you asked a group of people to an evening out it is unlikely that any two people would dress the same. If a new policy were introduced it would be a necessity to establish that all school shoes should be black and laced. This would prevent any ambiguity and provide personal autonomy whilst maintaining a standard to be adhered to by all.