The impact school uniforms and dress codes have on young people around the world was the focus of a new international conference taking place in Aberdeen yesterday (Wednesday 20 November).
Twenty-five sector leaders from nine countries and three continents came together to share research and ideas about the future of school uniform in the 21st century and explore the ways that public responses to school uniform can be conveyed to inform policymakers.
Organised by the University of Aberdeen and The Glasgow School of Art (GSA), the presentations covered a range of topics including how school uniforms perpetuate inequalities for young people, how museums and heritage can take part in the evaluation of dress codes at school and how children and young people’s voices need to be heard.
School Uniforms, Dress Codes and Public Responses: From Museums to Policy Makers, was held in the MacRobert Building on World Children’s Day in a mix of in-person and online sessions.
Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills officially opened the symposium with a recorded address.
The conference was co-organised by Dr Rachel Shanks, Senior Lecturer in the School of Education and Director of Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity at the University of Aberdeen, and Dr Aude Campbell Le Guennec, Reader in Design Anthropology and Research Lead, Mackintosh School of Architecture, GSA.
It was co-funded by the research interest group ACORSO-Body and Appearance (University of Lille 2, France) and was supported by the French National Museum of Education (Munaé).
Dr Shanks said: “The University of Aberdeen was delighted to host this interdisciplinary symposium, which presented the opportunity to exchange ideas and promote research on school uniforms and dress codes, and the impacts they have on young people around the world.
“The success of the event was thanks to thought-provoking talks and contributions by academic colleagues from a range of disciplines and we are grateful to Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, for her time today and for the introduction of the country's first national guidance on school clothing. The University of Aberdeen is committed to amplifying research in this vital area, to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
“Many aspects of rules around school uniforms have been in place for decades and the introduction of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law in 2024 has created an opportunity to reassess those rules. What today has reaffirmed is that we can make things better by sharing research from across the world to find ways to make school uniform more affordable, comfortable and sustainable.”
Dr Le Guennec said: “As the co-organiser of this symposium, the GSA confirms its position as an incubator for ambitious interdisciplinary and international research driven by the generation of cultural impact. As a forum for continuous dialogue between practitioners and communities of users, the GSA is deeply invested in the creation and evaluation of the transformational changes that design can make to our lives.
“This symposium demonstrates how the GSA, through innovative cross-sectorial knowledge exchange events, contributes to reinventing the place of design in people’s lives, opens its doors to cutting edge reflexions from seldom heard communities - such as young people and children - and engages with policy makers to create more inclusive societies."
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Ensuring our children and young people have the best start in life and are happy, safe, respected and included at school is a priority for the Scottish Government.
“Our recently published guidance on school uniform and clothing will support schools to make local decisions about their school uniform and clothing policy. It seeks to help schools to design and implement flexible policies that are affordable, sustainable and responsive to the needs, circumstances and identities of all pupils, to ensure that every pupil can go to school feeling comfortable, confident and ready to learn.”