”Twenty Margate pupils sent home in Hartsdown uniform row” – BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-37298505

I would have to agree that the head teacher, Mr Tate, is taking the issue of uniform too far in the cases outlined in the above article. Although I can understand the reasons for having a school uniform, as my own School implemented uniform when I began 3rd year; a sense of unity and belonging, it gives the school a definitive image set apart from the surrounding schools and it also means the pupils don’t have to worry as much about outfit choices or fitting in with the latest trends.

In my case the head teacher sent out the option for any pupil to design the new uniform, then a winner would be chosen and the school would use that design. We had to create the design on a jumper and a cardigan, and they would be worn with a white shirt & tie, black shoes, plain black trousers/jeans or a skirt/shorts. This worked very well, and the uniform was received well by the pupils and parents, I believe this is because we were given more options and flexibility when it came to what we could wear with the school jumper and cardigan.

I think the only upside to this story is that the pupils were not officially disciplined for wearing the ‘incorrect’ uniform, although, to be refused an education is punishment enough. I also agree that the incredibly strict way this is being implemented is definitely not in the best interests of the pupils. It disrupts their learning and also causes issues for the parents/guardians of the pupils who now have to worry about buying new items, which then affects the pupils as well.

The fact that this has appeared in the news will also mean a lot of negative publicity for the school, which again is not ideal for the pupils or staff at the school. In the article they also featured a video showing a father tell Mr Tate that his daughter will no longer be attending the school, as a result of how strict the uniform is. If more parents follow suit and take their children out of the school then the whole uniform will have been a waste of time since there will be no pupils to wear it. That is a very dramatic example of what could happen, however if a compromise is not found then the situation will surely spiral. 

I personally believe that if a child wants to learn and as long as they are at least loosely sticking to the uniform in place, then they deserve to be educated. I would hope some intervention was made and a compromise was found, for the pupils sake.