Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has been dealt a dire new warning that her plans to change school uniform requirements could have a major unintended impact on kids.
Labour wants to bring in new legislation limiting the number of branded items a school can request parents buy for their children.
Ms Phillipson plans to limit the amount of both branded uniform and PE kits to just three items, which she insists is a measure that will help hard-up parents with the cost of living.
However she’s facing major warnings that the policy will have dire side effects, including wellbeing.
Critics of the planned education policy have now warned the government that the policy could lead to a worsening of children’s mental health and bullying.
According to polling by the Schoolwear Association, seen by the Daily Express, school leaders believe that uniforms boost meritocracy and reduce the stigma of poorer students.
Shocking research reveals that school absences rise by a whopping third on non-uniform days, suggesting children face such anxiety about picking the ‘right clothes’ that they’d rather stay at home.
The survey also found that 88% of school leaders say branded uniform items reduce visible inequalities, preventing a divide opening up between pupils wearing fashionable branded sports kids and those whose parents can only afford supermarket basics during PE.
In addition, 78% of school leaders report that school-specific items improve behaviour and academic performance in the classroom.
While Labour has suggested that banning mobile phones in school could prove the answer to the growing crisis in young people’s mental health, campaigners against Bridget Phillipson’s uniform policy argue these changes will prove much more harmful.
Matthew Easter, chair of the Schoolwear Association, told the Express: “It’s absolutely clear that the Government’s policy to cap school uniform and PE kits to this degree will have serious unintended consequences.”
“School specific uniform is a vital part of school life—helping to create a sense of belonging, promoting good behaviour, and ensuring all pupils are on a level playing field.
“Removing school-specific uniforms and kits will increase inequality in schools, making it harder for teachers to enforce standards, and ultimately worsening the very issues the Government is trying to address.
“We urge ministers to listen to school leaders who overwhelmingly support uniform policies that ensure fairness, discipline, and a sense of belonging. “
The Conservative shadow education minister Neil O’Brien, who has already branded Ms Phillipson’s school bill as “a disaster”, has echoed this argument, writing that it marks the “unwelcome return to an era in which ministers think they can run everything with central micromanagement”.
“When you start having Whitehall managing ties and school jumpers, you know a new era of red tape and meddling is coming.”
“Given the big real-world challenges of attendance, teacher retention and behaviour, this would not be my priority for how school leaders spend their time. Indeed, if ministers wanted to cut costs they could take VAT off school uniform: weirdly uniform for over 14s gets taxed. But they won’t do that.”