Not equal yet, but more relaxed

Press, 2 March 1982, Page 14

Not equal yet, but more relaxed

Home and People

FELICITY PRICE examines some official attitudes to present-day school uniforms.

Although school-uniform regulations in Christchurch have been considerably liberalised to keep up with the dictates of fashion, only one secondary school has gone as far as letting its senior girls wear long trousers to school. The equality provisions of the Human Rights Act have yet to reach school uniforms. A group of parents wrote to “The Press” recently to ask why schoolgirls were not allowed to wear trousers or shorts to school.

There has always been an allowance in school prospectuses for uniforms. Each school, through its board or its principal, has the right to stipulate what its pupils may or may not wear to school.

In secondary schools, regulations on uniforms are governed by the school board. Schools thht allow senior, pupils to wear mufti to school still have strictly enforced rules about what clothing may or may not be worn.

Jeans, for example, are forbidden, and girls are expected to wear dresses or skirts, not trousers. In primary schools, where uniforms are recommended but not compulsory, girls are also expected to wear dresses or skirts. Each school principal is the judge of what

is deemed "reasonable dress" for the school, but the principals generally confer over these standards and most schools have similar guidelines about mufti. "Uniforms have received a certain amount of standardisation over the years.” said Mr M. J. Richards, general manager of the Secondary Schools Council. “For example, a few years ago, boys had to wear caps and girls had to wear hats. At some schools, the girls even had to wear gloves. But there is none of that now. 1 can’t think of a single school in Christchurch where headgear is compulsory now,” he said. Other things had become standardised, too. Many schools had compromised on the colour of their shirts and blouses, or blazers, so that manufacturers did not have to make many small runs of in different colours, said Mr Richards. Consequently, . mass-produced uniforms were cheaper. “Now, several schools will have the same colour cream for their .shirts and blouses, and you’ll find that most schools with green or blue blazers now have the same shade of green or blue, whereas once the shades

would have been quite different,” he said. Summer uniforms were another example of the gradual change in school uniforms, he said. Years ago, school grils had to wear winter-weight gymfrocks, summer and winter. Now, in winter, most had the choice of easy-care skirts and blouses, and a lightweight dress or tunic in the summer. Boys’ uniforms had also changed to allow for summer and winter comfort. But keeping up with the times could be tricky as far as school uniforms were concerned, Mr Richards said. "For some people, the change isn't fast enough, and others who are more conservative are happy as it is." he said. “Liberalisation will no doubt continue, and it is quite possible that one day. girls will be allowed to wear trousers and shorts to school. Maybe one day, uniforms will. be abandoned altogether,” he said. “But surveys in schools recently have shown that parents and pupils alike generally favour the retention of uniforms.” Mr Richards said that Aranui High School was the only school in Christchurch he knew of that had a clause in its uniform regulations allowing its senior girls to wear trousers to school if they wished. But the trousers had to be in blue polyester, non-flared, without cuffs, and with a waistband. Some schools allowed senior pupils to wear mufti to school. All but Hagley High School, however, restricted this to the seventh form. At Hagley, pupils from the fifth form up were allowed to wear mufti. But even with mufti, Mr Richards said, options were slightly limited. For. example, jeans were banned, and there were several other restrictions on the choice of clothes, varying from school to school; Mr D. Wilson, general manager of the Canterbury Education Board, which administers primary and intermediate schools in Christchurch, said that it was hot compulsory for pupils to wear school uniforms. “Most schools have uniforms set, but the children don’t have to wear them. Uniforms are desirable, but not compulsory, in primary and intermediate schools,” he said. •' > Children wearing mufti to school were expected to follow the guidelines set by each principal, he said. “Younger boys are not allowed to wear long trousers, and girls are expected' to wear dresses or skirts,” said Mr Wilson.