According to new statutory guidance, which will become a reality as of September 2019, schools in Wales will no longer differentiate school uniform items based on gender.
The Welsh government has decided to make uniforms gender-neutral as this will reduce costs, and boost equality among pupils.
This decision comes just days after parents in Ireland prompted the Ministry of Education to reduce the costs of school uniforms in the country. School uniforms are a big part of the educational environment in the United Kingdom; however, the costs associated with them are somewhat unfounded.
Uniforms should cost less in Wales
To reduce these costs, the Welsh government not only removes gender identification of garments but will also consider introducing simplified styles, so that parents can choose to buy their children’ uniforms from more than one provider.
According to Kirsty Williams, Welsh Minister of Education, the new guidance will resolve some critical issues regarding schoolwear. She stated that the old understandings of the gender division of clothes should not be part of the school environment anymore. Ms. Williams also elaborated that these changes were also made with the family budget in mind.
According to her, gender-neutral uniforms, accompanied by the support provided by the Pupil Development Grant, will alleviate some of the financial burden parents face at the beginning of each school year.
The decision to make uniform policies a bit more lax has come after last summer when a heatwave hit the United Kingdom parents expressed concerns about these regulations. According to them, uniform rules were too strict, and there was not much room for individuality or reaction to unexpected events like the high temperatures that summer.
