Emma DeSouza: Time to expel the outdated school uniform 

If we cannot establish irrefutable evidence that school uniforms provide tangible benefits for young people, then why do we continue to cling to them, asks Emma DeSouza

What sense is there teaching children about critical thinking while simultaneously telling them that they must conform to an outdated militarized dress code rooted in conservative ideology?

With the number of children attending non-uniform schools in Ireland increasing each year, what function do mandatory uniforms serve toward bettering young people’s experiences or quality of education in the classroom? 

A typical school uniform consists of a shirt, tie, jumper, blazer, and trousers or, for girls, a skirt. How many of us are required to wear a shirt, tie, and blazer every day in the workplace? Would working in rigid, often uncomfortable clothing make any of us work better? The overwhelming majority of workplaces no longer enforce a dress code — political leaders don’t even have one — so if it is okay to wear sportswear while representing the people in Dáil Éireann, shouldn’t it be okay for young people to wear their own clothes at school?