Research on school uniform, dress codes and appearance policies by lead CISRUL member and Interdisciplinary Institute Director of Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity, Dr Rachel Shanks, has contributed to the introduction of Scottish national guidelines for schools and education authorities.
The guidelines are informed by the School Clothing: Framework for Action, developed by Dr Rachel Shanks in collaboration with David Innes (Aberdeen for a Fairer World), Maxine Jolly and Mark Irwin (Education Scotland), and Kirsty Campbell (Child Poverty Action Group). The framework focuses on the affordability, comfort, and sustainability of uniforms, and encourages schools to use these principles when reviewing their policies (see above infographic, produced by Shanks, Innes, Jolly, Irwin and Campbell, 2023).
On affordability, Dr Shanks asks schools to consider not only the financial costs of a uniform itself, but the overall cost of all school wear and the lifespan of uniforms, as well as fair pay and conditions for producers. On comfort, schools are prompted to consider inclusion and additional support needs, with the Equality Act 2010 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in mind. Finally, when discussing the sustainability of uniforms, Dr Shanks considers this in terms of production, distribution, and waste, and encourages schools to adopt sustainable behaviours including uniform exchanges and rentals.
In doing so, the framework and national guidelines align with wider Scottish government priorities to ‘support inclusion and equality in education, tackle child poverty, and take action to address the climate emergency’ (Gilruth, 2024).
Dr Shanks, who has been researching school uniforms since 2019 and has a background in legal and community work, is also co-editor of ‘School Uniforms: New Materialist Perspectives’ (2023). The edited volume examines school uniform policies across the Caribbean, England, Ireland, Scotland and Zimbabwe. It demonstrates the colonial legacy of school policy, along with how ‘uniform policy plays a distinct role in setting the culture of compulsory school education and as such it constitutes a set of under-theorised school practices’ (Shanks, Ovington, Cross and Carnarvon, 2023).
To read more about Dr Shanks’ work and view her publications, see her profile here.
References:
- Shanks, R. et al. (2023) School Uniforms: New Materialist Perspectives. 1st ed. 2023. [Online]. Cham: Springer International Publishing.