THE move by the Education Ministry to allow primary school pupils to wear casual attire to school from March 1 to 26 is a welcome respite for parents who are making ends meet during the current pandemic which has upended many livelihoods.
The ministry has said that pupils are allowed to wear appropriate and smart casual attire to attend classes until the mid-term break.
Pre-schoolers along with Year 1 and Year 2 pupils will return to school on March 1 while Years 3 to 6 will resume classes on March 8.
Pre-schoolers and Year 1 pupils will be getting their first taste of school, and wearing smart casual clothes in the early days will allow for a better transition to school life and make it less intimidating.
Part of the reason why small children are afraid of school is the ubiquitous school uniform. It is often regarded as a disciplinary item that reminds them of rules and regulations.
The Education Ministry’s Iktisas Circular 3/1983 on School Student Uniforms, clearly and bluntly states that pupils must wear uniform to attend school. School teachers have been known to reprimand pupils who are not in their uniforms.
School uniforms come in a set package of a shirt, trousers, ties, shoes and socks and a school badge. Some schools have blazers or vests for prefects and librarians.
According to conformists, school uniforms ensure uniformity and equality while instilling discipline.
The argument that wearing school uniforms is a way of training students to follow rules and be disciplined does not hold water because student indiscipline has been rampant in primary and secondary schools over the years though students have been wearing school uniforms.
Times have changed, and we need to change according to times.
We are so used to set patterns that if we move from the norm there is criticism.
Hopefully in the near future all school students, preferably lower primary school children should be allowed to wear smart casual clothes to schools.
As we move into the 21st century we need to change our mindsets and think out of the box. Instead of asking “why” ask “why not?” The school uniform has lived its time.
Uniforms are intimidating and foreign to small children, stifling their creativity and freedom.
Samuel Yesuiah
Seremban
