16/11/04
School uniforms should be compulsory for all public high school students in Western Australia, according to Education and Training Minister Alan Carpenter.
Mr Carpenter said he wanted to see the re-introduction of compulsory school uniforms in WA and was seeking public comment on the proposal.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the image of public schools has suffered because we moved away from compulsory school uniforms, going back to the late 1970s," he said.
"The anti-uniform mentality is very much out of date now.
"Parents want the message uniforms send about discipline, standards and status. Wearing jeans and denim skirts at school do nothing to promote this.
"Uniforms are part of life in the workforce, from the teenager working after school at McDonalds, to truck drivers and bank employees.
"I think the overwhelming majority of people will agree with me but I want some indication of that support before we head down this path.
"Have your say."
The Minister said it was proposed that compulsory school uniforms be introduced in 2006, with next year to be a transition year.
"This will give schools with no school uniform the time to design one and those that do have a uniform, the opportunity to redesign it if they wish," he said.
Mr Carpenter said the wearing of a uniform sent a number of important messages about the public image of a school and the way a school saw itself.
Students' standard of dress and grooming also gave a public indication of how they saw themselves personally and how they related in terms of a sense of belonging to the school community.
"More importantly, to provide a safe and secure school environment, many secondary schools have found that uniforms are a very quick and useful means of identifying whether or not an individual in the school grounds has the right to be there," the Minister said.
"Having a school uniform will also reduce the problem of parents being financially pressured to keep up with the latest dress fad and will help minimise the socio-economic background differences between students."
Mr Carpenter said that in addition to seeking the community's views on the proposal of compulsory school uniforms, he was also seeking comment on:
- school uniform codes that clearly described minimum standards of dress and grooming;
- strategies to support families who had difficulty in providing uniforms; and
- strategies to manage students and /or their families who persistently refused to comply with the school uniform.
People can have their say on school uniforms by visiting
http://www.ministers.wa.gov.au/carpenter and clicking on the 'School Uniforms: Have your say' features button. The public comment period will close on December 3.
Minister's office: 9213 6800
