COLUMBUS (Ohio), Feb 1 — An American study reveals that they have little or no impact on the behaviour and attendance of students.

On the contrary, they could even contribute to reducing their ‘sense of belonging’ to the school, and more broadly to a community, preventing them from expressing their individuality.

Increasingly popular in some countries, such as the United States and Japan, school uniforms are now being adapted to certain societal changes, such as gender neutrality.

In France, ahead of the upcoming presidential elections, some candidates are calling for the return of uniforms in schools, arguing that they have positive effects on students’ behaviour and on the reduction of certain inequalities. But is that backed up by science?

A team of US-based scientists, led by Arya Ansari, a professor of humanities at Ohio State University, looked at the impact of uniforms on attendance, anxiety, withdrawal, violence, sense of belonging, and other social traits of younger children.

They used data from an early childhood study based on a nationally representative sample of more than 6,000 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

The results show that wearing a school uniform had no effect on the behaviour of children of any age, either in terms of attendance or internalised or externalised behavioural issues.

However, the scientists did report that low-income students’ attendance was “slightly better” at schools in which uniforms were mandatory but that it amounted to a difference of less than one day a year.

While it was not associated with a significantly positive impact, there were some drawbacks found to be associated with school uniforms.

The study found that students who wore uniforms on a daily basis reported lower levels of school belonging than those who were able to dress in their own clothes.

The scientists confide that their data does not allow them to explain this finding, but instead of creating a sense of community, uniforms seem to have the opposite effect.

As a primary vehicle of self-expression for young people, what they wear allows them to display their individuality loud and clear.

A uniform which is common to all makes this no longer possible and actually lessens the feeling of belonging to the community, explain the researchers.

They conclude that uniforms do not appear to be the most effective way to improve children’s behaviour and engagement. — ETX Studio