Students need more say in picking uniforms

Guangqumen Middle school students take part in a school uniform fashion show in Beijing. [Photo/IC]

On Monday, the Ministry of Education issued regulations on uniforms for primary and middle school students, urging uniform makers to follow national quality standards and allow students and parents to buy or get uniforms made according to their schools' specifications. Comments:

The controversy over school uniforms, such as the "dull and baggy" design which many grumble about, is essentially about whether parents and students have more freedom to choose school uniforms and how market-oriented competition can be fairly adopted. To end malpractice and under-the-table deals in the uniform business, buyers should be granted more freedom of choice.

Wuhan Evening News, July 15

Allowing parents and students to pick the uniforms they want is not only in their interests, it will also help curb the trade between money and power and possibly end uniform-related corruption.

opinion.people.com.cn, July 14

There is no problem with some secondary schools requiring their students to wear tailor-made uniforms as long as they can afford to buy them. But this can only be done if the parents and students are well informed about everything. Transparency can effectively reduce the number of complaints and prevent rent-seeking.

China Education Daily, April 29

It is easy for a middle school to get the understanding and cooperation of parents and students over its uniform if it is transparent in its dealings and rules. But if a school's board takes a unilateral decision on the choice of uniform, many of which are made of substandard materials, it will inevitably lead to complaints from students and their parents. Therefore, students should have more say in choosing their clothes, while schools need to make public how they select a tailor or dressmaker.

Gansu Daily, July 15