Uniforms are an important tool in education, they help bridge the gap between the classes. It reinforces the idea that every child is the same in the eyes of the school. Ties, tucked in buttoned up shirts and shoes are a remnant of the British Education system that we are still hanging on to. Enforcing a uniform that has been designed for cold windy conditions and not the Indian Subcontinent is illogical.
We have opted for Indian fabrics and styles(short kurta) that suit the hot, sweaty conditions of the subcontinent. We have also added new age fabrics like denim with lycra that is soft yet robust enough to let kids explore without worrying about tearing or ripping something. Ties are optional and so is buttoning up. We also got rid of cumbersome shoes and instead are using sandals(we don’t mind our kids running barefoot too). Starting this year we have a new uniform for our First and Second Classes, next year we will be rolling it out to the entire school.
We also believe that students should be given the freedom to express their own sense of fashion as long as it does not affect their academics or growth. So we have given kids a choice to grow their hair and style it in the way they want. We were surprised with some of the results.