France to try out school uniforms in bid to reduce bullying and inequality

When some French schools reopen in September this year, they will pilot a mandatory school uniform under a two-year trial period initiated by Education Minister Gabriel Attal. The initiative aims to tackle inequality among French students and reduce bullying and peer pressure. But some public school teachers, psychologists and experts remain skeptical, saying the uniforms are just putting a "plaster" on such issues.

Two navy blue polo shirts – one short-sleeved, another covered in a jumper – are draped over mannequins on a stage. Embroidered across the chest is a tiny, rectangular French flag on the right and the words “La Région, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes” on the left.

Gleaming with pride, Laurent Wauquiez, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council in southeast France, announced that these are prototypes of school uniforms to be rolled out in five local high schools.

Hours later, the hardliner of the conservative Les Républicains party posted a photo of the sombre outfits on X and informed his followers that the council wanted the uniforms to be “100% made by regional textile companies”.

The polo shirts would be tried out in five high schools in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes at the start of the school year in September 2024, he noted, adding that the move was “sustainable and good for jobs”.

But many local high schoolers on social media did not appear to share his enthusiasm. Some took to TikTok to mock what they called an unflattering and embarrassingly unstylish ensemble.

Motivated but not convinced

The announcement came a few weeks after French Education Minister Gabriel Attal on December 6 revealed a plan to test school uniforms in different locations across the country.

Public schools in municipalities that have volunteered to be part of the experiment will be able to implement a mandatory uniform at the start of the new academic year this September, or even as early as the springtime for those who are particularly “motivated”.

The towns eager to test out school uniforms include Tourcoing and Reims in the north, and Nice in the south. The Allier and Alpes-Maritimes regions have also expressed an interest. Each municipality will have to work closely with the schools who opt in, since adopting a uniform requires an amendment to school rules.

And of course, the sartorial experiment comes at a cost. A basic kit for each pupil could consist of five polo shirts, two pullovers and two pairs of trousers, which amounts to around €200, according to French news outlet franceinfo. But families will not have to bear the brunt, as half of the cost would be paid by local authorities and the other half by the state.

Despite a spirited response from a handful of municipalities across France, Attal himself did not appear to be fully convinced of the measure. “I’m divided on the question of uniforms,” he admitted during his announcement on franceinfo. “I’m not yet convinced that it’s a solution that will fix everything.”

Neither are public school teachers, psychologists and experts.

A losing battle?

One of the key arguments by the government in support of school uniforms is that they could curb future attempts to undermine French secularism. And recently, controversy around clothing associated with Islam has taken centre-stage.

On September 4, the government banned long robes worn by women and girls known as abayas. They were seen as a challenge to France’s secularist values or what is known as “laïcité”. The ban prompted a wave of fury across the country, with some arguing that loose body-covering garments did not constitute an ostentatious display of religion and shouldn’t be forbidden.

The principle of secularism in France means wearing any sign or garment that manifests a student’s religious affiliation is against the law. Legislation passed in 2004 prohibits “ostentatious religious symbols” from public schools, including Muslim headscarves, large Christian crosses, Jewish kippas and turbans worn by Sikhs.

After letting out an audible sigh, Sabrina* said she “honestly doesn’t think the school uniform will change anything regarding the social climate in schools”. Having worked as an elementary school teacher in a northern Parisian suburb for years, she recently took up a job as a public-school psychologist in the city’s 20^tharrondissement (district).

“Maybe students will feel less different from one another … or won’t have to ask themselves what to wear each morning,” she says. “But as far as secularism, order and bullying are concerned – I don’t think it will change much.”

Tensions in French public schools have been rising in recent years, with cases of violence between students and teachers prompting intense debate on how to improve security. Last month, a 12-year-old schoolgirl threatened a teacher with a kitchen knife at a school in northern France. Two months earlier in October, a radicalised Islamist student stabbed his former teacher to death. And six teenagers were recently convicted for their role in the 2020 killing of French teacher Samuel Paty outside his secondary school by a radicalised Islamist.

The main goal of the experiment, according to Education Minister Attal, is to measure the impact of school uniforms on the issues of secularism, bullying, social inequalities and authority, as well as seeing if it improves academic performance.

“Even kids feel that social differences go beyond material possessions,” Sabrina noted on the issue of social inequality. “And besides, whether or not sneakers have holes in them is something that will be visible. It won’t erase social differences.”

Céline*, a public-school teacher who prefers to remain anonymous, agrees. “Forms of violence don’t come from the clothes worn by pupils,” she said. “Look at countries like the UK where school uniforms have been used for many years. A lack of authority from teachers or schools and bullying are still a problem there.”

Schools that opt in will require their students to wear a uniform over the course of two years, so that researchers can conduct a scientific evaluation at a national level. Their report will examine whether or not the experiment has been effective. But existing research from countries where uniforms are already being used such as the US and UK suggest the outcome isn’t rosy.

“Although uniforms homogenize students … they can be a system of control and discipline over pupils,” said Rachel Shanks, senior lecturer at the University of Aberdeen and researcher on school uniforms. “There is no research to back up the idea that school uniforms help reduce violence, prevent bullying or increase academic achievement.”

In her research, Shanks has found that uniforms have sometimes even increased discrimination. According to a study carried out by the National Women’s Law Center in the US for example, Black girls in Washington D.C. are 20 times more likely to be suspended from school for violating dress codes than white girls. “There will always be ways to identify an individual,” says Shanks.

‘France is afraid of Islamisation’

In France, the idea of obligatory uniforms in public schools has been around for years, mostly put forward by right-wing and far-right politicians. Back in 2003, former education minister Xavier Darcos floated the idea, as did his successor, Jean-Michel Blanquer.

Wearing uniforms was part of far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s 2022 campaign programme and in January 2023, a bill proposed by a member of her National Rally party to make uniforms compulsory was rejected by a majority of MPs.

“Every time the symbols of the Republic are threatened, this kind of proposal pops up like a political gimmick,” said Hamid*, who teaches at a vocational high school in a southern Paris suburb.

Both Sabrina and Anne*, a literature teacher at a middle school in the Seine-Saint-Denis region north of Paris, feel it is a political move motivated by the right to clamp down on French Republican values. “For me, it immediately conjures up images of a fascist society,” said Anne.

Attal’s announcement “came just months after this whole debate and consequent ban on the abaya in September", explained Sabrina. “France is afraid of ‘Islamization’ and radicalization … And in order to respond to that fear, the government has decided to put a plaster on the issue.”

Bigger fish to fry

The consensus among French teacher unions, experts and teachers themselves seems to be that a school uniform won’t put an end to bullying, social inequalities or reinforce secularism. In fact, there are more important issues facing public schools to tackle altogether.

“Sometimes I think school uniforms can be seen as an easy thing to turn to, that somehow it will fix problems that actually stem from outside, which schools can’t really fix,” said Shanks.

Céline agrees. “I think that local authorities and politicians are looking for quick ways to reassure the public. The quickest response is to wear uniforms, which are regularly proposed as a kind of return to the authority of years gone by,” she noted.

Uniforms are not a priority for many French public schools. Chronic underfunding has left many institutions unable to meet their pupils' needs. Thousands of teaching posts were unfilled for the new school term last year, due to recruitment difficulties. Teachers have reported a deterioration in their working conditions and have even walked out in protest as a result.

“Given the low success rate at French vocational schools in recent years, our priority is to improve our working conditions, increase teacher’s salaries to boost recruitment, help students get work placements, provide them with IT tools, etc.,” said Hamid.

It’s a feeling shared by many schoolteachers and education experts. “In my school, the priority right now is to help teachers do their job,” said Sabrina. “If there is money to be spent, we may as well spend it elsewhere … We expect so much from schools, but we don’t give them the levers or means to do the job properly,” she noted.

“Schools are always represented as buffers for society’s ills,” Céline concluded. “But schools can’t fix everything.”

*Surnames have been withheld on request.