A school uniform proposal to reduce inequality among children

A motion before the Ticino cantonal parliament asks for an assessment of introducing uniform clothing in municipal kindergartens and primary schools. The first signatory is Michela Ris (PLR), backed by about ten colleagues from the PLR, the Centre, the Lega, the UDC and the Forum alternativo.

The idea, Ris explains, is not to impose a jacket and tie, but simple items such as a polo shirt and shorts. The stated goal is twofold: more order in classrooms and less economic inequality, which she says already shows up in the early school years through children's clothing. Ris notes that guidelines already exist on this, but are poorly followed.

The question of costs

The proposal concerns mainly kindergartens and primary schools, which fall under municipal responsibility, rather than higher school levels. Any introduction would therefore weigh more on municipal budgets, which would have to organise it, than on the canton's.

For families, Ris argues, the measure could turn out cheaper than today: centralising purchases and avoiding branded clothing would lower spending on children's clothes compared with now. It remains unclear how these savings would be distributed among families with different incomes, and who would cover the start-up costs, from designing the garments to producing them. Ris suggests involving the cantonal fashion school in a pilot project with pupils.

On the school side, Fabio Valsangiacomo, director of the municipal school institute of Lugano, notes that the theme of belonging to a community is already part of the curriculum for compulsory school in Ticino, particularly within general education and environmental studies. According to Valsangiacomo, schools already do a lot in this area. He adds that the issue cuts across all school levels, but that municipal schools, meaning kindergarten and primary school with children aged three to eleven, may be somewhat less affected by it than other levels.

The motion will now have to be discussed and examined further. Open questions include financing, how costs would be split between municipalities and families, and whether a school uniform would actually reduce inequality among children or mainly add an extra organisational burden for municipal schools.