Pupils, parents and carers in West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute are being asked to give their views on school uniform to help shape new national guidance.
A key aim of the guidance will be to reduce costs for families, while ensuring pupils can go to school feeling comfortable and ready to learn.
A consultation to inform the national guidance is launched today, with a wide range of views being sought, including from schools, families, education authorities and suppliers.
There will also be engagement with young people to seek their views.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School uniform can promote a sense of identity, belonging and connectedness to school. However, the cost can be a significant burden for families, although there is no legal requirement to wear uniform.
“We have increased the school clothing grant to help families who need it most. Now we intend to go further by bringing forward national guidance aimed at reducing uniform costs. This could mean increasing the use of generic items of uniform.
“I would encourage anyone with an interest to have their say on how this guidance should look. It is essential that the views of children and young people are heard as part of this consultation.”
Local authorities and individual schools decide on school uniform policy at local level. The national guidance, which will be underpinned by a range of principles, will inform those policies.
There is no legal requirement to wear school uniform in Scotland. The new guidance is not intended to change this or to mandate the wearing of school uniform at national level.
The consultation will run until 14 October 2022
The Programme for Government and the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Green Party contain commitments to increase the level of school clothing grant and bring forward national guidance on school uniform in Scotland which supports the reduction of the cost of school uniform for families.
The level of school clothing grant increased to at least £120 for primary school pupils and £150 for secondary school pupils from the start of the new school year in 2021.
National guidance or something a bit more sinister where mandatory guidance will be to require unisex uniforms.
All part of the gender fluidity drive to blur the difference between boy and girls and everything in between is this really the function of government that people want. I certainly don’t think so.
Education is about more than gender fluidity, teaching young primary children about anal sex, allowing children without their parents knowledge to change their names whilst compelling every child, young adolescent to use unisex toilets. Quite frankly, this failed government has more to do than this.