Analysis: Research suggests traditional school uniforms hold students back from playing sport and engaging in physical activity
As we are about to start another school year, the debate around the role of school uniform has once again surfaced. I should make it clear from the outset that I am not suggesting a 'ban’ on school uniforms. A plethora of research has confirmed the importance of uniforms in easing the psychological and financial pressure of competitive dressing.
But it may be time for schools consider how conducive their uniforms are to engaging in physical activity during the school day. Typically, school uniforms are formal, with girls required to wear a uniform that may comprise of a dress or tunic with socks or stockings and black leather shoes.
Research suggests that traditional school uniforms restrict movement, hold students back from playing sport and engaging in non-prescribed physical activity during the school day. According to researcher Dr Mairead Ryan from the University of Cambridge, "school communities could consider design, and whether specific characteristics of a uniform might either encourage or restrict any opportunities for physical activity across the day."
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, Dr Mairead Ryan on school uniforms and physical activity
Researchers in Australia confirmed that uniforms supportive of physical activity (shorts or tracksuit pants, polo shirts and sports shoes) are positively associated with increased physical activity and improved fitness among students. They concluded that primary school students were more active when activity enabling uniforms were worn.
In relation to active transport, researchers found that boys were approximately 18 times more likely than girls (7.1% vs. 0.4%) to cycle to and from school. The factor with the largest difference between means for boys and girls was school uniform not lending itself to riding a bicycle as it was obligatory for girls to wear long skirts in all of the schools that engaged with the study.
Ongoing research in the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Limerick found that over 50%, or one in every two students, from a sample of almost 1,500, indicated their school uniform was a barrier to engaging in physical activity during the school day. Interestingly, significant disparities were also found between students in girls, boys and co-educational schools. For example, over 70% of boys in all-boys schools were allowed to wear sports gear to school on PE days, but, this fell to 28% among participants in girls schools.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's News at One, why are so few girls cycling to secondary school?
In the same research study, almost one third of participants cited having to use changing rooms for PE class as a barrier to participation. Indeed, many students prefer the convenience of wearing PE clothes for the entire day to avoid the hassle and time loss associated with changing, as noted in remarks like "let us wear our PE clothes for the whole day" (Male, 1st Year, co-ed school) and "we should be able to wear our PE gear into school as changing wastes unnecessary time" (Female, 5th Year, girls school).
Both the mounting research evidence and the views of the students themselves point to the role of activity enabling uniforms. The importance of schools having a physical activity friendly school uniform policy was cited as one of nine key recommendations from a recent national stakeholder forum on sport among young people in Ireland. The findings are based on a forum convened by the Government and state that "strict, inflexible uniforms and school dress policies were cited as being an impediment in many cases to achieving greater physical activity by young people".
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, should school uniform policies be relaxed?
Schools should review their uniform policies and consider the following three simple takeaways as supported in a recent position statement on school uniform by the Physical Education Association of Ireland:
- Allow students to wear a designated PE uniform or activity supportive clothing on days PE is timetabled.
- School management should consider the design of school uniform to ensure it is activity enabling rather than inhibiting.
- Students should be consulted and involved in the design of the PE uniform.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
