Orange High School will be keeping a close eye on their students’ soles next year.
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From 2017 the school will demand students step up and comply with uniform requirements for black, leather lace-up shoes.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said it was up to the individual schools to encourage its students to comply with standard uniform policy.
“School uniforms in NSW public schools are determined by schools, in consultation with their communities, and the requirements around uniforms are made and managed at the school level,” he said.
He said the department had not received any complaints about Orange High School’s uniforms or shoes however its crackdown has received support in the wider community.
Orange resident Sally Ryan, a mum of two sons, said a school’s reputation rested on its student’s behaviour and appearance in public.
“You can fix broken bones easily, but it’s much harder to fix a reputation,” Mrs Ryan said. “When you’re in the uniform, you represent the school, you’re expected to behave and dress a certain way.
“Learning maths and geometry helps, it sets you up for a future career and life but so does wearing a uniform. You might not use algebra in your future life, but you’ll still be getting dressed for work or anything else.”
Mrs Ryan said proper leather shoes also provided proper support for teenagers’ growing feet.
“By everyone having lace-up school shoes, it doesn’t matter if you go to Kmart or to Mathers Shoes,” Orange resident Kimberley Watson said.
Ms Watson has raised two girls and said “children and teenagers can’t be marked as being different. The difference in clothing can be a point for bullying to begin.”
But it wasn’t just about helping to curb bullying. “Workplaces have uniforms, they’re different for each job, whether it’s McDonald’s, a cafe in the street, a building site or a bank,” she said.
Sally Herbert has raised three children and said the crackdown meant the school could focus on teaching rather than uniforms.
“This whole entitlement attitude to say that students are lucky to turn up to school – they’re lucky to have a school to turn up to,” she said.
“We forget how fortunate we are. A lack of respect has contributed to students flaunting the rules of the uniform.”