Councillor Christine Gray, Conservative spokesman for education and children’s services, responds to comments made by Labour about school uniform:
School Life
I was disappointed and yet not totally surprised with Cllr. Warmisham’s remarks in the Advertiser 23rd. Aug. re. School Uniform. Has he not seen the look of pride on a child and parent’s face when that 4 year old is wearing their first school uniform? They become part of the School family - important for all children and extremely necessary for some.
Yes children do need to express themselves and yes they like to conform, but the two can work very well together. Self expression is best done through written work , dance and drama but in a framework of conformity . Schools must be allowed to teach - can you imagine the time wasted if teachers have to decide what is appropriate and acceptable? The wearing of a uniform has the advantage of not differentiating between rich and poor.
Abolishing school uniform does not help at a time when discipline in both schools and society is at an all time low. Children need boundaries and adults need to set these boundaries.
Is this another area where Labour politicians are eroding standards which parents, children and teachers want to maintain?
Councillor Christine Gray
Conservative spokesman for Children’s Services
Cornerstone Of A Strong Society
Leader comment by Conservative Group Leader Cllr Karen Garrido - originally published by the Salford Advertiser.
A good education system is one of the cornerstones of a strong society in which individuals have the means to improve their own lives and make a contribution to the wider community. In many ways this comes down to how we treat children.
Academia is not for everyone and can only get you so far, consequently, many children are leaving school without any skills that may contribute to a chosen career. Many of us have not had a privileged upbringing, but the greatest privilege by far was our family. Everything we are we owe to our parents and to our wider family. It is they who give an individual his or her first lessons in how to relate to others, the meaning of right and wrong, the to-and-fro of giving and receiving.
For most families, school is or should be a further extension of its own role and authority - a place for professional attention in addition to the informal instruction of home. For a minority of children however, school supplies what the family fails to give - it conveys the life lessons that may not be learnt at home. This is why it is so important for schools to be part of the community which they serve.
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