Students Reject Mandatory Uniforms

The National Students' Council is calling on lawmakers to reject the bill introducing mandatory school uniforms, citing a lack of consultation with student representatives during the legislative process. The bill has already been passed by the Senate and is now set to be debated and voted upon in the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body.

Last week, the Senate passed the bill mandating school uniforms in pre-university education. The vote count was 84 in favor, 18 against, and four abstentions, according to public records of the legislative procedure. Against this backdrop, the National Students' Council is urging all parliamentarians-regardless of political affiliation-to reject the bill, arguing that the measure fails to address the issues they consider priorities within the education system.

"We want legislative efforts to be redirected toward measures that can make schools safer, more equitable, and more accessible," stated representatives of the National Students' Council.

• Lack of consultation cited

The National Students' Council maintains that it has publicly opposed the bill since the initiative was first introduced, stating that its representatives were neither invited to debates nor consulted regarding the provisions of the proposed legislation. This stance was reiterated in a public statement issued after the Senate passed the bill. "On September 21, the Senate passed the bill on mandatory school uniforms, even though the Students' Council had publicly opposed it from the moment it was introduced. We were not invited to the debates, nor were we consulted, yet we are expected to comply," student representatives stated.

The organization maintains that, in its view, introducing uniforms would not help reduce social inequalities among students or curb bullying. "Inequality does not vanish beneath a vest, bullying does not stop just because we wear the same shirt, and a sense of belonging cannot be sewn onto a lapel," reads the message from the National Students' Council.

• Protest wearing black

As a form of protest, the National Students' Council is urging students across the country to wear black to school today. Organizers note that participation is voluntary and that students are encouraged to wear clothes they already own. The action is set to take place without disrupting classes. The National Students' Council states that the protest aims to convey both opposition to mandatory uniforms and dissatisfaction with the lack of student consultation. "It is one thing to send a message together, of our own free will, and quite another to have our attire imposed upon us," the organization's representatives said.