Opinion: Debate - Would compulsory school uniform improve behaviour?

YES: Chris Keates, general secretary, NASUWT - Although teachers continue to have mixed views about uniforms, NASUWT has always maintained there are considerable benefits to adopting one. It helps to foster a sense of identity, it can be a great leveller, and it makes pupils easy to identify so has an evident safety benefit. It can have a positive impact for these reasons, but tackling indiscipline effectively is a complex process and school uniform will be only one of a large number of factors and would not be a panacea on its own.

YES: Lindsay Gilbert, head of schools programme, ChildLine - A uniform has the potential to improve discipline, by helping to create a common school identity, or disguise financial inequalities between pupils. However, uniform is not the be all and end all; schools need to make pupils truly feel like equal partners in the school community. It is far more important that children feel safe and valued and therefore uniform must be part of a package that creates an inclusive learning environment. Sometimes rules can be restrictive.