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Welsh schools make uniform gender neutral

school-uniformImage source, Getty Images

School uniforms are to be made more affordable and gender neutral in schools in Wales.

This means that more simple uniform designs will be encouraged, and that boys and girls will not be forced to wear skirts or trousers based on their gender.

The Welsh Government's guidelines for school uniform were created in 2011, but only now have they become compulsory.

The idea is to make uniform more affordable and accessible to everyone.

Gender neutral uniform will mean boys and girls are allowed to wear the uniform they feel most comfortable in.

This means that things like trousers cannot be made just for boys - both girls and boys can wear them.

Schools will be challenged to rethink using logos on school uniforms to allow parents and guardians to buy uniform from different kinds of shops.

Instead, simpler designs - which are often cheaper and more easily available - will be encouraged.

This means that a school might just use basic items and colours, instead of specially designed logos and patterns.

Parents are also allowed to challenge schools that do not accept these new guidelines.

Media caption,

Hear what some kids think of their uniform

Different uniforms for summer and winter might also scrapped at some schools.

Some parents and guardians are anxious about the cost of these guidelines now coming into force.

But there are grants that parents are able to get from the Welsh Government to help them with the cost of uniform.

Media caption,

Other ways to make uniform cheaper are through swaps like this one

What are your thoughts?

What do you think of Wales' changes to uniform?

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