page_title: School uniforms by country
section_title: South Africa
hierarchical_section_title: School uniforms by country / South Africa
caption_attribution_description: English: Gr 12 A Class Feb 2013
context_page_description: School uniform is a practice which dates to the 16th century in England. It is believed that the Christ's Hospital school in London in 1552 was the first school to use a uniform for its students. The earliest documented proof of institutionalised use of a standard academic dress dates back to 1222 when the Archbishop of Canterbury ordered the wearing of the cappa clausa.
  The practice of wearing school uniform has been adopted by many other countries, and is now common in many parts of the world. Uniforms can be regarded as promoting social equality among students and an esprit de corps, but have also been criticised for promoting a form of uniformity characteristic of militarism.
  The decision as to whether to implement school uniform policy or not is a controversial one and also polarised in societies and countries. In countries such as the United Kingdom, South Africa and a number of Asian nations, school children have to wear approved school uniforms that conform to the uniform policy of their school.
context_section_description: As in many other former British colonies, all South African private and public schools have a uniform, and it is compulsory in all public schools and in the vast majority of private schools for children above pre-school level. Uniform types vary less between public and private schools than they do across regions, where schools in more rural areas tend to forgo the daily wearing of ties and/or blazers for boys and girls regardless of their public or private nature. However, many of these same schools will have a "number ones" uniform for special occasions which include such items. In cities such as Cape Town, on the other hand, it is more common to see formal apparel required in public and private schools on a daily basis.
  Many schools across South Africa also provide the choice between a summer and winter uniform, with khaki uniforms and brown shoes being very common in the summer. Although many schools allow girls to also wear trousers (especially during winter months) South African law has not required gender neutrality in school dress codes and a distinction between girls' and boys' uniforms remains. Boys of all ages are normally required to wear grey or khaki long or short trousers with socks, and the socks are usually long when worn with shorts, as in the illustration (right). Until recently, the straw boater was a common accessory in affluent public and private high schools, although these have now become optional in some cases.
  Nearly all schools, public or fee paying, have sports' kits (uniforms) that often allow bare feet for junior schools, regardless of the season.
caption: Students of Sinenjongo High School in Cape Town, South Africa.
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