Kathy Nazer is the area manager for Just Learning, a nursery chain which offers children the option of wearing a uniform which consists of a polo shirt, sweatshirt and summer cap, all with the Just Learning logo embroidered on them.
She finds that the children have different reactions to the uniform. 'Some of the children like to wear it because it makes them feel important and they are quite proud of it, but others are not interested at all,' she says, 'But, to us, all the children are important and we don't push it, the option is just there if they want it.'
Some parents like their children to wear a uniform because it is practical and they don't have to think about what their children should wear. As Nigel Collins, marketing manager for Academy Childcare, says, 'a child's uniform is easy to wash, there are no arguments over getting dressed and children look smart and have a sense of group identity.' Other parents, however, are opposed to their children all being dressed alike and want to encourage their children's developing sense of identity by allowing them to wear whatever they want.
