Dutch School Uniforms and Schoolwear


Figure 1.--Dutch boys for the most part have never wore school uniforms, although we do not yet have information on the 19th century. Almost all of the images that we have noted in the 20th century are of Dutch children wearing their own clothes. Here we see Dutch children, probably in the 1950s. 

Dutch boys for the most part have never wore school uniforms, although we do not yet have information on the 19th century. Almost all of the images that we have noted in the 20th century are of Dutch children wearing their own clothes. There have been styles that were especially popular for school, but for the most part schoolwear is a good indicator of what Dutch children were wearing at the time. This seems to have been a realtively common approach in Europe as a whole. Thus these images are a good reflection of contemporary Dutch clothing styles. There appear to have been a few private schools that have required uniforms. We have not yet acquire any images showing the uniforms worn at these schools. A Dutch reader tells us that the idea of school uniform is very unpopular with modern Dutch children. He tells us, "When a principal of a school in Utrecht suggested uniforms, all of his students started wearing lots of jewelry, painted their hair, wore tanktops, westernboots , oversized 'skate'-trousers that show as much of your underwear as possible, etc."

Chronology

Dutch boys for the most part have never wore school uniforms, although we do not yet have information on the 19th century. Our archives of Dutch school images is still quite limited. We havev no 19th century images at this time, but we suspect that some schools in the 19th century may have had uniforms. Clearly in the 20th century Dutch children did not wear uniforms, although we are not sure about the early 20th century before World War I. We have numerous images from the 20th century after the War that clearly show that Dutch children did not wear school uniforms.

Regular Clothes

Almost all of the images that we have noted in the 20th century are of Dutch children wearing their own clothes. There have been styles that were especially popular for school, but for the most part schoolwear is a good indicator of what Dutch children were wearing at the time. This seems to have been a realtively common approach in Europe as a whole. Thus these images are a good reflection of contemporary Dutch clothing styles.

Private Schools

There appear to have been a few private schools that have required uniforms. We have not yet posted any images showing the uniforms worn at these schools so we can not confirm that there were uniforms. I seem to recall an image of a privare schools with the boys wearing yniforns from about 1960. I will have to dig it out of our archive. A Dutch reader tells us that Dutch scholls did not have uniforms. Perhaps they just had more demanding dress codes.

Comparison with Other Countries

A Dutch reader tells us, "The Netherlands is the only country in western Europe where school uniforms don't exist. As far as I know there are no, or very few, schools in Britain without uniforms as you wrote. [HBC note: Actually many primary schools do not have uniforms, but almost all secondary schools have them.] Lots of school in Germany, France, Spain and Belgium have school uniforms. [HBC note: We know of no German schools with school uniforms and very few schools in the other countries with uniforms.] And when they don't have them they often have dresscodes. F.i. (I read in in a Belgium schoolguide): 'the children have to wear white shirts and dark blue trousers or skirts. No jewelry for boys, no dreadlocks, painted hair, no long hair for boys. Children have to be well-dressed, no t-shirts, no jogging-pants.....' (etc.). This doesn't mean that all schools in Belgium etc. have uniforms, not at all. But it is more common, and the number of uniformed schools hs increased the last few years since a certain right-wing-movement has stand up in Europe. Those things didn't exist in the Netherlands." I think our Dutch reader may be over emphasizing the popularity of school uniforms in other countries. Dress codes are another mastter. It seems that even dress codes are not common in the Netherlands.

Unpopular with Children

The idea of wearing a school uniform appears to be a very unpopular idea with modern Dutch children. A Dutch reader tells us that the idea of school uniform is very unpopular with modern Dutch children. He tells us, "When a principal of a school in Utrecht suggested uniforms, all of his students started wearing lots of jewelry, painted their hair, wore tanktops, westernboots , oversized 'skate'-trousers that show as much of your underwear as possible, etc. The school principal was treated as a kind of 'pre-War-fool."

Current Reassessment

Dutch parents seem to be reassessing their attitude toward school uniforms. AcDutch reader tells us, "Since the World Trade Center attack in America (September 2001), the killing of a wellknown Dutch filmmaker (october 2004) and the increase of Muslims in Holland, there has begun a national discussion about moral values. Some parents and schools think the 'problem' must be solved by introducing uniforms (no teasing anymore, no provocative-looking' girls that can be troubled by religious educated muslim boys). So the free, liberal behaviour that Dutch boys and girls are famous for (and sometimes disapproved in other countries) is under pressure. As far as their appearance is concerned. Which is not a real solution I think, because Moroccan, or red haired, or fat boys stay Moroccan, red haired or fat even in a uniform."






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Created: 11:22 PM 4/22/2005
Last updated: 6:37 PM 5/10/2005