Mandatory school uniforms could return in Romania, with bullying and student safety cited as reasons

Mandatory school uniforms could return to Romania under a bill proposed this summer by PSD senators. The measure remains under debate in the Senate and received a favorable opinion from the public administration committee on September 2.

The sponsors argue that growing socioeconomic differences among students are increasingly visible in their clothing. They say those differences fuel social exclusion, psychological pressure and bullying based on a family’s financial status, while distracting students from education and affecting discipline at school.

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The pre-university school environment in Romania is facing an intensification of socioeconomic differences among students, clearly visible in the clothing worn in educational institutions.

They also say the current pre-university education law leaves uniform decisions to individual schools without national rules on equality or safety. In their view, the lack of common clothing makes it harder to identify students and control access by outsiders.

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This situation fuels phenomena of social exclusion, psychological pressure and bullying based on the family’s financial status.

The bill would make uniforms compulsory in state schools but leave each school community free to choose the design. It would prohibit a single supplier from holding a monopoly and allow subsidies for a basic uniform kit. The senators say the measure would reduce the visibility of differences in families’ material status and limit judgments based on expensive brands or fashion trends.

The proposal’s sponsors point to France’s pilot program for a standard outfit and Britain’s school uniform policies. They say those examples show a move toward standardized clothing in the name of equity. They also argue that a common outfit would help security staff and teachers identify students quickly and strengthen schools’ ability to prevent unauthorized people from entering.

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By introducing a uniform outfit, the visibility of differences in the material status of students’ families is reduced.