A chara, - Well done to the Combat Poverty Agency for tackling the issue of school uniforms (The Irish Times, August 9th). It is entirely reasonable that standard uniforms should be widely and cheaply available.
There is much snobbery and elitism about uniforms. Some secondary schools seem to want the most expensive possible, in the belief that this enhances the image of the school and attracts pupils from wealthier families.
I know of one case in Dublin where a busybody principal rebuked a pupil on the public street - where a principal has no jurisdiction - for being in her school uniform while holding hands with her boyfriend.
If certain schools were more concerned with proper standards of education than with cultivating a spurious image, their pupils and society would be better served. - Yours, etc,
MICHEÁL MACDONNCHA, Cill Bharróg, Baile Átha Cliath 5.