First published: Thursday 12 March 2015
With the increase in faith schools, uniforms are often asked to do more than simply ensure that students are neat and tidy and easily recognisable. For faith schools, uniforms may serve to ensure adherence – or, at least, the appearance of adherence - to religiously related codes of conduct and modesty, for teachers and parents as well as students. Professor Reina Lewis of the London College of Fashion brings her Faith & Fashion series to JW3 in North London to discuss what constitutes today's school wardrobe.
Joining Reina to consider the nuance of school wear, are Claire Drucquer, a religious studies teacher who, as schools coordinator for Three Faiths Forum, works with people of all faiths and beliefs to build new intercommunal relationships, Patrick Moriarty, the Headteacher of JCoSS, the UK’s first pluralist Jewish Secondary School who has a keen interest in interfaith dialogue, Aliya Azam, Head of Science at the Al Sadiq and Al Zahra Schools, whose interfaith activities include being Shia Co-President of the Christian Muslim Forum, and Rachel Fink, Headteacher of Hasmonean High School for Girls, currently participating in Cambridge’s interfaith Coexist Leadership Programme.