The history of the school uniform. The history of school uniforms in Russia: from the 19th century to the present day

Now in Russia there are no uniform rules regarding school uniforms. Specific styles and the very fact of wearing a uniform regulate individual schools based on their ideas of discipline and beauty. But it was not always so. For the first time, the compulsory school uniform in the Russian Empire was introduced by Nicholas I, and since then it has changed several times depending on the preferences of a particular ruler.

For those who are preparing for the main school exam

Any clothing - from restrictive pencil skirts and formal suits to Hawaiian shirts and evening dresses - affects a person's behavior. For the first time members of monastic orders used the uniform form of clothing to indicate belonging to a certain group. With the advent of standing armies in the 17th century, the military began to wear uniforms. The first experience of introducing a school uniform was undertaken in the 16th century in the English charity school for children from poor families "Christ's Shelter", but this practice became widespread only after 200 years.

First English school uniform, 16th century

School uniform was supposed to have an additional disciplinary effect on students, accustoming children to the fact that they are in a special social space, where their own rules and procedures apply. In countries with different political systems, uniforms can have directly opposite functions: either to emphasize the elitism of students, or, conversely, to equalize children from families with different incomes. For two centuries of the existence of a school uniform in Russia, the same clothes performed all the functions.

The prerequisites for the introduction of school uniforms in the Russian Empire arose at the beginning of the 19th century. Established by Alexander I, the Ministry of Public Education (MNP) in 1804 adopted the "Charter of educational institutions subordinate to universities", which divided the country into six educational districts with the university at the head. Gymnasium dresses were not officially regulated, however, pupils of prestigious gymnasiums and boarding schools borrowed uniforms from students in their educational districts.

High school students in pre-revolutionary Russia, late 19th century

A mandatory uniform for all gymnasium students was introduced by Emperor Nicholas I. According to the “Regulations on Civil Uniforms” dated February 27 (March 11), 1834, all students of educational institutions subordinate to the MNP had to “have a uniform of dark green cloth with a dark blue cloth collar with gold or silver galloon buttonholes by districts. Cut both the uniforms and the frock coats required for students and pupils to have the current one and wear dark green cloth caps with a band in the color of the collar. The boarders of the three St. Petersburg gymnasiums were supposed to wear blue single-breasted jackets with a red stand-up collar and gilded buttons instead of frock coats. Ceremonial uniforms, the details of which had the same color scheme, were decorated with gold galloon buttonholes. Each of these educational institutions had its own color of piping on the cap: the First St. Petersburg Gymnasium had red, the Second had white, and the Third had blue.

Pre-revolutionary gymnasium uniform

The emperor's son Alexander II, having barely ascended the throne, rushed to change the clothes of the military and officials. The standards of school uniforms have also changed, repeating the military style in everything. Since 1855, gymnasium frock coats and jackets have acquired beveled stand-up collars, which were a hallmark of the imperial guard. For ceremonial receptions, students wore single-breasted dark green semi-caftans, similar to those worn by officials.

For a long time, the reformer could not decide what clothes high school students should wear. The color of uniforms, fittings, details and piping changed several times. In 1868, a dark blue single-breasted uniform with nine silvered buttons and a slant collar with a narrow silver galloon became the standard. Together with the uniform, they wore wide dark blue trousers and a cap of the same color with a leather visor and white piping. Belonging to an educational institution was now indicated by a code consisting of letters and numbers above the visor: “S. P. B. 1G.” - St. Petersburg First Gymnasium, "R. G." - Richelieu gymnasium and so on. Because of the color of the school uniform, the schoolchildren were teased by their peers with "blue beef".

Under Nicholas II, the uniform became somewhat more comfortable, the wardrobe of schoolchildren was replenished with tunics and tunics. In winter, the high school students wore light gray double-breasted coats with blue flaps and a white piping at the collar, and if it got too cold, they wore black earmuffs. In the north-west of the Russian Empire, the color of student tunics was dark blue, in the south - gray. In the summer they dressed in Kolomyanka blouses like those worn by the cadets. Shirts and blouses were girdled with a black lacquered belt with a buckle engraved with the cipher of the gymnasium. Black cloth trousers remained an invariable attribute of the costume at any time of the year.

Pupils of prestigious schools - gymnasiums, real and commercial schools - under Nicholas II continued to wear a ceremonial blue uniform. Students of industrial, urban and religious schools, as well as agricultural and craft schools, dressed up in jackets and jackets for the holidays.

The school uniform for girls was enshrined at the state level 60 years later than the boys. Catherine II founded the first educational institution for women in the Russian Empire - the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens - in 1764. The girls placed in the institute for many years turned out to be isolated from the negative, according to the empress, influence of the ignorant environment. One of the tools for “ennobling” the girls was uniforms, the color of which became the lighter the closer the institute girl was to the end of her studies: in the elementary grades, the dresses were brown, then blue, then gray, and the graduates went in white.

Graduates of the Smolny Institute

Over the next century, many educational institutions for women arose in the Russian Empire, including colleges, schools, and gymnasiums. Following the example of Smolny, they introduced a school uniform, but it appearance depended only on the wishes of the management of institutions. The gymnasium uniform for girls was approved in 1896. Unlike the pupils of Smolny, the schoolgirls wore not colored silk, but brown woolen dresses, over which an apron was tied: black - on weekdays, and white - on holidays. Different gymnasia shades of brown varied, some students came to class in checkered dresses.

After the revolution of 1917, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopted a decree "On a unified labor school", which abolished the division of schools into different kind schools and high schools. The old uniform was abolished as a symbol of belonging to the upper class and a relic of the bourgeois past. In addition, the state did not have the means to provide uniforms for all the children of the RSFSR. Schoolchildren went to school in what their parents could afford, some wore the clothes of older brothers and sisters.

Women's school uniform, 1917

Since 1949, the transition to a universal seven-year education began in the USSR, along with which the compulsory school uniform returned. For boys, these were gray-blue tunics with plain trousers and caps with yellow piping and a leather strap. The tunics were girded with a black patent leather belt with a buckle. The girls returned to the same brown dresses, only their length became noticeably shorter. The new rules also affected hair styling: they had to be braided and tied with bows to match the color of the apron, on weekdays - black, on holidays - white. In general, the "totalitarian" Soviet school uniform practically did not differ from the "elitist" pre-revolutionary one.

School uniform of a first grader, 1955

The demilitarization that began during the Khrushchev thaw was also reflected in the clothes of schoolchildren. In 1962, the tunic was replaced by a gray wool blend suit - trousers and a single-breasted jacket with plastic buttons, under which it was required to wear a white shirt. After 11 years, the suits became dark blue - the boys wore trousers with jackets that were similar in cut to the jeans that were gaining popularity.

First-graders of one of the schools in the Kievsky district of the capital, 1962

In the early 1980s, uniforms for high school students appeared. From the eighth grade, boys could wear a blue two-piece suit, girls a three-piece suit, consisting of a skirt, vest and jacket. From the first to the seventh grade, schoolgirls continued to wear brown dresses with an apron - in 90 years, almost nothing has changed in them.

Uniform of high school students, 1979

With collapse Soviet Union school uniform was abolished. The Law “On Education” of 1992 did not regulate the procedure for introducing a school uniform in any way, leaving this issue to the discretion of the educational institutions themselves. If the school wanted to establish requirements for the clothes of students, this norm should have been fixed in the charter or the corresponding local act.

In the fall of 2012, the director of a school in the Stavropol Territory refused to allow several Muslim students in hijabs to attend classes. According to the charter, it was possible to attend classes only in secular clothes. A few months later, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Federal Law "On Education in Russian Federation". From September 1, 2013, the administrations of educational institutions may establish requirements for schoolchildren's clothing "in accordance with the standard requirements approved by the authorized state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation."

School uniform in the Russian Empire

Photo by A. S. Antonov in the Tambov real school

Classroom of the Alexander real school

In 1834, a general system of all civilian uniforms in the Russian Empire was approved, including for secondary educational institutions. The regulation on the gymnasium uniform for girls was approved in 1896.

The form of students of secondary educational institutions had a semi-military character. Similar in style, their caps, overcoats and tunics differed in color, piping, as well as buttons and emblems. Gymnasium students had light blue caps with a black visor, colored edging and an emblem. The emblem was attached to the band and consisted of two silver palm branches, between which were placed the initials of the city, the number of the gymnasium and the letter "G" (for example, "SPB.3.G." or "M.5.G."). In summer, a kolomyanka cover was put on the top of the cap. In winter, in the cold, they put on headphones made of black felt on a brown bike inside. In addition, in cold weather they wore a natural camel's wool hood, trimmed with gray braid.

The daily uniform of the gymnasium students consisted of a blue cloth tunic (the fabric is darker than on the cap) with silver convex buttons, belted with a black lacquered belt with a silver buckle, on which the same letters and numbers were engraved and painted over with black paint, as on the emblem (but without palm branches). The trousers of the gymnasium students were black, without piping. The boots were black with laces. In the summer, gymnasium students wore Kolomyanka gymnasts with silver buttons.

Senior students usually did not go in tunics, but in jackets with a standing collar, like a naval tunic. In some gymnasiums, tunics and jackets were adopted not blue, but gray, while trousers were always black.

Gymnasium students also had an exit uniform - a uniform, dark blue or dark gray, single-breasted, with a collar trimmed with silver galloon. This uniform was worn both with a belt and without a belt (outside of school). A starched collar was worn to the uniform. The overcoat was of the officer type, light gray, double-breasted, with silver buttons, blue buttonholes, in the color of the cap, with white piping and buttons. The overcoats were cold and wadded, with a quilted gray lining. Instead of a scarf, they wore a black cloth bib, like sailors. Pupils of elementary grades were allowed a black astrakhan collar in winter.

Teachers and, above all, guards strictly enforced all the rules for wearing a costume.

But according to unwritten rules, a high school student on the street was supposed to hide the number of the gymnasium where he studied, so that a high school student who committed a misdemeanor could remain unidentified. The number had to be broken off the cap, and the schoolboy who did not do this was severely persecuted by his comrades. For the same purpose, it turned over, the belt badge was hidden.

Gymnasium students were strictly forbidden to wear costume items of different colors, for example, a gray blouse and black trousers. The suit had to be only black. However, high school students often wore pants and suits of different colors.

Everyday dresses of pupils were sewn from camlot. Preparatory school girls (from five to seven years old) wore coffee or brown dresses; from eight to ten - light blue or blue; eleven to thirteen are grey. Senior schoolgirls wore white dresses. The dresses were closed ("deaf"), one-color, of the simplest cut. They wore a white apron, a white cape, and sometimes white sleeves.

School uniform in the USSR

1920s-1950s: From experiment to classic

This uniform existed until the end of the 1962 school year. On September 1, 1962, first grade boys went to school in a new uniform - without caps with a cockade, without waist belts with a massive buckle, without tunics. The uniform for girls has not changed much.

1950s postcard

In addition, separate education was introduced in 1943, which, however, was abandoned in 1954.

The strict morals of the Stalin era extended, of course, to school life. The most insignificant experiments with the length or other parameters of the school uniform were severely punished by the administration of the educational institution.

Since the early 1960s, the uniform has been changed in the direction of moving away from "military". The boys received a gray wool-blend suit - trousers and a single-breasted jacket with three black plastic buttons. Recommended under a jacket White shirt. In the lower grades, it was customary to sew a white collar over the jacket collar. The cap was replaced by a dark blue beret. The uniform for girls remained the same. In 1960, a new form appeared in Leningrad. Since 1962, the new form has become mandatory, although many students until the mid-1960s could still go to school in the old one. There were no mandatory requirements for wearing a uniform outside of school or for winter outerwear.

Thaw

Patch emblems for the jacket of the junior and middle classes (left) and the jacket of the senior classes (right) to the uniform for boys of the 1975 model

For boys, from the 1975-1976 school year, gray woolen trousers and jackets were replaced with trousers and jackets made of blue wool blend fabric. The cut of the jackets resembled classic denim jackets (the so-called “denim fashion” was gaining momentum in the world) with epaulets on the shoulders and breast pockets with brace-shaped flaps } ). The jacket was fastened with aluminum buttons, reminiscent of the military in design. Buttons were 2 diameters - smaller for elementary school students and more for high school students. On the side of the sleeve was sewn an emblem (chevron) made of soft plastic with a drawn open textbook and a rising sun - a symbol of enlightenment. For high school boys, trousers and a jacket were replaced with a trouser suit. The fabric color was still blue. Also blue was the emblem on the sleeve. On this emblem, in addition to the sun and an open book, there was a stylized image of an atom. Very often the emblem was cut off, as it did not look very aesthetically pleasing, especially after some time - the paint on the plastic began to wear off. There were also very rare embossed emblems made of fabric-based plastic. They did not lose color and looked very elegant.

School uniforms of the Soviet era (or dresses stylized as them) with white aprons are traditionally worn by graduates on the Last Bell as a symbol of farewell to the school, and less often on other holidays. However, in a number of schools (several lyceums in Naberezhnye Chelny, the Prokhorov Gymnasium, a number of schools in Krasnoyarsk and Ufa), dresses and aprons for girls either survived from the Soviet era or were reintroduced in the 2000s in order to raise the discipline of students.

Gymnasium girls. Kursk, 1908-1912.

A Brief History of School Uniforms in Russia
Institute of Noble Maidens

In 1764, Catherine II founded the Educational Society for Noble Maidens, which later became known as the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens. The purpose of this educational institution, as stated in the decree, was "... to give the state educated women, good mothers, useful members of the family and society."

Education and upbringing went "by age". Girls of each age group wore dresses of a certain color: the youngest (5-7 years old) - coffee-colored, so they were called "coffee houses", 8-10 years old - blue or blue, 11-13 years old - gray, older girls went in white dresses . The dresses were closed ("deaf"), one-color, of the simplest cut. They wore a white apron, a white cape, and sometimes white sleeves. Girls received an advanced education for Europe: reading, languages, the basics of mathematics, physics, chemistry, dancing, knitting, manners, music.

Alexandra Levshina. (Apparently, the role of Zaira in Voltaire's tragedy of the same name).

Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum

School uniforms in the Russian Empire were considered a matter of national importance. In 1834, the general system of all civilian uniforms in the Russian Empire was approved, and the boys, like all employees in the military or civilian field, wore a semi-military uniform. Be sure to uniform uniform, uniform cap and shirt front. Outerwear was a semi-military overcoat.

The most famous is the form of the Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum - a privileged educational institution for the children of the nobility, which Pushkin graduated from. Children of 10-12 years old were admitted to the lyceum, high-ranking officials were trained from the pupils. The lyceum had a humanitarian and legal orientation. The level of education was equal to the university level, graduates received civil ranks from the 14th to the 9th grade.

Volkhovsky V.D.

Summer form of boarding houses

Boarding houses for girls - state and commercial - in the second half of the 19th century spread throughout Russia. Each educational institution adopted a uniform of its own color, but equally modest in appearance. Older girls were already taken out into the world, to balls and receptions, so that the young lady could find a “suitable match” and arrange her future life.

Since many girls lived in boarding houses all the time, for the summer they were allowed to change their everyday uniform to a lighter one - summer. Before us is one of the options for the summer form of boarding houses for walking. But even outside the educational institution, the girl had to look strict and touching - in a boater hat and a long dress.

Gymnasiums

The oldest Russian gymnasium is the Akademicheskaya, founded in 1726. But the real flowering of gymnasiums dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, when the Ministry of Public Education was formed. Gymnasiums began to spring up throughout the Russian Empire. The uniform of the gymnasium students consisted of a cap, overcoat, tunic, trousers and dress uniform. In winter, in the cold, they put on headphones and a hood. At each educational institution, they differed in color, piping, buttons and emblems. Teachers and guards strictly monitored the observance of all the rules for wearing a suit, which were detailed in the charter of educational institutions.
Gymnasiums were classical, real, commercial, military. And women's.

Portrait of a high school student Kaydalov

The gymnasium uniform for girls was approved only 63 years after the male one. In state gymnasiums, pupils wore brown dresses with high collars and aprons. Mandatory turn-down collar and straw hat. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were more than 160 women's gymnasiums. Upon graduation, the girls were given a certificate for the title of home teacher.

Soviet uniform

In 1918, the gymnasium uniform was recognized as a bourgeois relic and abolished. But in 1948 they actually returned to their pre-revolutionary form. The Soviet form of the new model appeared only in 62. She already looked more like civilian clothes - without tunics, without caps, belts. The uniform for girls repeated the form of gymnasiums, only it was much shorter. Mandatory were a black or white festive apron, lace collar, cuffs, white or black bows.

In the 70s, the boys got a jacket tailored to look like denim, and the older boys got a pantsuit. In the late 80s, school uniforms were in short supply, they were even sold on coupons. One of the reasons for the demand was its good quality and traditionally low price. Adults began to wear it as everyday and work clothes.

Compulsory school uniforms were officially abolished in Russia in 1992.

In addition:

The children of the Borovichi excise officer Shileiko are a gymnasium student and a student of a real school. (Photo from the archive of the Borovichi Museum of Local Lore).

Borovichi at the beginning of the last century could not boast of a large number of educational institutions. In the women's gymnasium (now the House of Education Workers), in the real school (secondary school No. 1), the number of students was small: they were filled mainly by children of wealthy parents who were able to pay for education. And primary education was carried out mainly by parochial schools. True, they were then almost at every church in the city and county.
In the morning the lessons began with a prayer. The gymnasium girls gathered in the hall at the bell and, having sung a prayer in chorus, dispersed to classes. In addition, it was obligatory for girls to visit the Trinity Cathedral (now the city's House of Culture). Every year it was necessary to submit a certificate that the students had passed the rite of confession and Holy Communion.
In the women's gymnasium, the main emphasis was on Latin. Why they filled children's heads with a dead language, only the highest officials knew ... However, French, German and Old Church Slavonic were also taught.
The schoolgirls had brown woolen dresses, sewn in a strict form, and black aprons. The teachers wore uniforms at that time: men - a jacket and a cap with a cockade, women - a blue woolen dress of any shape. The teaching profession was very respected, passers-by on the street pointed and whispered in admiration: “Look, here comes the teacher!”.
The men's gymnasium was located in Novgorod. Gymnasium students could then study at universities or institutes, while gymnasium girls sat at home in anticipation of marriage. Only in rare cases did they go to serve in different state and control chambers or treasuries, there were practically no other ways.
The real school gave knowledge in mathematics, physics, drawing, and graduates, as a rule, later became technicians, mechanics, engineers. There was also a craft school that trained turners, metalworkers, and carpenters.
There was a theological school in Borovichi (in the building of the current professional lyceum No. 8), where seminarians studied the Law of God.
And it is also worth remembering that the program of educational institutions has not changed for decades, like textbooks. Therefore, senior students, as a rule, sold Kraevich's “Physics” or Yevtushevsky's Arithmetic, which they no longer needed, to junior classes. Moreover, there were few bookstores then.
Mikhail VASILIEV.

school uniform in modern world applied in two cases.

In the first case, individual schools and universities introduce it as a symbol of elitism, belonging to the upper stratum of society. This is usually done on the scale of one elite school and this form is usually very expensive, beautiful and really distinguishes children from their peers.

In the second case, when it is introduced as a universal element of school clothes throughout the country, they do it to equalize all children. These are either very poor countries (CAR, Kenya, Nigeria, etc.), or totalitarian ( former USSR, Syria, North Korea, China, etc.). In this case, of course, the form is applied throughout the country, but it is made of very cheap materials and looks ... the same, which is what is required of it :-)

But this is in the modern world - in ancient times it was used only to emphasize the fact of belonging to a higher, educated class.

Since ancient times.

The first schools appeared a very long time ago, at the very dawn of the emergence of human civilization. One can even say that schools were an indispensable attribute of civilization as such. And since the oldest civilization (of those that we know) is Egyptian, the first schools, lessons, teachers and students were right here, in the shadow of the famous pyramids and the Sphinx.

school tradition ancient egypt much deeper and richer than any school tradition, since it was formed and developed over several thousand years. Only noble Egyptian youths could study: the children of the pharaoh and his family, the children of priests and high-ranking officials, or only occasionally those who really wanted to learn. There was no school uniform.

Education in Ancient Egypt (top)

Schoolchildren-students of ancient Egypt kept their study records on papyri, and upon entering and graduating from school (as in our time) they passed exams. Another of the essential attributes of education in the Egyptian school was the initiation of schoolchildren into theatrical religious mysteries. Probably, initially only them were taught at school, this is also evidenced by the fact that all schools were attached to temples.

Let's go from Egypt to ancient east- the so-called Mesopotamia (the Tigris and Euphrates rivers). Nearly in every city of Mesopotamia there were schools organized at the temples, and by the III millennium BC. e. the number of schools in Mesopotamia was significant.

In Sumerian, the school was called "edubba" - "house of tablets" - and was intended primarily for the training of scribes. In the process of teaching writing, clay tablets were used, on which students wrote with a pointed stick (style). Most of the schools were small, with 20-30 students, with one teacher who created model tablets, the children copied them and memorized them. The teaching methodology was based on repeated repetition. In large "edubbs" (they were called "houses of knowledge") there were several teachers of writing, counting, drawing, many rooms for classes and storage of tablets.

Special there was no school uniform in Mesopotamia, but the children dressed approximately like future scribes and always carried a couple of tablets and a writing stick with them.

In the school of ancient Sumer

By the 1st millennium BC. e. the Sumerian ideal of education is emerging, including a high level of mastery of writing, drafting documents, the art of singing and music, the ability to make reasonable decisions, knowledge of magical rites, information from geography and biology, and mathematical calculations.

From Egypt and Mesopotamia, civilization, and with it the school, migrated to Greece. The beginnings of the school uniform came from ancient times. The ancient Greeks already in very early times great attention was paid to the education of children. The Greeks sought to educate an intellectual and healthy person, well developed physically, to combine the beauty of the body and moral virtues. By the 5th c. BC. there were no illiterate people among the free Athenians. Education has moved from home to school.

The first known school in ancient Greece was created by the famous philosopher and scientist Pythagoras and named after him - the Pythagorean school.

School of Pythagoras

Pythagoras in his youth traveled a lot in search of wisdom and knowledge, in particular he was in Egypt, and not just was, but was trained in the Egyptian temple. He was a diligent student and what he learned in Egypt he successfully exported to Greece, creating his Pythagorean school in the Egyptian manner. Well, then such a necessary social institution as a school spread throughout Greece.

After seven years, the boys from the hands of the mother and the nurse were transferred to the care of the father and the slave teacher (translated from Greek, the word "teacher" means "accompanying the child"), who followed the upbringing of the boy and accompanied him to school.

At school the form of clothing was a short tunic and light armor with artistic trim and mantles- this is a piece of dense fabric thrown over the shoulders and fastened on the shoulder, chest. For centuries, this form has remained the same model for learning boys.

From the age of 16-18, boys could continue their education in gymnasiums, schools of rhetoricians and philosophers.

The girls learned to read and write under the supervision of their mother, and gradually became involved in domestic women's work: needlework, spinning, weaving. They certainly had to be able to sing and dance in order to further participate in ritual holidays. They were also familiar with literature. It is known that already in the 7th century. BC. in some areas of Greece there were girls' schools where girls studied music, poetry, singing and dancing. One of these schools (according to legend) was led by the famous poetess Sappho. In her poems there are tender lyrical lines dedicated to female students brought up in an atmosphere of grace and beauty.

In different cities of Greece, training took place in different ways. In Sparta, where upbringing was a matter exclusively for the state, study and education were built with the aim of raising, first of all, a warrior and the mother of a warrior. For 13 years - from 7 to 20 years old - the boys were in state camps, constantly exercising physically. Girls also paid a lot of attention to sports, competed on an equal footing with boys in competitions.

The rigidity and severity of the Spartan methods of education made them a household name (hence the expression "Spartan conditions", i.e. very harsh), and if endurance, firmness and conciseness (Laconia = Sparta) have earned praise and approval from descendants for centuries, then cruelty and excessive passion military training to the detriment of mental and artistic development was already condemned by contemporaries of the Spartans, the inhabitants of other city-states, where the ideal of "kalokagatiya" reigned - beauty and goodness, merged together.

(click to enlarge)

Were in Ancient Greece and special school insignia "distinction". For example, in the Peripatetic school of Aristotle, founded by him in 334 BC, the pupils and Aristotle himself wore ties tied with a special “eastern” knot, and white togas thrown over the left shoulder.

public school in rome, open to all comers, appeared during the period of the empire, or rather, in the second half of the 1st century AD. However, there was no uniform, only clothes for gymnastic exercises were generally accepted. But if during the lessons it was discovered that the student's clothes were untidy, he was punished, and in case of repeated cases of slovenliness, he was expelled from school in disgrace.

At the Roman school

Like any children in any era, Roman children spent most of their time in various games. The favorite pastimes of children in ancient Rome were not too different from the games of today's children: boys played ball, hide and seek, and girls played rag dolls. With the exception of children from patrician families, who could play in their own gardens, children mainly played in the squares and streets of the city, in city parks.

In general, children were often given the opportunity to have fun: religious festivals, circus spectacles, military parades and the triumphs of various generals were excellent occasions for entertainment. Already in those days, toy weapons were popular: swords, bows, wooden broadswords.

School in ancient Rome

In ancient India education was family-school in nature, and the role of the family was dominant. India has a distinct caste system. social structure. Up to the 5th c. BC e. during the period of Hinduism, education and training in ancient India was based on the idea that each person should develop his moral, physical and mental qualities in order to organically fit into his caste.

Boys began their studies at the age of 7-8, their initiation into students took place in the form of the Upanayama rite, but the teaching of reading and counting began a few years before it. After passing the upanayama, training began with a teacher, whose relationship with the students developed according to the “father-children” model: the students lived in the teacher’s house, obeyed and revered him in everything.

All students were required to wear specific clothing to class.- dhoti kurta. "Dhoti kurta" - a strip of fabric draped around the hips and legs, and a shirt to the waist, which differs among different castes in ornament, tailoring and material. Later, with the development of Buddhism and Hinduism in the 1st-6th centuries, school clothes also changed. The students began to wear "kurta" and "padzhami" - a long shirt and wide trousers.

Education in ancient India

At the end of the 1st millennium BC. e. in ancient India, Buddhism arises, which promotes the spread of education and coexists with Hinduism. During this period, the number of schools that open at Buddhist monasteries, located throughout ancient India, increases, at the same time there are an elementary religious "school of the Vedas" and a secular school.

The success of Buddhist schools was due to the absence of caste division, tolerance for non-Christians, and a combination of spiritual and secular education. Buddhist teachers organized individual training Based on the results of constant monitoring of students, education and upbringing was not authoritarian, but recommendatory.

In II-VI centuries. there was a revival of Hinduism, as a result of which education acquired a practical orientation. A two-stage education system developed: elementary schools (tol), where they taught counting, reading and writing in Sanskrit and local languages, and secondary schools (agrahar), the curriculum of which included geography, mathematics, languages, medicine, sculpture, painting, etc. e. Much attention was paid to moral education.

In Ancient and Medieval China

The history of the Chinese school has its roots in ancient times and is perhaps the first formalized learning process in history, so let's dwell on the Chinese school in more detail.

According to legend, the first schools in China arose in the 3rd millennium BC. The first written evidence of the existence of schools in ancient China was preserved in various inscriptions related to ancient era Shang (Yin) (16-11 centuries BC).

Only the children of free and wealthy people studied in these schools. At the heart of school education lay the veneration of elders, the mentor was perceived as a second father. By this time, hieroglyphic writing already existed, which was owned, as a rule, by the so-called writing priests. The ability to use writing was inherited and spread very slowly in society. O there was no evidence of the presence of a school uniform at that time.

Confucius (551-479 BC) had the greatest influence on the development of upbringing, education and pedagogical thought in ancient China. Confucius's pedagogical ideas were based on his interpretation of ethics and the foundations of government. The central element of his teaching was the thesis of proper education as an indispensable condition for the prosperity of the state.

In general, the Confucian approach to learning is contained in a capacious formula: agreement between student and teacher, ease of learning, encouragement to independent reflection - this is what is called good leadership. Therefore, in ancient China, great importance was attached to the independence of students in mastering knowledge, as well as the ability of a teacher to teach his pupils to independently raise questions and find their solutions.

During the reign of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), which ended the era of Ancient China, Confucianism was declared the official ideology. During this period, education in China was quite widespread. The prestige of an educated person has grown markedly, as a result of which a kind of cult of education has developed. The school business itself gradually turned into an integral part of state policy. It was during this period that a system of state examinations for occupying bureaucratic positions arose, which opened the way to a bureaucratic career.

Already in the second half of the 1st millennium BC, during the short reign of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), a centralized state was formed in China, in which a number of reforms were carried out, in particular, simplification and unification of hieroglyphic writing, which was of great importance for the spread of literacy. For the first time in the history of China, a centralized education system was created, which consisted of government and private schools. From then until the beginning of the 20th century. in China, these two types of traditional educational institutions continued to coexist.

Already during the reign of the Han Dynasty in China, a three-level system of schools began to form, consisting of primary, secondary and higher educational institutions. The first mention of a school uniform dates back to this time. Her appearance resembled the clothes of Buddhist monks.

In general, from that moment on, education began to be strongly formalized. By the middle of the 1st millennium, important changes took place in the system of state examinations: everyone who had previously studied the Confucian classics, regardless of social status, was officially admitted to them. At the same time, the procedure for state examinations was significantly complicated: instead of oral examinations, written examinations were introduced, which required a more thorough study of the Confucian canons.

During the Ming Dynasty in China, when writing examination papers for state examinations, they began to require compliance with a template scholastic style, from which it was impossible to deviate in any case. Each essay had to consist of eight sections, with each of the last four sections having to consist of two parts. The composition written according to such a scheme was an intricacies of hieroglyphs, in which only form was valued. Each section of the essay had to be limited to a certain number of characters: no less than 300 and no more than 700. after 220 AD

In general, inherited from antiquity, preserved in China until 1905, the school system had the following form: boys began to learn to read and write at the age of 6-7 years in a government primary school for a moderate fee, as for girls, they are in schools did not study and were brought up in the family. Wealthy people preferred to educate their children privately: they either hired a teacher for their son or sent him to a private school.

This initial training usually lasted 7-8 years. During this time, students memorized up to 3 thousand of the most common characters, received elementary knowledge of arithmetic and the history of China. Great importance in the process of elementary education, calligraphy was given - the art of beautifully writing hieroglyphs with a brush. This was the end of education for most children. Exams were taken after the completion of elementary education.

Those who successfully withstood them could continue their education at the second stage, relatively speaking, in high school. Education at the second stage lasted 5-6 years. AT last years At the second stage, students were taught stylistics and the ability to write poetry. In addition, attention was paid to the ability to interpret the texts of classical books and commentaries to them, to write essays in a certain form. In the process of studying at the second stage, students took exams: monthly, quarterly and annual. Thus, even in secondary school, the content was limited to very narrow limits and was of a purely humanitarian nature. The study of secular sciences, with the exception of the basics of arithmetic, was not included in the content of education. Young people aged 18-19 could prepare for state exams.

Japanese system of educational institutions markedly different from its Chinese prototype. This is due to two main reasons: firstly, by the time the Tang dynasty was established, the Chinese system of higher educational institutions had gone through a rather long (more than seven centuries) way of being tested by time; secondly, in Japan, the aristocratic traditions turned out to be much stronger than in China, which led to a greater role for "private schools" (shigaku).

This situation indicates fewer opportunities for education for people from the lower strata of Japanese society. Consequently, the Japanese education system was already initially built in such a way as to be more in line with local realities (and, of course, aristocratic traditions) and not allow representatives of non-aristocratic families into the ranks of the ruling elite (exceptions were made only for a few immigrant families who were in court service).

Japanese school uniform a hundred years ago

From the beginning of our era in Japan and to this day there is a special tradition. Almost every school has its own uniform. Now, almost always, the school uniform in Japan is "sailor fuku" - a sailor suit, a skirt and bows for girls. She has already become a kind of symbol. For modern Japanese girls, this is already more than just a school uniform, it is a full-fledged clothing style. "Gakuran" is worn by boys in Japan - these are dark-colored trousers and a jacket with a stand-up collar. In different schools in Japan, the colors of the uniforms are different and distinguish students.

An example of a modern Japanese form

A little aside stands the institute of the school, which was by the ancient Aztecs. The Aztec schools were public and were divided into two types: youth houses (telpuchkalli) and noble schools (calmecac). The first taught children from the age of 15, who belonged to ordinary citizens, artisans and farmers.

Accordingly, the subjects that they studied in such schools were aimed at a more perfect practical assimilation of those skills that were necessary for farming. A special place was given to military training, since in cases of war commoners were recruited. Teachers (pipiltins - retired warriors) formed the basic skills of close combat (hand-to-hand, with a spear) and long-range combat (with weapons such as an atlatl or bow), military tactics, maneuver, and much more.

Aztec education

Schools for privileged children offered great opportunities for their students. They taught mathematics, astronomy, writing, politics, religion, literature and history. The teachers were sages (tlamatinime), preparing future priests, dignitaries and military leaders. The Aztecs didn't have school uniforms..

Some girls during the school period also studied in special institutions that train future priestesses. In addition to religion, they taught other disciplines that contributed to the development of female skills that came in handy during special religious rituals.

In general, it can be noted that the states of antiquity accumulated rich experience in education and training, which influenced the subsequent development of the school and pedagogy. In the era of ancient civilizations, the first schools arose, attempts were made to comprehend the purpose, tasks, content, forms and methods of educating and teaching the younger generations.

Middle Ages

As for Europe, with the decline of ancient culture, there was also a decline in education, and the institution of the school was completely leveled. No wonder these times are called the "Dark Ages".

Nevertheless, in the early Middle Ages, schools of the ancient type dominated, teaching mainly the clergy. Later, schools of elementary education appeared (taught children of seven to ten years old) and large schools (for children over ten years old).

In the upbringing and education in the Middle Ages, pagan, ancient and Christian traditions intertwined. Church schools occupied a special place in the education system. Pedagogical thought in the Middle Ages was practically absent, replaced by the postulates of the church, religious education. There were two types of church educational institutions: cathedral (cathedral) and monastic schools.

The former trained clerics, but they also prepared them for secular activities. They provided a broader education than the monastic schools. The program of cathedral schools included reading, writing, grammar, counting, church singing. During the late Middle Ages, some cathedral schools taught subjects of the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, dialectics) or quadrivium knowledge (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music). At the end of the XII century. the cathedral schools were transformed into public schools and later into universities.

Monastic schools were divided into three main types: pastoral-monastic (prepared the clergy for parish service), hostel schools at monasteries (prepared boys to become monks) and schools for literacy and church writing for boys who did not intend to stay at the church or monastery. The study was theological in nature with some secular elements. The cruel punishment of children was considered natural and charitable. Vacations and physical education were virtually absent. The school uniform was naturally the usual monastic clothing., however, there is no information about its mandatory nature.

The education of women remained purely domestic. The daughters of feudal lords were brought up in the family under the supervision of mothers and special women. Girls were often taught to read and write by chaplains and monks. The practice of giving girls from noble families to be brought up in nunneries, where they taught Latin, introduced them to the Bible, and instilled noble manners. Girls from the underprivileged classes were at best taught housekeeping, needlework and the basics of the Bible.

In the late Middle Ages, guild and city schools became widespread. This was primarily due to the increased role of cities. Guild schools, maintained at the expense of artisans, provided general education. City schools were born out of guild schools. Under the supervision of the church, they were not for long. The head of the institution was called the rector, and teachers very often had the status of "vagrants". The fact is that the school hired a teacher for a certain period, so after some time he was forced to look for a new place. The program included the following subjects: Latin, arithmetic, office work, geometry, technology, natural sciences.

At the end of the XII - beginning of the XIII century. the first universities appeared. The word "university", derived from the Latin "university", "totality", "set", meant a corporation of teachers and students. The medieval university included the following faculties: law, medicine, theology, philosophy. However, education began with a special, preparatory, faculty, where the famous "seven liberal arts" were taught. And since the Latin for art is "artes", the faculty was called artistic. Teaching was in Latin.

The word "lecture" means reading. The medieval professor actually read the book, sometimes interrupting the lecture with explanations. Thousands of people flocked to the cities, where the famous scientist, professor came. In fact, this is how universities were formed. In the small town of Bologna, where at the turn of the XI-XII centuries. Irnerius, a connoisseur of Roman law, appeared, a school of legal knowledge arose, which turned into the University of Bologna. Similarly, another Italian city, Salerno, became famous as the main university center of medical science. The University of Paris, founded in the 12th century, was recognized as the main center of theology.

In order to become a university, an institution needed to receive a papal bull (decree) on its creation. With such a bull, the Pope took the school out of the control of secular and local church authorities and legitimized the existence of the university. The rights of the educational institution were confirmed by privileges - special documents signed by popes or kings. Privileges consolidated university autonomy (its own court, administration, as well as the right to grant academic degrees), freed students from military service. Professors, students and employees of the educational institution were not subordinate to the city authorities, but exclusively to the elected rector of the university and the elected deans of the faculties. If a student committed some kind of misconduct, the city authorities could only ask the university leaders to judge and punish the offender.

As a rule, a great career awaited a university graduate. On the one hand, universities actively cooperated with the church. On the other hand, along with the gradual expansion of the administrative apparatuses of various feudal lords and cities, the need for literate and educated people increased. Yesterday's students became scribes, notaries, judges, lawyers, prosecutors.

The contingent of students was the most diverse - most came from noble citizens, but even the children of peasants could receive a scholarship and education. There were many monks and clerics.

How a London schoolboy is dressed!

Uniform clothing for schoolchildren in Europe first appeared in England since ancient times: in 1552, the Christ's Hospital school for orphans and children from poor families was founded. For students, a suit was introduced from a dark blue jacket with ankle-length tails, a vest, a leather belt and trousers just below the knees. Approximately in this form, the form has been preserved to this day, the only difference is that today the students of Christ's Hospital are no longer orphans, but the future economic and cultural elite of Great Britain.

This experience with the introduction of the same clothes for all students in the 18th century was useful to the directors of English schools. At that time, children from wealthy families went to school in expensive clothes, made fun of modestly dressed classmates and teachers.

Portrait of Two Eton School Boys in Admontem Dress,
Eton Chapel Behind by Francis Alleyne, ca. 1774-1790

At the beginning of the 19th century, many English schools introduce not only school uniforms, but also codes of conduct, the violation of which can lead to the expulsion of a student. British boarding schools were the first to introduce uniforms, then it appeared in public schools, and in 1870 a decree was issued in Britain, according to which the state guaranteed school education for each child and his provision of uniforms. Private schools also introduced their own uniforms, not to ensure the equality of students, but to emphasize their belonging to the elite. This is how the symbol of equality of all schoolchildren turns into an object of prestige.

At the same time, students from various private schools came up with a complex system of rules for “internal prestige”: how many buttons are fastened on a uniform blazer; at what angle the hat is worn; how the shoelaces are tied; whether a student carries a school bag, holding it by one handle or by both... These symbols were invisible to outsiders, but the students understood each other's place in the school hierarchy.

The school uniform was introduced in all the colonies of the British Empire: in India and Australia, in New Zealand and South Africa, in the Caribbean. For all the colonies, the form was the same, but, suitable for the English climate, it caused inconvenience in hot countries.

Now in every school in England they themselves decide to introduce a school uniform or not, and if so, which one. Below is an example of the modern English form of the most popular color scheme.

In Rus'

Vologda-Perm chronicle about the school of Vladimir Svyatoslavich:
988. "The Great Prince Volodimer, having gathered 300 children, taught literacy far away." The history of Russian education begins with this message. During the reign of Prince Vladimir, only boys could study at school, and the book business became the first subject for their education.

Only a hundred years later, in May 1086, the very first women's school appeared in Rus', the founder of which was Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavovich. Moreover, his daughter, Anna Vsevolodovna, simultaneously headed the school and studied science. Only here young girls from wealthy families could learn to read and write and various crafts.

At the beginning of 1096, schools began to open throughout Rus'. The first schools began to appear in such large cities as Murom, Vladimir and Polotsk, and were most often built at monasteries and temples. Thus, the priests were considered the most educated people in Rus'.

Basically, at that time they wrote on birch bark, and in such "business correspondence" even references to primary education in Rus' were preserved:

... vologou sobi copy a child por [t] and k ... - - - - - - [d] aI literacy ouciti ...
[Buy a Vologda for yourself, and let the child learn to read and write]
D 49. Diploma No. 687 (stratigr. 60s. 80s of the XIV century., Troitsk. M)

Moreover, thanks to one confused boy who lost all his birch bark at once, study records were found on the birch bark. These are the famous birch bark letters of Onfim, a Novgorod boy of the 13th century, the author of birch bark letters and drawings, mainly of an educational nature. In total, 12 letters were written in Onfim's handwriting: No. 199-210 and 331, and in addition, he owns several birch-bark drawings that are not numbered as letters, since they do not contain text. The bulk of his letters and drawings were found on July 13-14, 1956.

Judging by the drawings, Onfim was 6-7 years old. Apparently, Onfim lost all his letters and drawings at the same time, due to which they were found together. The bulk of Onfim's letters are educational records. The letters performed by Onfim look quite clear, it does not look like he is mastering them for the first time. V. L. Yanin suggests that his exercises are fixing during the transition from the cera (wax tablet) to birch bark, the writing on which required effort. One of Onfim's letters is a bottom of a birch bark tues, which was often given to children for exercises (similar letters of other nameless students were found). Three times he writes out the full alphabet, then after it there are warehouses: ba wa ga da zha for ka ... be ve ge de ze ke .. bi wi gi di ji ki ... This is a classic form of literacy training (“buki-az - ba ”), known in ancient Greece and existed until the 19th century.

Onfim's notes are valuable evidence of primary education in Ancient Rus'. From a linguistic point of view, it is interesting that in the texts Onfim does not use the letters b and b (replacing them with O and E), although they are in the alphabets he wrote out; Thus, when teaching the so-called "everyday system" of writing, the student also mastered the complete inventory of the alphabet in order to quickly learn to read book texts.

Teachers of the X—XIII centuries. due to the imperfection of teaching methods and individual work in the course of classes with each student individually, he could not deal with more than 6-8 students. The prince recruited for school a large number of children, so I was forced at first to distribute them among teachers. Such division of students into groups was common in Western European schools of that time. About this number of students is also evidenced by the birch bark letters of the aforementioned Novgorod schoolboy of the 13th century. Onfima. There is no mention of any school uniform., which can be seen in the images of the students below.

Sergius of Radonezh at school.
Miniature from the obverse "Life of St. Sergius of Radonezh". 16th century

Since the 15th century, educational institutions at monasteries ceased to be built, and private schools appeared, which at that time were called "masters of literacy."

In the 16th century in Stoglav (a collection of decisions of the "Stoglavy Sobor") chapter 25, one can read the following mention of schools in Rus':

About the protégés who want to be deacons and priests, they are appointed, but they know little about literacy. And they were appointed as saints in opposition to the sacred rule. And do not put, otherwise the holy churches will be without singing, and the Orthodox Christians will learn to die without repentance. And according to the sacred rule, elect a saint as a priest, appoint 30 years, and 25 years as a deacon. And they would be able to read and write, so that they could support the church of God and the children of their spiritual, Orthodox Christians, they could govern according to the sacred rule, and their saints torture them with a great prohibition, why they know little about literacy. And they fix the answer: "We, de, learn from our fathers or from our masters, but there is nowhere for us to learn. As much as our fathers and masters can, therefore they teach us." And their fathers and their masters themselves, therefore, know little and do not know the power in divine writing, and there is nowhere for them to learn. And above all, in the Russian kingdom in Moscow and in the great Novgorod and in other cities there were many schools, they taught literacy and writing and singing and honor. And therefore, then there was a lot of literacy and writing and singing, and there was a lot of honor. But the singers and the chants and the good scribes have been glorious throughout the earth even to this day.

Stoglav, chapter 26: ABOUT BOOK SCHOOLS IN ALL THE CITY.
And we, on the royal advice, laid a council, in the reigning city of Moscow and throughout the city by the same archpriest and the oldest priest, and with all the priests and deacons each in his city, with the blessing of your hierarch, elect good spiritual priests and deacons and deacons married and pious who have the fear of God in their hearts, who are able to use others, and would be much more literate and honor and write. And at those priests and deacons and deacons, arrange in the houses of the school so that the priests and deacons and all Orthodox Christians in every city give them their children for the teaching of reading and writing and for the teaching of book writing and church singing of the psalter and reading of the nalaynago. And those priests and deacons and elected deacons would teach their disciples the fear of God and literacy and writing and singing and honor with all spiritual punishment, most of all, their students would be taken care of and kept in all purity and guarded them from any corruption, most of all from vile Sodom sin and masturbation and from all kinds of uncleanness, so that by your fermentation and teaching, having come to an age worthy of being a priestly rank. Yes, they would have punished their disciples in the holy churches of God and taught the fear of God and all deanery, psalmody and reading and singing and canarchy according to the church order. And you would teach your students enough to read and write, as much as you yourself know how. And they would say their strength in scripture according to the talent given to you from God nothing to hide, so that your students learn all the books which the conciliar holy church accepts, so that later on they could not only use themselves, but also others and teach the fear of God about all that is useful, they would also teach their students to honor and sing and write, as much as they themselves can, hiding nothing, but from God bribes awaiting, and here gifts and honors from their parents are acceptable according to their dignity.

And only at the beginning of the 17th century, the study of sciences and arts in schools began in a new way. The Russian school of the 17th century was organized like this. The students sat all together, but each teacher gave his task. Learned to read and write - finished school.

Russian school of the 17th century

Children wrote with goose quills on loose paper, on which the pen clung, leaving blots. Written sprinkled with fine sand - so that the ink does not spread. They punished for inaccuracy: they flogged with rods, put them in a corner on their knees on scattered peas, and there were countless numbers of cuffs on the back of the head.

In the era of Peter 1, the first school in the city of Kyiv was opened in the systematic sciences, which the tsar himself called a new step in the education of every person. True, only children from noble families could still get here, but there were more people who wanted to send their children to study. In all schools in the 17th century, teachers taught subjects such as grammar and Latin.

It is with the era of Peter 1 that historians associate fundamental changes in the educational sphere. At this time, not only school institutions were opened, which were an order of magnitude higher than the very first schools, but also new schools and lyceums. The main and compulsory subjects for study are mathematics, navigation and medicine. However, school uniforms were never introduced into this reform.

It happened later - in 1834. It is this year a law was adopted that approved a separate type of civilian uniforms. These included gymnasium and student uniforms.

A high school student's costume distinguished a teenager from those children who did not study, or could not afford to study. The uniform was worn not only in the gymnasium, but also on the street, at home, during celebrations and holidays. She was a point of pride. In all educational institutions, the uniform was of a military style: invariably caps, tunics and overcoats, which differed only in color, piping, buttons and emblems.

The caps were usually light blue and with a black visor, and a crumpled cap with a broken visor was considered a special chic among the boys ... There was also a weekend or festive uniform: a dark blue or dark gray uniform with a sheathed silver collar. A schoolbag was an invariable attribute of high school students. The style of the uniform changed several times, as did the fashion of that time.

At the same time, women's education began to develop. Therefore, a student uniform was also required for girls. The girl's uniform was approved as much as 60 years later than the boy's - in 1896, and ... as a result, the first outfit for students appeared. It was a very strict and modest outfit. But the uniform for girls will please us with the familiar brown dresses and aprons - it was these costumes that were the basis for the uniform of Soviet schools. And the same white collars, the same modesty of style.

But the color scheme was different for each educational institution: For example, from the memoirs of Valentina Savitskaya, a graduate of 1909, gymnasium No. 36, we know that the color of the fabric of dresses for gymnasium girls was different, depending on age: 12-14-year-olds - almost the color of a sea wave, and for graduates - brown.

However, shortly after the revolution, as part of the struggle against the legacy of the tsarist-police regime in 1918 a decree was issued completely abolishing the wearing of school uniforms. The official explanations were as follows: the form demonstrates the lack of freedom of the student, humiliates him.

The period of "shapelessness" lasted right up to 1949. School uniform becomes mandatory again only after the Great Patriotic War, a single school uniform is introduced in the USSR.

In 1962, the gymnasts were changed to gray wool suits with four buttons, but they did not lose their militarized look. Important accessories were a cap with a cockade and a belt with a badge. Hairstyles were strictly regulated - under the typewriter, as in the army. And the form of girls remained old.

In 1973, a new school uniform reform took place. There was a new uniform for boys: it was a blue wool blend suit, decorated with an emblem and five aluminum buttons, cuffs and the same two pockets with flaps on the chest.

But nothing has changed for the girls again, and then mother needlewomen sewed black aprons from fine wool for their beauties, and white aprons from silk and cambric, decorating them with lace.

In the early 1980s, a uniform for high school students was introduced. (This uniform began to be worn from the eighth grade). Girls from first to seventh grade wore a brown dress, as in the previous period. Only it became slightly above the knees. For boys, trousers and a jacket were replaced with a trouser suit. The fabric color was still blue. Also blue was the emblem on the sleeve. For girls, a blue three-piece suit was introduced in 1984, consisting of an A-line skirt with pleats at the front, a jacket with patch pockets and a vest. The skirt could be worn either with a jacket, or with a vest, or the whole suit at once. In 1988, Leningrad, regions of Siberia and the Far North were allowed to wear blue trousers in winter.

Years pass, and in 1992, by the decision of the Government of Russia, with the introduction of a new Law on Education. The ban has been lifted, you can walk in anything, as long as the clothes are clean and tidy.

The official explanation is to bring the law in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which says that every child has the right to express their individuality as they please. School uniforms restrict freedom of expression and have therefore been abolished.

Although some nostalgia for school uniforms has survived - on last call graduates very often wear something reminiscent of Soviet uniform.

So in our country they again introduced the form - welcome to the real world :-(

School uniform in other countries differs from ours: somewhere it is more strict, and somewhere it is very fashionable and unusual.

For example, in Japan schoolgirls flaunt in sailor suits. Their form is the standard of teenage fashion for the whole world. Even outside the walls of the school, Japanese women wear what reminds them of their usual school uniform.

For most middle and high schools in Japan, a school uniform is considered mandatory. Each school has its own, but in reality there are not so many options. Usually it is a white shirt and dark jacket and trousers for boys and a white shirt and dark jacket and skirt for girls, or sailor fuku - "sailor suit". The form is usually given, also a large bag or briefcase. Pupils primary school, as a rule, dress in ordinary children's clothes.

IN THE USA each school decides for itself what kind of things students are allowed to wear. There is no uniform uniform in public schools, although some schools have introduced rules for wearing clothes (dress code). As a rule, tops that open the stomach, as well as low-sitting trousers, are prohibited in schools. Jeans, wide trousers with many pockets, t-shirts with graphics - this is what students of American schools prefer.

In most European countries, there is also no single form, everything is limited to a fairly strict style.

The largest European country with a school uniform is Great Britain. In many of its former colonies, the form was not abolished after independence, for example, in India, Ireland, Australia, Singapore and South Africa. However, both in the UK and in its former colonies, school uniforms are not mandatory, each school decides for itself. Each prestigious school has its own logo and students are required to come to class with a "branded" tie.

In France, a single school uniform existed in 1927-1968. Canceled as a result of student protests in the 1960s. Some schools practice wearing uniforms with the permission of the parents' committee.

There is no single school uniform in Germany. Some schools have introduced uniform school clothing that is not a uniform, as students can participate in its development. Tellingly, even during the Third Reich, schoolchildren did not have a uniform uniform - they came to classes in everyday clothes, in the form of the Hitler Youth or other children's organizations.

In Belgium, only some Catholic schools have school uniforms, as well as private schools founded by the British. Typical attire is navy blue trousers and skirts, a white or light blue shirt, and a tie.

In Cuba, uniforms are compulsory for all students in schools and institutions of higher learning.

In Poland, the form has been completely abolished and its private introduction by individual schools is prohibited.

Turkey is a compulsory school uniform, each school has its own color, but the same style: for boys - a suit, for girls - a blouse, jumper and skirt, for all - a tie in the colors of the school. So it is emphasized that everyone is equal, regardless of the social and financial situation of the parents.

The school uniform in China is the same. It's a baggy green and white tracksuit. It is usually a size or two larger than necessary and deprives its owners of any sexual differences at all.

In North Korea, the uniform is also obligatory and also ugly.

So, schools have come down to our time, they have become what we all know them. I wonder what the school will be like in the distant future?

The school of 2000, as imagined by the French artist Marc Cote (1899). Knowledge is automatically downloaded into the brains of students, or as the people say: “There is an Internet, you don’t need a mind.”

One of the signs of the decline of the Soviet era was the spontaneous refusal of students to wear school uniforms. In 1988, our class teacher refused to pose for a general graduation photo, because almost all the students came to shoot in loose clothes. A year ago, this would have been unthinkable!

Original taken from dubikvit in On the waves of our memory! Soviet school uniform

Today, September 1, let's remember our old school uniform, in which we went to school for a long time, and some not so much...

The Soviet school uniform, in fact, is an analogue of the gymnasium uniform of Tsarist Russia. She also consisted of a dress and an apron, white on holidays, and black on weekdays. For elementary school, the color of the dress was brown, for middle school students it was blue, and green for high school students. At the balls, older girls appeared in white dresses.
In 1920, it was customary for all high school girls to wear a brown dress and apron. Only rich people could afford such a uniform, so wearing this uniform was considered a bourgeois relic. There was even a contemptuous nickname "high school student".

A unified Soviet school uniform in our country was introduced in the era of Stalin. The USSR school uniform for boys was gray and consisted of trousers and a shirt, like a soldier's tunic. This was complemented by a wide belt with a massive buckle and a cap with a cockade.

The USSR school uniform for girls still consisted of a brown dress and an apron. The dress was brown, perhaps because this color matches the business environment, helps to concentrate, does not distract attention from study.

In the era of Stalin, strict morals reigned in our country. This also applies to school life. Even small experiments with the style or length of the dress were severely punished by the school administration. In addition, it was obligatory for girls to wear braids with bows. No haircuts were allowed.

In the 1960s, the Soviet school uniform for boys changed.

On September 1, 1962, first grade boys went to school in a gray wool blend suit - trousers and a single-breasted jacket with three black plastic buttons.

And in the seventies there were changes again

Now, for elementary school students, it began to consist of a jacket and trousers in dark blue. The trousers became narrower, and the jacket resembled a modern denim jacket in its style. The buttons were metal white color. They were made from aluminium. On the sleeve of the jacket was sewn an emblem of soft plastic with a drawn open textbook and a rising sun.

In the early 1980s, a uniform for high school students was introduced. (This uniform began to be worn from the eighth grade). Girls from first to seventh grade wore a brown dress, as in the previous period. Only it became slightly above the knees.
For boys, trousers and a jacket were replaced with a trouser suit. The fabric color was still blue. Also blue was the emblem on the sleeve.

Very often the emblem was cut off, as it did not look very aesthetically pleasing, especially after some time - the paint on the plastic began to wear off.

The Soviet school uniform for high school students was of fairly good quality, but it was inexpensive. Men willingly bought it as clothes for work. Therefore, the USSR school uniform for high school students fell, in those days, into the category of shortage.

For girls, a blue three-piece suit was introduced in 1984, consisting of an A-line skirt with pleats at the front, a jacket with patch pockets and a vest. The skirt could be worn either with a jacket, or with a vest, or the whole suit at once. In 1988, Leningrad, regions of Siberia and the Far North were allowed to wear blue trousers in winter. Also, girls could wear a pioneer uniform, which consisted of a dark blue skirt, a white blouse with short or long sleeves and a pioneer tie.

A mandatory addition to the school uniform, depending on the age of the student, was the October badge (in the elementary grades), pioneer (in the middle grades) or Komsomol (in the senior grades) badges. Pioneers were also required to wear a pioneer tie.

In addition to the regular pioneer badge, there was a special variant for pioneers active in community service. It was slightly larger than usual and had the inscription "For active work" on it. And the badge of the senior pioneer, which was a regular pioneer badge against the background of a red banner.