The National Students’ Council calls on students to protest in black on September 28 against mandatory school uniforms

The National Students’ Council is urging students across the country to come to school dressed in black on Monday, September 28, to protest the bill providing for the introduction of mandatory school uniforms. The action is being organized together with county-level student organizations, and participation is voluntary.

Students do not need to buy clothes for the protest; a single black item of clothing they already own is sufficient. The National Students’ Council argues that voluntarily chosen common clothing conveys precisely the difference between solidarity and the imposition of a uniform.

The organization is calling on the Chamber of Deputies, the final decision-making body, to reject the bill and alleges that student representatives were neither consulted nor invited to the debates. The National Students’ Council rejects the argument that uniforms would reduce bullying and discrimination, saying it receives reports of violence even from schools where uniforms are already worn.

The bill passed the Senate’s Education Committee on September 15 and subsequently the full chamber. Fines ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 lei for parents and sanctions for schools were removed from the adopted version. The National Federation of Parents argues that the decision on uniforms should be made at the level of each school community. The protest’s motto is: “Education cannot be fixed at the tailor’s.”