I MIGHT not have liked wearing one at the time, but I like school uniforms. I like seeing children on the bus and out and about in town, and being able to see which school they go to.

Uniforms give children an identity and, I would like to think, a sense of pride in their school.

I think the smarter the uniform the better and don’t agree that they are ‘repressive’ and should be abolished to allow pupils to ‘find their own style’ as one member of the House of Lords suggested as a new law surrounding uniforms was discussed.

When I started secondary school, we had a smart uniform with a blazer bearing the school logo, a white shirt and a tie in your house colours. We all moaned about having to wear it, but we looked neat and orderly.

After four years the uniform was ‘dressed down’, losing the blazer and tie in favour of open-neck shirts in a choice of colours and a skirt of your choice, so long as it was navy or black. The height of heels was also not subject to scrutiny, as had previously been the case.

I remember almost immediately, the competition setting in, with certain girls setting the trend after heading to Chelsea Girl for the latest long-collared shirts in yellow or blue. Of course, I immediately felt inadequate, and wasn’t happy until I too had these things.

My parents would not allow me to wear heels to school, so I smuggled my Dolcis T-bars there in my rucksack.

Having a set uniform prevents situations like this. It is a great leveller. In the United States, a movement toward using uniforms in state schools began when Bill Clinton addressed it in the 1996 State of the Union, saying: “If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms.”[

Not having to fret about what others are wearing or what others can afford leads to fewer distractions, allowing more concentration on school work. It also means children get ready for school, far more quickly when not fussing about what to wear.

The main issue with uniforms is cost. Peers have offered their support to a new law which aims to make uniforms more affordable in England by legally requiring schools to keep branded items, such as blazers, to a minimum and to make arrangements for second hand items to be available.

It’s sad that so many state schools will now probably ditch their blazers, rendering the uniform far less smart and widening the already huge gulf between them and private schools, whose pupils are generally immaculately turned out.

At least today you can buy multi-packs of shirts, skirts and trousers in supermarkets. When I went to secondary school in the late 1970s there was only one shop in Middlesbrough selling uniforms and they cost an arm and a leg.

It’s a shame that the Government can’t subsidise state school uniforms so schools can retain a certain level of smartness.

The idea that uniforms should be consigned to history came from the Earl of Clancarty, who supported the proposal to cut costs but believed uniforms to be “an outmoded idea, ultimately a repressive aspect of the educational system.”

My children’s primary school had no uniform. Even at this age they see what others have and want it. While I don’t believe in primary pupils wearing ties, it still helps to have something of a level playing field. Allowing them to wear anything puts far more pressure on kids. Believe me.