Teaching children’s rights from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child through school uniform and dress code policies

It has been argued that human rights education (HRE) needs an agreed curriculum through an interdisciplinary approach. In this practice-focused article we set out how HRE could be taught through school clothing policies. As well as focusing on the text of international declarations, conventions and protocols, HRE can be taught by relating school clothing policies and practices to specific UNCRC articles. In 2024, Scotland incorporated the UNCRC and issued national guidance on school clothing for the first time. Research from Scotland is used to demonstrate how HRE can be tied to school clothing. The policies of all publicly funded secondary schools (n = 357) were analysed and highlighted human‑rights issues in relation to school clothing, for example participation and non-discrimination. Thus, school clothing policies are a mechanism through which to deliver HRE on rights relating to non-discrimination (UNCRC article 2), participation (article 12), expression (article 13) and education (article 28).