Romania Senate Commission approves mandatory school uniform proposal

The Romanian Senate's Education Commission has approved a legislative project that would make school uniforms mandatory for students in grades I-VIII. The proposal, initiated by 25 PSD parliamentarians, aims to reduce social exclusion, psychological pressure, and bullying caused by visible income disparities among students.

Under the approved version, the specific design of the uniforms would be determined by individual schools in agreement with parents' representative councils. While the project does not mandate that local authorities must purchase uniforms, it allows for the use of local budgets to provide subsidies or full gratuity for the clothing.

Notably, the commission removed previous provisions that would have imposed fines on parents or schools for non-compliance. The debates during the commission meeting were marked by significant tension between PSD senator Daniel Zamfir and USR senator Ștefan Pălărie. The project now moves toward a final vote in the Senate plenary.