You don’t have to look for long, you see them everywhere in Martinique. Everyone has their own color, everyone has their own badge, on the street, in front of shopping centers, at the bus stop and of course at schools. From primary school onwards, students wear the uniform, or as we prefer to say: the unique outfit. Pants, skirts, shorts and shoes are free, but for the top the white polo is for everyone. “There is no jealousy. We are not going to fight because we don’t have the same clothes”appreciates a schoolgirl. “I don’t have to struggle every morning to know what clothes to wear”adds another.
It shows that we are a family. In fact, we need to be able to show that we are united
Louis-Marie, 14 years old
Contrary to appearances, in all establishments on the island everyone is in fact free to wear whatever they want. “It is strongly recommended in our internal regulations, but it is not mandatory. And yet we have no deviations. Everyone adheres to it and all students wear their uniform.”explains Chantal Renard, director of the Jocelyne-Béroard school in Schoelcher.
The ones who decide are the parents, they vote every year whether or not this dress code will be extended. As a result, 82% of students wear the uniform, even the older students.
It is true that we hear reluctance in high school, specifically among adolescents. “Sometimes you want to wear something different”, recognizes a schoolgirl. But no one really doubts it. So why ? How to explain the speech of little Louis-Marie, 14 years old, words that, from France, are surprising: “It makes us all agree, it shows that we are a family. In fact, we need to be able to show that we are united, that we come from the same place and that we can really show who we are” . More details in the video at the top of this article.