A Rainbow of School Uniforms

As you walk the streets of Freetown there is one thing you are bound to see – children in school uniform.  Not the boring grey and black of the uniform I wore at Banff Academy, no these are bright and make me smile every time I see them.  It also appears that there may be an infinite number of uniforms as every day I seem to spot one I have never seen before.

My favourite is the purple gingham dress of the Methodist Girls’ High School.  It’s not only the check fabric I love but also the style of the dress.  I have bored friends here to death with my aim to have one made for myself but am scared of the reaction of the tailor I pick for the job.  I could never wear it here but it would make a lovely summer dress for the UK. Here's some girls wearing it.

A band of girls in my favourite uniforn

One day I wore a royal blue skirt and white blouse to work and the first reaction of Mr Bangura, with whom I share an office, was that I looked like a pupil of the Government Secondary Technical School.  I had to agree as I pass many of those pupils on my walk to work in the morning. The boys wear royal blue shorts with their crisp white shirts, spotless white socks and polished black shoes.   The girls also wear amazingly white socks.  I say amazingly as in the dust and now mud of the roads I marvel at how they keep so clean. See what I mean?

A different way to carry a schoolbag

 So what other colour combinations are there?  Brown dress with yellow piping – the brownie uniform of my childhood comes to mind every time I see them.  Wine dress with navy piping, green and white check skirt with white blouse, vivid pink dress with blue trim,  navy shorts or skirt with vivid pink shirt, pale yellow shirts with grey shorts, royal blue pinafore, canary yellow blouse and royal blue shorts,  green pinafore with gingham trim  and so many more. Here's some other bright colours.

If your going to carry something put it on your head seems to be the rule here