Figure 1.--This is a 1965 advertisement for the Bacăul clothing manufactuer located in northeastern Romania. They made school unifirms, pajamas, and rompers. We are not sure just what the purpose of advertising was in Communist Romania. |
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Romanian schools have a long history of school uniforms beginning in the late-19th century. We believe that that unifiorms before World War II were mostly for secondary schools, but we do not yet have much information on these uniforms over time. After the War, the Communists seized control of the country and the school system. We do have some information on the Communist era when the regulations on uniforms were particularly strict. We believe that the school uniform was also for the Young Pioneers youth group uniform. We have only begun to collect information. Romania continued to require uniforms after the fall of Communism, but only in the primary schools.
Romanian independence is a little complicates, but an independen Romanian state emerged (1860s). Some church-related schools opened, but it was not until that time that a Romanian education system began to develop.
School uniforms were introduced in Romania (1897). The first Romanian school uniform we know of was at a school in Turnu Severin, southwestern Romania. The idea of students wearing unforms was promoted by Theodor Costescu in the Romanian Academy, an institution promting science and the arts. He was an educator with a 40-yearvcreer teaching. He was principal of Traian High School. It was a school policy. The idea of wearing school uniforms eemsto have caught on inthe country. It was adopted at oher schools and eventually mandated by royal degree. Minister of Education Spiru Haret made schools uniforms mandatory (1906). We are not sure, but this seems to have been the case for secondary schools. We do not think that they were worn in primary schools, but our information at this time is very limited. We note girls at a secondary school wearing sailor dresses (1920s). A Romanian autor tells us, "Before the communist times, in Romania, wearing your school’s uniform was something to be proud of. Every High School used to have its own logo on the uniform and this way everyone knew from which school the student came from." [Anonymous]
The Red Army reached Romania (1944) and with the NKVD quickly installed a Communist police state. The Communist Government was quickly installed including Communist control of the school system. The school system was expndd, esoecially secindary schools. The Communists comtinued the practice of requiring school uniforms, extending the practice to the primary schools. There was also the Young Pioneer youth group. It was a schchool-based, mandatory youth group and the uniforms were the same as the school uniform. Romania like other countries was badly damaged by the War. We believe that properly uniforming all the school children took a little time. And Romania and other East Bloc countries did not recover as quickly as in the West. School regulations became stricter, including the uniform regultions. Students had to wear uniforms. Every child wore a uniform with the school number and name of the school sewed on to the dress or jacket for identification. Some items were banned: high heeled shoes, sheer stockings, sarafans (dresses) with skirts above the knee, jewelry, and make-up. There were also regulations about hair styling which were new. Girls at both the primary and secondary level had to wear their hair braided in pig tails and for some reason without bangs. If a girl had bangs, they had to be combed back and covered with a headband. There were differences in schoolwear depending on the level.
Pre-school children were known as 'Falcons of the Motherland' (Soimii Patriei). They had their own spencial song. The pre-school uniform consisted of: a navy blue cap, an orange shirt, red kneckerchiefs with the edge decorated with Romania’s flag, and navy blue overalls (that may mean bib-front pants) for the boys and navy blue skirts for the girls.
Primary children wore were called 'Pioneers' (Pionieri). This may refer to the mandatory school-based youth group. Their uniforms consisted of: a black cap, white long-sleeved shirt, navy blue linen trousers/skirts. They also wire a red scarf with the edges decorated with the Romanian flag. The scarf was thighten to the neck with a plastic accessory known to Britih Scouters as a type of woggle.
Secondary school boys wore a navy blue shirt, dark tie, and black suit. The girls wore a blue shirt and black sarafan drress with a hem below the knee.
With the fall of Communism (1989), the school uniform regulations changed. Primary children continued to wear uniforms. Secondary students were allowed to choose their own clothes. The chools did establish dress codes. They caried from school to school, but generally prohibited piercings and tattoos as well as bright make-up. Girls are not alowed to wear revealing clothes. Boys are not alowed to wear sleeveless shirts or short pants. In recent years, some Romanian school authorities were interested in bringing back uniforms. This is not a popular ideacwuth the students who have gotten used to the idea of choosing their outfitsy. A Romnian source reports, "My former high school managed to impose a so called uniform after I graduated. All students are now required to wear a blue jacket or vest (depending on season) which has the logo of the high school on it. The rest of the outfit is by student’s choice as long as it is a decent one and it has the jacket included." [Anonymous]
Anonymous. "Romanian culture #11: School uniforms in Romania," Wordpress.com.
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