Watch Sharnelle and Vera’s speech – can you spot the clear introduction, time connectives, rhetorical devices, comparisons, facts, real life examples and other persuasive techniques? 

To explore persuasive writing techniques, the children of #SumatraSquad worked in pairs to write a speech FOR school uniform after reading this letter AGAINST school uniform:

I am writing to argue that school uniform should be banned. I have a number of
strong reasons why I feel this ban should be immediately enforced. Once I have
concluded my argument I am certain that I will have convinced you of my case.

To begin with, I wish to comment on the extortionate price of school uniforms. In
my opinion, the cost of a uniform far outweighs its potential benefits. The
majority of school uniforms must be purchased from a specialist shop, where the
cost is significantly greater than the cost of regular clothes one might wear at
home. Every right thinking person would surely agree that when money is tight
and household budgets are becoming more difficult to manage, the additional
expense of a school uniform is unnecessarily damaging to the finances of less
affluent families. Moreover, a school uniform is not a one off purchase. How
would you feel as a parent if your child damaged his or her school blazer and you
were forced to replace it with another? Undoubtedly, you would be disappointed
and angered that a careless error on your child’s part was impacting on your
financial wellbeing.

Secondly, I wish to turn to the question of identity and individuality. Whilst some
might argue that a school uniform creates a smart and tidy school environment, it
would seem to me that uniforms create clones: children who look the same and
act the same, without any ability to showcase their talents. It stands to reason
that we should be celebrating differences, not stifling creativity and individuality.
It’s a statistical fact that 75% of children surveyed at my school said that their
uniform made them feel like they were ‘just a number’ rather than a living,
breathing person with something to offer the school community. Obviously, this
sort of damaging self-perception cannot be allowed to continue! We must act
now to ban uniforms and reclaim our independence and distinctiveness.
Finally, I wish to make a point relating to safety. On the one hand, many people
argue that school uniforms ensure that children can be identified as belonging to
a particular school, ensuring that they are safe on school trips and on their way to
and from the school building in the mornings and evenings. On the other hand, I
know many children who have been singled out by rival schools and bullied or illtreated
because their school uniform identifies them as belonging to that school.
For instance, only last week, a friend was shouted at and mocked because of the
school uniform he was wearing. Only a fool would think that such ‘branding’ via
school uniform is healthy or safe. My friend would have been much safer had he
been wearing his own clothes and thus unidentifiable.

In conclusion, my argument against school uniform falls into three categories:
financial cost, a loss of individual identity and the safety of our young people. I
trust that you will now agree with me that the only sensible course of action is to
ban uniforms instantly.