A public elementary school in central Tokyo has drawn criticism for its plan to introduce uniforms designed by Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani.

Taimei Elementary School (泰明小学校) plans to introduce the new uniforms for their incoming first-graders.

According to Huffington Post Japan, the new set of uniform, including optional items, would cost around ¥90,000 (~S$1,100) for boys and slightly more for girls.

This is what the new uniform looks like:

Currently, a boy's uniform for the school costs around ¥17,755 (~S$215), while a girl's uniform costs around ¥19,277 (~S$234).

The new uniforms would cost more than 4 times the current ones.

Reflect the school's prestigious surroundings

The school is located in the upscale Ginza shopping district, and is just 200 metres away from Armani's Japan head office.

This is what the school looks like:

According to grape, the principal of the school, Toshitsuga Wada, attempted to explain the decision in a rambling letter to parents dated Nov. 30, saying that the new uniforms would reflect the school's prestigious surroundings.

He complained that "students have strayed from [his] ideal Taimei Elementary School student" and that he wanted students to study at the school while "feeling their connection to Ginza".

But he's afraid that "this awareness is fading away":

"Ginza is changing as it heads towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It is searching for the new while retaining the old. So is Taimei Elementary School...I decided to change the standard uniform to Armani in the hope of creating an awareness of being a Ginza school.

However, the leaflet didn't list any prices.

Issue was raised in the Diet

The move has prompted criticism and concern among parents, with a parent saying in a Reuters report that a wrong notion that "something expensive is good and something cheap is bad" could be imprinted on children.

The issue was even serious enough to be raised in Japan's National Diet (its bicameral legislature).

Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso said that the prices seemed expensive for elementary school uniforms, while the Education Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that the school should have discussed the matter with parents before making the decision.

In response to parents' concern, the principal also posted a statement on the school's homepage, promising to provide sufficient explanation on the plan for new uniforms:

“With humility, I take the criticism that explanation has been insufficient and not well-timed. I will go on explaining carefully to those concerned.”

[related_story]

Mass criticisms from netizens

どっかの学校が、校長の独断で9万するアルマーニの制服導入するって揉めてる話だが、もともと制服は昔貧富差がある子供達が着てる物で差別されないよう生まれた物と聞いたんだが…。

現代では所属を示す為だけの物になってしまったって事なのかな…。

— 7^3 (@Sasanohatanzaku) February 8, 2018

Translation (via grape): "Looks like there's a controversy about some school principal arbitrarily deciding to introduce an Armani school uniform costing 90,000 JPY but I heard that school uniforms were originally invented so that kids from families with different incomes wouldn't be discriminated... I guess these days it's turned into something that just displays (what school) you belong to."

制服がアルマーニってどこの私立かと思ったらまさかの公立

小学校ってことは下手すれば毎年買い替えないとダメ

こんなこと言うのはあれだけど頭おかしい

校長の独断らしいけど教育委員会とかは何も言わないの？

誰でも通えるから公立なのに制服が買えなくて学校変えないといけないの？あほらしすぎる

— イエローベア? (@blE5LpFRx4CNokC) February 8, 2018

Translation (via grape): "School uniform by Armani? I was wondering which private school it was. I can't believe it's a public school. If it's an elementary school, they might have to buy a new one every year. I don't know if I should say this but there's something wrong with his head. Apparently, it's the principal's arbitrary decision but the Board of Education has nothing to say? It's a public school, so anyone should be able to attend. It would be really stupid if someone had to change schools because they couldn't afford the uniform."

Translation: This is just my biased opinion. I don't think the principal is a decent person. With such a principal, who'd still want to attend the school? I get annoyed while reading this...

Translation: As an educator, there's something wrong with his character. I'd like to ask about the Board of Education's responsibility for this appointment.

Translation: As the kids are not becoming what he wanted them to be, he's whining. Such a disgusting old man.

Assuming everything goes according to Principal Wada's current plan, students will begin wearing the new uniforms in April at the beginning of the 2018 academic year.

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