Something else I just remembered LOL, at my daughters sch they begun issueing coloured badges (pins) to show what yr the pupils were in. They soon stopped this when the badges were being bought in the playground as the kids started a craze in seeing who could collect all the colours LOL!! poor little first yrs were being "mugged" for their badges LOL!,

I think also the uniforms were bought in so kids could be identified if there was trouble locally around the sch and on public transport at home time.