Opinion

Don’t say cheese? Rethinking school photograph day

Is it time to get rid of the school photograph? Even small changes can make a big difference to the cost of the school day for pupils and families living in poverty, says Richard Barrie

We all remember it: that one day each year where we had to look as smart as possible, in full uniform and without a single hair out of place. We would trundle into the hall, stand in front of a fake screen depicting Victorian library books and say “cheese” as the camera flashed.

A few days later, we would receive a sample photo to take home to our parents – with the price list.

I was a child in the 1990s, when it made sense to have a school photographer: cameras were expensive and getting films developed was a lengthy and sometimes pricey process.

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