School Uniforms: Yay or Nay?

[Étoile]

Two years ago, all the elementary and middle schools in my city started school uniforms. Then, all the high schools wanted to jump on the bandwagon and started it too last year. Each uniform is based on the school's colors (i.e. we can wear red or white collared shirts and black or khaki bottoms as my school colors are red and silver). Educational officials said it was started to increase test scores and reduce peer pressure and bullying.

In all honesty, I think it's useless. My school 's uniform system's so lax that people are wearing black jeans, hoodies (supposed to be banned), and name-brand polo shirts (they're supposed to be plain polo or collered shirts only). People still care about what shoes you wear (every shoe is allowed except flip-flops and stilettos), what brand jacket you have on, how your hair looks, how much you weight, how cute/ugly you are, etc. People are going to find something to tease you about no matter what you do, say, or wear. Test scores haven't seen a dramatic increase or decrease and the same unruly people are at their typical ways with their bland uniform on. The uniform system makes people want to buck on the dress code even more if you ask me.

Has there ever been any real success stories with uniforms? Did it dramatically change anyone's school or social atmosphere?

[kettleoffish]

School uniform is the norm here, just about every school in the country has them. Ours is black trousers, white shirt, blue tie with the school badge on and optional black blazer. I wear black jeans and a hoody every day. most teachers are pretty lax about it to be honest, but I still don't like the concept. It has little point.

[Mana]

My old school cared more about uniform then it did about bullying.

We had to wear shirts, ties, black trousers/shirt, shoes... if you wore trainers or forgot or lost your tie, you'd have to go in ELR ¬.¬ which is like the same punishment for punching someone!

I don't really have an opinion on school uniforms.



Ohwait. My opinion has suddenly formed.

[Shevanel]

Corina I love you XD I actually sorta support a school uniform, i think it helps a lot. as long as there isn't any hair length rule. Those suck. I had a uniform in HS but we had a hair length rule too

[littledinosaurs]

NAY NAY NAY
i hate the idea of Uniforms.

The thought of school uniforms makes me projectile vomit. It's pointless.

[Just Adam]

i hated the tight non breathing trousers and belt that cut in and polyester shirts just eww but i do love a blazer and tie

[Bryan44]

I never had to deal with school uniforms thankfully. The only positive thing I can even think about them is that it wouldnt take all morning to try and find something to wear to school.

[Jennn]

I dunno. I can see point in school uniforms if they're actually reinforced, but school that are going to be lazy about it might as well not have one.

[Davo]

School uniforms are to identify who goes to your school, it makes it easier to spot intruders, and it's supposed to make everyone equal, so those less fashionable people don't stick out like a sore thumb.

The problem isn't the uniform, it's that they don't enforce the uniform. If they're not going to enforce the uniform policy, what's the point of having it? I suppose some method of identification is better than none.

Personally I'm all for uniform. When you go to work, you usually have a uniform or a required dress code; school shouldn't be any different

[joeyconnick]

Originally Posted by Numfarh

I don't really have an opinion on school uniforms.



Ohwait. My opinion has suddenly formed.

Oh my gosh... that's hilarious! If I were into girls I would totally see what you mean.

[TheRoof]

i go to catholic school so yea i MUST wear a uniform.
well it's okay...i mean, u don't have to really fuss about what to wear every day.
i used to go to public school and it was really tiring to come up with what to wear.
nevertheless i dont like uniforms that much. personally i think they're ugly -_-;;

[joeyconnick]

Originally Posted by Davo

School uniforms are to identify who goes to your school, it makes it easier to spot intruders, and it's supposed to make everyone equal, so those less fashionable people don't stick out like a sore thumb.

Except (as others have pointed out) it fails pretty miserably at making everyone more equal. All I would say it really does is increase conformity and sameness.

Originally Posted by Davo

Personally I'm all for uniform. When you go to work, you usually have a uniform or a required dress code; school shouldn't be any different

No, school shouldn't be any different--work should! Uniforms are solely for the purpose of robbing people of individuality and making it explicit and visible exactly how replaceable and non-unique you are as a worker. Uniforms are about the powerful controlling the weak (the capitalists keeping the proletariat down, if you want to be Marxist about it) and making it really obvious what people's class positions are. So in a way it both obliterates differences (within class boundaries) and heightens differences (between class boundaries).

Anyway, school uniforms are not the norm here in Canada (or at least they weren't in the city I grew up in) but I went to private school. Never having been that concerned with clothing, I didn't mind having to wear the same thing every day personally, but frankly I think making ANYONE wear a tie if criminal--it's just not a comfortable thing REMOTELY. If you want to wear a tie, more power to you, but I think it's awful to force people to be uncomfortable. I can't see how that improves learning in any way, shape, or form.

But to highlight that the uniform is really about control and power, we were not allowed to wear shorts (and I'm talking dress shorts, not like fun shorts) until the school administration gave the okay each year as spring started getting warmer. Of course, invariably in a complete show of pettiness the admistration would hold off allowing for summer uniform for sometimes weeks after it was more than hot enough outside to warrant it.

If someone has to teach and enforce discipline through school uniform, all that says to me is that they aren't a particularly good teacher--or that they really don't care so much about teaching as they do about control. And while obviously part of what school is about is teaching "good" "appropriate" socially acceptable behaviour, I think that can be done without demeaning people by forcing them all to dress alike in clothes that are designed not to be comfortable.

Plus there's the whole gender issue of requiring girls to wear skirts--which I think is often how school uniforms play out for women, right?

I can definitely see the need for dress codes/guidelines (i.e. don't come to school in a thong or bikini briefs) but otherwise I think it's total overkill, and sneakily disturbing on top of that.

[Maddy]

I wore one, I didn't have a problem with it. It solved the problems of figuring out what to wear in the mornings, and of standing out based on what I was wearing. It's pretty much par for the course around here, especially at private schools, so I just accepted it as the way it was.

[jazzrawr]

Naaay. They're boring. And gross, usually.

I'd hate them.

[lostinthought9]

I've had to wear a school uniform since the first grade, and it sucks.

The school board says that we have them to help spot intruders, BUT you can buy the uniforms at 3 local stores!! Which means ANYONE has access to them.

and...we have to wear an I.D.

Economically, uniforms work. One might only buy several sets of uniforms for the year as opposed to buying clothes every so often. Plus for me, it was nice not having to worry about what I would wear every day to school (both my elementary school and private school had uniforms). At the same time, though, most uniforms are uncomfortable (my elementary school uniform was) and like joeyconnick said above, it promotes sameness while in a way suppressing individuality. I know now in college I love wearing something different everyday.

It can go either way, depending on circumstances.

[Derek the Wolf]

We wear ties and blazers, all that jazz. I'll tell you right now when we're out of uniform, we get rowdier. I think it does impact the atmosphere of the school. Oh, and they look really sexy sometimes X3

[lodiug]

My school is the only school without uniforms! We ROCK! People do hate us though...... Uniforms can be good.... but the thing is, is that I don't want to wear what everyone else wears! Without uniforms you can stand out more! F**k what people say about your clothes! As long as you feel good in you're own skin....and clothes ofcourse! :-D