Only the Catholic high schools here and some of the private elementary schools require uniforms. I don’t take issue with uniforms, and I see the benefits as being such:
- There is no wasting time thinking about what to wear every morning.
- No need to buy tons of clothes.
- Uniformity (ha!) among the student body, for the most part.
However, uniforms do not automatically smooth out problems with inequality or belonging. Students who wear uniforms, especially high school students, often find ways to make the uniform more individualized - like rolling up sleeves, hemming skirts or pants, choosing to wear or forgo the sweaters/vests/jackets (these are often just accessories so students are not disciplined when they aren’t worn), popping the collars or starching them stiff, etc. And if an unscrupulous bully wants to pick on them for it, they absolutely will.
There is also the issue of families having to purchase enough uniforms for their child, so that they’re not constantly doing laundry. The uniforms are often costly, and maybe even more than just buying a few different school appropriate outfits at Walmart (for example). Families who send their children to private schools don’t face this issue here, but low income families who send their children to the local Catholic high schools often can’t afford uniforms, or enough new uniforms. So they often end up getting used uniforms from siblings, or thrift shops in the community, and many times they are very faded, worn out, sometimes even torn and then mended or patched. Other students are quick to ostracize their peers for this - if you look different, you’re treated differently. You’re not “cool” if you don’t have a brand new uniform. It’s worse if the uniform design changed and a kid is stuck wearing the old design.
So no, I don’t think uniforms in schools should be mandatory. Uniforms don’t solve any of the social hierarchy issues that arise in high school. I will leave it up to the schools to decide that. I do believe, however, that if students are allowed to wear street clothes, that the dress codes need to be strictly enforced and apply to every student.
I think it's more important to transform public schools so that all students are getting the same quality of education, resources, opportunities. I'm less concerned about making everyone wear uniforms. An illusion of economic equality isn't going to matter nearly as much as making sure poor students get shit education and resources, as they do under our capitalist system. Once we sort that out, then we should think about uniforms.
The inequality thing is true only up to a certain extent. Unless you go to some extreme of controlling hair, accessories, makeup, tanning, jewelry, etc., there are ways to show differences and social groups will still form around those markers of unity/difference. I went to private schools my entire childhood and wore uniforms until college. I think they have benefits, but they're also expensive and cause unnecessary trouble when you get demerits for having the wrong socks on or some shit. We had designer handbags, well done makeup, very specific kinds of accessories, hair styles/highlights, tanning, etc. to indicate something about belonging and status. Not only that, but if someone needed a new skirt because theirs was torn or stained - some people can afford brand new and others can't.
I don't think uniforms help form your sense of identity or belonging much. Maybe in terms of being a part of that school, that's true. However, kids are also trying to distinguish themselves and mark difference while being in uniforms. I went through a (thankfully brief) phase of wearing some specifically horrific grey eyeshadow at one point to make a statement or whatever.
I also don't agree with trying to make young girls not wear yoga pants and conditioning them to think that conservative dress means they're worth more, so that's another thing. Still, uniforms could have some benefits.
No. It's stupid because school uniforms do nothing to control kids behavior, and as I saw in Philadelphia in the 2000s when they started doing them, it's just a way for super corrupt politicians and businessmen to create another way to f*ck over the working class people with clothing monopolies and really expensive uniforms that most kids can't easily afford. (Blame the POS Philly mayor at the time, John Street.)
They tried to do school uniforms when I was in the 12th grade all across the city and I never wore one and I told them to get f*cked if they tried to enforce on me and my grandmother and I would find a pro bono lawyer to sue the school district if they tried to enforce them on us. As if we're supposed to pay $150 per uniform, just to go to school with. F*CK OFF!
In private school, they can go ahead and do that, but not in public school. hey should worry about actually teaching kids math and not what a Glory Hole or "preferred pronouns" are, instead of this stupid, elitist bullsh*t. You can wipe my ass with that f*cking school uniform sh*t. I ironically AM a teacher right now, and I don't support that classist crap. No academy in Korea requires uniforms though, but public schools do, and they're not $150 per set like they tried to do in Philly.
I mean... my friend had to go out of town a while, so I took a 16 year old to school and pick up at 4.40 pm and... Damm some of the kids look like they just came off a porn shoot. I saw a kid with a camel toe and another with a tiny top and the smallest shorts I've ever seen so that boys would notice her anorexic body and bellybutton piercing. And yes I'm talking high-school. I realize you think I made a wrong turn and ended up at the playboy mansion, but no
I think it's ridiculous and yes after this I support school uniforms
In the uk not many kids didn't wear uniforms... Even now kids still wear uniforms.. Regardless of religion, generic skirt/trousers, shirts/blouses, school tie and blazer in our schools colour.. My uniform was black skirt, white blouse, tie and black blazer.. Like every other girl, the boys wore black trousers.. We don't know anything different here
Without uniforms, girls will be soon going to class in bikinis and see through clothing. They're almost there already. I've seen some students show up in the tiniest crop tops and booty shorts.
No. Even being the kid that had to wear the same thing every week with only one pair of new sneakers for a whole school year, I never wanted uniforms. I looked better in my 3 outfits than I ever would in a uniform.
In private schools and charter schools, yes. You are right. School uniforms should be mandatory as it encourages discipline, smoothes out inequality, and builds one’s sense of identity/belonging.
every school in Australia your forced to wear a uniform and a hat. one of the main reasons was for increased safety such as abductions and school excursions and the hats for the sun.
people say its to stop bullying because of economical backgrounds but that doesn't really work in public schools when shoes and cars ext. exist. in private schools this works a little bit as uniforms are very strict but the same problem occurs
I believe some schools have uniforms to reduce bullying between the rich and poor but it does not work because Body Mass Index and voice and intelligence and facial features still vary.
Mandatory only in private schools. They have the right to make their own rules. But public schools should be open to whatever as long as it's appropriate in terms of common sense.
No necessarily a school uniform (although that's okay too). What's more important is a consistent dress code, to reduce peer pressure about who is wearing what.
Without uniforms is fun. But much better with uniforms or at least a dress code. Some people can't afford fancy clothes for their kids. Youd make a huge gap of rich vs poor. At least have a few options if it's a uniform. And you don't even have to waste time figure out what to wear in the morning.
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