Poll: "Uniforms" in public school

[Amphoteric]

This won't seem at all outrageous to those of us in The UK.

WE GET IT MUCH MUCH WORSE.

 

[Antitonic]

That seems completely fair, with the exception of the hair one. Hell, it gives less reason for schoolyard bullying.

Spoiler: Such as here...

Linkbacks here [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-10-29] and here [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-03-18] respectively.

 

[Lilani]

I can see the advantage of uniforms and dress codes in urban areas where color gangs are a big problem, but that dress code up there seems needlessly strict, especially if you don't have that sort of problem. I mean, collared shirts and turtle necks? What about the kids who don't have the money to go and buy an entire repertoire of nicer shirts and khakis? They might think that this "uniform" system is a great equalizer, but if they raise the bar the ones who don't have as much will stand out even more.

Also, tucking in your shirt is a major pain and it takes unnecessary amounts of time to maintain. Dress codes are supposed to prevent distraction and worries, not add to them.

 

[Double A]

Their school, their rules. You may not like having to wear a work uniform but it is part of life and you really have no say in it other than go somewhere else.

It's a PUBLIC school. Private schools can do whatever they want (as long as it's legal), but public schools are run by the government.

This is crazy. I can understand no hats/head coverings so teachers can see your face and you aren't identifying with a gang, maybe top button of shirt so girls aren't "improper." But belts? Collars? Khakis? That's ridiculous, and almost as bad as my former private school (at least you don't have to wear the school emblem over your heart). Public schools shouldn't expect this level of dress from their students.

They are funded by the government not run. Each school can apply their own set of rules to be followed.

I stand corrected.

Still, that doesn't make it good. You have to go to school, and if you can't go to private school you're pretty much forced to go to public school. If you hate your school more than you would from just having to go to school there (there's a certain amount of hatred most kids have towards school) then there is a problem.

 

[nothinghere]

That seems completely fair, with the exception of the hair one. Hell, it gives less reason for schoolyard bullying.

Spoiler: Such as here...

Linkbacks here [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-10-29] and here [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-03-18] respectively.

That comic is exactly how our school got uniforms. Every single line except for the free uniforms. I got a sense of Deja vu from reading that comic.

 

[nothinghere]

I can see the advantage of uniforms and dress codes in urban areas where color gangs are a big problem, but that dress code up there seems needlessly strict, especially if you don't have that sort of problem. I mean, collared shirts and turtle necks? What about the kids who don't have the money to go and buy an entire repertoire of nicer shirts and khakis? They might think that this "uniform" system is a great equalizer, but if they raise the bar the ones who don't have as much will stand out even more.

Also, tucking in your shirt is a major pain and it takes unnecessary amounts of time to maintain. Dress codes are supposed to prevent distraction and worries, not add to them.

There is a nearby city, but they have a school so big its section off to north, south, west, and east. A majority of the people in my school are hunters. They go to lunch talking about the latest buck they shot.

 

[OptimisticPessimist]

As a passionate individualist, I think the very concept of a dress code is ridiculous, and especially hair.

Sure, school is for learning, not for making fashion statements, but dress codes have nothing to do with learning. I've yet to hear one single good argument FOR dress codes.

Took the words outta my mouth, buddy.

 

[El Poncho]

I think almost all schools have a uniform.

Shirt
Tie with school colours
School trousers(I don't know their type).
And no hats inside.
Girls can wear skirts, the school trys to keep the length long but no one listens and they eventually give up.

As a passionate individualist, I think the very concept of a dress code is ridiculous, and especially hair.

Sure, school is for learning, not for making fashion statements, but dress codes have nothing to do with learning. I've yet to hear one single good argument FOR dress codes.

It allows you to spot intruders in the school easier and quicker before they cause trouble.

 

[Dags90]

Also, tucking in your shirt is a major pain and it takes unnecessary amounts of time to maintain. Dress codes are supposed to prevent distraction and worries, not add to them.

It also looks terrible on a lot of people if you're not wearing a blazer or something over it. I never wear a tucked in shirt without a blazer, suit jacket, or sweater.

That said, there's clear Supreme Court precedent supporting public school children's rights to free speech, including dress, as long as it isn't demonstrably impeding the school's ability to teach. You might want to bring that up with your school's principle or school district lawyer.

This won't seem at all outrageous to those of us in The UK.

WE GET IT MUCH MUCH WORSE.

That's what you get for living in a commie-socialist facism...thingy!

Still, that doesn't make it good. You have to go to school, and if you can't go to private school you're pretty much forced to go to public school. If you hate your school more than you would from just having to go to school there (there's a certain amount of hatred most kids have towards school) then there is a problem.

Actually incorrect (in the U.S. where the OP is from anyway), unless they want to start splitting hairs. Public schools are run by local government, from which they also receive funding as well as possibly state and/or federal money. They're all government employees though, all of 'em are paid with tax dollars.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

I'm just being thankful I don't live wherever the hell you do. There's no fucking way I'd ever change my appearance or clothing to match the rules of an educational institution. I think anything that forces students to conform in any sort of way is unjust and absurd. I realize that this includes many things that schools do anyway, but it's still my belief that freedom of expression is one of the most important aspects of any human's life.

 

[jamradar]

Rundown of the Code:
-Collared or turtleneck shirts
-Shirts tucked in plus belts
-kahki pants only
-no hair that goes to the eyes
-only top button allowed undone
-skirts are allowed, and jumpers
-No hoodies or jackets inside school or referal
-1 warning for dress code violation
-No hats allowed
-No clothing with a logo of any kind outside of the school logo are permited on any clothing

That sounds strangely like my schools dress code. Except a few things are different:

-All buttons have to be buttoned
-No skirts allowed (but strangely enough chokers are allowed, dont ask me why I dont know)
-0 warnings, if you get 1 violation your in the office
-We can have logos but it cant be bigger than a penny
-No long sleeved shirts
-We have to wear dress shoes
-All shirts must be collared polo shirts
And...
-We cant wear shirts the same color as our eyes

In the end I dislike dress code. It just eliminates more student individuality than my school already does.
By the way its been like this since the second grade.

 

[mrF00bar]

My school had a uniform but they were pretty relaxed about it, as long as you didn't let the teachers see you with an untucked shirt or top button undone in the corridors they were fine. But this is just silly, head master on a power trip?

 

[MelziGurl]

Their school, their rules. You may not like having to wear a work uniform but it is part of life and you really have no say in it other than go somewhere else.

It's a PUBLIC school. Private schools can do whatever they want (as long as it's legal), but public schools are run by the government.

This is crazy. I can understand no hats/head coverings so teachers can see your face and you aren't identifying with a gang, maybe top button of shirt so girls aren't "improper." But belts? Collars? Khakis? That's ridiculous, and almost as bad as my former private school (at least you don't have to wear the school emblem over your heart). Public schools shouldn't expect this level of dress from their students.

They are funded by the government not run. Each school can apply their own set of rules to be followed.

I stand corrected.

Still, that doesn't make it good. You have to go to school, and if you can't go to private school you're pretty much forced to go to public school. If you hate your school more than you would from just having to go to school there (there's a certain amount of hatred most kids have towards school) then there is a problem.

I graduated high school in 2002 and the attitude of students has not changed. It doesn't matter what the problem is, most students will find a reason to hate school other than school uniform. I live in Australia, we wear school uniform from the age of 6 to 17. I'm not talking polo's and khakis, I'm talking girls wearing button up blouses complete with tie and long pleated skirts (not excessively pleated) I was only allowed to wear stockings during winter, long pants were an absolute no-no. Luckily, girls had the option of shorts instead of skirts with their sport uniform (yes, not one but TWO uniforms) and we were only allowed to wear sport uniform on sports days. Black lace up shoes, studs/sleepers no bracelets, necklaces only if they were religious, no outrageous hair colours etc etc. And you lot sit there and complain about how hard you have it???? IT IS NOT THAT BAD!!!

By the way, I would loooove to go back to school even with the uniform

 

[Squarez]

For once I'm actually glad that I went to a school with an actual uniform.

You get a school jumper, polo shirt and black trousers and you have to wear black shoes.

It was a pretty sweet deal, and you could wear what you wanted over the top, really. As long as hats/jumpers/coats came off in lessons you were good.

 

[Frotality]

uh....fuck that. its public school; private schools can do whatever they want, but state funded? who the hell do they think they are?

dress codes are a stupid and socially backwards system as it is, but at least private schools and businesess have the right to them. this is absolutely nonsensical; in what damn way does not having a collar interfere with learning? i can guarantee maybe 20 kids from my high school would follow that, and that code would quickly be withdrawn. theres nothing wrong with insisting kids dont wear gang colors or dress like prostitutes in school, but beyond that... where do you live? stalin's russia? your federally mandated to go to this school; you are required to complete the curriculum and nothing else; what exactly would this dress code accomplish were it to be followed? you restrict something from teenagers, and all it does is make them want it more. theyre gonna end up dressing trashy everywhere else just to spite the school. how is this beneficial to anything beyond the school's ego?

dress like a homeless vagabond. unless the school opts to actually give you and every student the required clothing for the entirety of your time there, they have no right to do that. its this kind of irrelevant bullshit that made me opt for independent school.

 

[Antitonic]

That seems completely fair, with the exception of the hair one. Hell, it gives less reason for schoolyard bullying.

Spoiler: Such as here...

Linkbacks here [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2004-10-29] and here [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2005-03-18] respectively.

That comic is exactly how our school got uniforms. Every single line except for the free uniforms. I got a sense of Deja vu from reading that comic.

I was going to crop those panels out, but you know... effort.

I've seen more violent versions of similar situations, so I can appreciate the uniform sentiment.

"Hey! You're wearing a {SPORTS TEAM} shirt! I hate {SPORTS TEAM}, and because I'm an arsehole with an inflated ego, you're not allowed to wear it! Now we must fight!"

 

[emeraldrafael]

I think that uniforms are a nuisance more then anything else. I mean... well, maybe its just me, but i never saw the problem with kids wearing torn shirts/pants or shirts with logos on them. TO me, its just sheltering someone from the real world to make us all look alike.

Anyways, my school tried this once (Stop kids from bringing guns to school, though i never heard of a kid doing it in the the school's 50+ year history as a district), it iddnt work. Immediately half the kids decided they werent going to follow uniform rules. Another quarter wore them, but wore them like regular clothes (button down shirts worn under hoodies, undone, with a tee shirt under the and either khakis or vry nice jeans on. The last quarter (whihc i was apart of), modded our clothes. We sewed stuff onto the insides of them, that could be seen when reversed (simple images really), if we had to wear clothes inside out. WE also dyed our hair the rival school's colours and proved we could carry much smaller and simpler items not outlawed (we were allowed pocket knives but not seweing needles for some reason) that could be used for malicious intent and effectively put an end to that.

 

[Naheal]

My school is a public school and recently they implemented an extremely strict dress code that everyone calls a "Uniform" even though its not. Basicaly you can only wear school colors, right down to your sock. Only exception to the dress code is shoes. Your shirt must have a collar or be a turtle neck and it has to be tucked in with a belt. Socks have to be solid colors with not stripes or anything.

Do you think public schools should actually be allowed to do this? Many people can't really afford the new clothes because they are more expensive then average clothes. Our school had to set up a little turn in box so people who can't afford to buy clothes that fit the dress code can pick up a pair and even if you shirt came untucked from bending over you could get an office referal.

Rundown of the Code:
-Collared or turtleneck shirts
-Shirts tucked in plus belts
-kahki pants only
-no hair that goes to the eyes
-only top button allowed undone
-skirts are allowed, and jumpers
-No hoodies or jackets inside school or referal
-1 warning for dress code violation
-No hats allowed

And i'm probally missing some too.

Do you think public schools should follow our towns example or do you think that no school should have a dress code this strict?

None of those rules are too overbearing except that one. Fine, have a school dress code that people can take off when they get home or whatever, but don't make them keep a specific hair-cut. That's just fucking stupid and unfair.

That's teaching professionalism in the corporate world. Haircuts outside what they're suggesting will typically appear unprofessional and will result in you not getting hired.

 

[soren7550]

They've also restricted the time we can use our lockers so half the people carry all their school supplies with them all day.

I don't find that too bad, seeing as I had to carry enough supplies for several people for five years.

Your school's dress code seems a bit odd (dictating what color your socks have to be), but I can kind of see why they're doing it. The middle school I used to go to (long story short, it was crime ridden) about a year or so after I left it made the students wear a uniform (a blue polo shirt w/ the school's name on it) and apparently it has improved. But I think that's due to the strict principal that came in when I was leaving and due to the NYBOE funding the place for a change.

And I never really had to wear a uniform save for kindergarten I think it was when my mother made me wear a jumper & a button up shirt. The school didn't even require that I had nor anyone else had to wear one, she just made me do it, which I hated since 1) it was a jumper 2) all the kids thought I was weird for wearing it.

 

[lokun489]

I wasn't aware public schools could legally give dress codes, oh no wait they can only give boundries. Well here anyway.