Poll: "Uniforms" in public school

[Siege_TF]

Cloths define our style and personality, and God help anyone who doesn't express their individuality by dressing like everyone else (because the teachers won't). This might come as a shock to a lot of people, high school students in particular, but schools already have uniforms, they're just supplied by The Gap or American Eagle Outfitters, or whatever the local equivilents may be.

 

[Merkavar]

snip

5. It makes children outside of school property easier to identify.

6. It makes kids who shouldn't be in school property but are easier to identify.

had a friend who left school. but wanted to come hanng out so he put on his old uniform and came and hanged out at lunch time

uniforms should be worn. at school you wear a unifrom. then you grow up get a job and wear a uniform/suit. then you grow up more and wear another uniform when you play lawn bowls at the local RSL

You always wear a suit or uniform when on a job?

That's most certainly not true, I'm definitely not going to be wearing either (ok, let me revise that to "90% chance" I won't be wearing either depending on the company) When I eventually am hired as a game programmer.

ok alot of jobs you wear a suit or uniform, not all. like woolies or coles you wear a uniform. accountants lawyers wear suits. doctors wear both. construction workers wear shiney safety vests which is a uniform in a way.

 

[Dastardly]

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
-No clothing with a logo of any kind outside of the school logo are permited on any clothing

And i'm probally missing some too. [Found one I left out]

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

I call bullshit on the "can't afford" game. Most of the time, these uniform policies work extremely well in low-wealth areas specifically because they steer people toward cheaper clothes. Plain colors, no logos (thus no big-name brands), and so on. When first implemented, it can be tough for people to make the transition, but eventually people in the area learn to expect it... so they don't go out and buy a brand new gajillion-dollar wardrobe before finding out it's against the dress code.

The overall reason I'm calling bullshit on the complaint is that all you've done is complain about the code. You haven't gone into why it was adopted, which was undoubtedly a very long and drawn out decision made amongst the teachers, administrators, and school board officials, likely over a period of months or even a full school year (or two). The reason you haven't given us these details is probably because you haven't sought them out yourself, if I had to guess.

People talk a lot about how "this is a public school, so it shouldn't blah blah blah like private schools." They fail to realize there are very, very unique challenges in managing a public school. Private schools can just say "Nope. You're too poor/dumb/ugly/rude/etc., so we won't be teaching you at all/anymore." Public schools have to take everyone, regardless. This means that often they have to be more restrictive to try to maintain some kind of order. Just because you aren't one of the kids that makes a dress code necessary doesn't mean your school isn't half full of them--and yep, it just takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch, welcome to Earth.

Seriously, if the only way you can express your freedom and individuality is via your clothes, you need to be working on your own personal identity issues, rather than campaigning for a change to a policy that has only served to point out how little you know about expressing individuality.

 

[Merkavar]

Cloths define our style and personality, and God help anyone who doesn't express their individuality by dressing like everyone else (because the teachers won't). This might come as a shock to a lot of people, high school students in particular, but schools already have uniforms, they're just supplied by The Gap or American Eagle Outfitters, or whatever the local equivilents may be.

so for you to feel unique you need to wear specific clothes. instead of actually being unique through your actual personality. if everyone is wearing the same sort of clothes/uniform then you just need to try harder to be unique.

dont wish for easier lives, wish to be better people

 

[Danpascooch]

snip

Nice viewpoint but it doesn't take account of a few basic principles.

1. That's not how teenagers work in real life. Of course they're going to judge on looks rather than reach out, that's a fundamental truth of how our group psychology works.

2. Teaching people that they don't have to change to fit in is a shitty life lesson. I think cracked.com said it best with "Remember that smelly kid in school, who never washed his hair, had no friends and once pissed in the sink at that party he wasn't invited to? That's your kid, without peer pressure." Peer pressure and conforming to group standards is a valuable part of education for anyone who actually intends to ever work with real people.

3. Uniforms help eliminate gang markings and help to level the playing field between rich and poor. It's amazing how much easier it is to make friends when no one knows how poor/goth/crip you are.

4. It teaches you to dress formally and how not to look like a waxed gorilla in a suit. That in itself is enough reason for a uniform. Don't believe me? Watch at a high school prom and look at how many kids look awkward in a suit. It's as much a skill as anything else and make no mistake, your potential employer will not give a shit how comfy you look in slacks.

5. It makes children outside of school property easier to identify.

6. It makes kids who shouldn't be in school property but are easier to identify.

Now compare it to the bad sides:

1. People don't get to express their opinion via t-shirt.

2. Err...

3. No, that's it.

Gang signs my ass, that's always the "go to argument" and it's actually an issue maybe 1.5% of the time it's used.

Also, cost is an issue for some people, comfort is an issue for others, and individuality is somewhat important and who really cares about your #6? If he's a big guy brandishing an axe, or a 30 year old pedophile he's going to be pretty easy to spot, if he looks like the other kids (a teenager) why the HELL would he voluntarily sneak INTO a school!?

 

[Dastardly]

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.

My school never had uniforms, the dress code consisted of:

1.) Don't wear anything advertising drugs or alcohol
2.) Don't be fucking naked.

That was about it.

And guess what? THE WORLD IS STILL SPINNING.

Seriously, dress codes are ridiculous.

In some areas, they're useless. In others, they are borderline necessary to keep the wheels turning. It comes down to the local culture, and how it does/doesn't interfere with the learning process. Our OP hasn't provided any details on why this school or school system chose to implement this code, so we're having to use "best guess," which usually causes people to default to their own narrow window of personal experience.

 

[Danpascooch]

Cloths define our style and personality, and God help anyone who doesn't express their individuality by dressing like everyone else (because the teachers won't). This might come as a shock to a lot of people, high school students in particular, but schools already have uniforms, they're just supplied by The Gap or American Eagle Outfitters, or whatever the local equivilents may be.

so for you to feel unique you need to wear specific clothes. instead of actually being unique through your actual personality. if everyone is wearing the same sort of clothes/uniform then you just need to try harder to be unique.

dont wish for easier lives, wish to be better people

What is that? A Kennedy Misquote?

The REAL quote is: Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men

Anyway, it's not that you need clothes to be an individual, it's that you're being told to be like everyone else for no good reason, it's discouraging and annoying as shit.

 

[Extra-Ordinary]

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.

Whoa, no shirts the same color as your eyes? What's next, the letters of your small logos cannot contain the letters of your blood type?

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

Your dress code seems a little evil but I can understand it in some places like say a morgue.

 

[Kopikatsu]

This is what happens in an individualistic society AKA America. (The argument about how it takes away from creativity and other such things)

Basically, it teaches you to be a selfish prick.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have countries like Japan which are MUCH more nationalist. That's why committing suicide is considered an honorable thing there, if you do it for honor/family/county while in America, you just get pity or insulted (AN HERO). Well, your corpse does.

So, egotistical selfish prick with a god complex, or a mindless drone with no individuality and a compulsion to die for any random person/reason.

Both are equally acceptable choices, no?

Edit: Long story short (Which has nothing to do with the above!), just because you can't wear a shirt that says "GOT DEM BITCHES" doesn't mean you can't be an individual. And don't say 'Oh, no, we just want to wear our nice plain shirts that have no logos." I call bullshit. I've been in both public and private schools with and without dresscodes, and most of the shirts contained some reference to alcohol, drugs, or the anatomy of a female. Even a few girls had Hooters sweaters. That ain't right.

 

[EarthBoundGiygas]

Damn no hair below the eyes, Thats no good. Id just let my hair grow even longer and be like Screw You.

 

[Croix Sinistre]

Anyway, it's not that you need clothes to be an individual, it's that you're being told to be like everyone else for no good reason, it's discouraging and annoying as shit.

I agree with that statement, but as it is, the world is like that. You can't change it and it sucks to realize it, but I hate to see people who let things like being told what to do for no good reason bog them down in life.

 

[Demongeneral109]

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.

can I just tell you that I now love you forever for posting EGS?

on topic, I feel that there should either be a uniform, or a reasonable dress code like the average public school, the dress code is the cheap way to make a 'uniform' particularly is they are collecting for the poorer students. In general I don't support uniforms, but if you have them, at least do it properly!!!

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

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
-No clothing with a logo of any kind outside of the school logo are permited on any clothing

And i'm probally missing some too. [Found one I left out]

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

Organize the entire student body to wear hoodies, skirts, hats, tons of logos, no tucked in shirts, and wild hair.

 

[Beastialman]

Man you're school would have hated me.

Here's me in senior year.

Spoiler

[/spoiler]

Either way, since it's public schools I think they could be spending money a lot better instead of getting everyone up in a room to decided what would be good and what wouldn't be. I'm glad my school spent their money on actual good things, like better computers, better sanitation, and what not.

 

[Wolfenbarg]

I used to go to a school that had a similar dress code. I didn't care much for it, and didn't see any of the supposed effects that they claimed it would have. There were still gang problems, people were still teased for dress (not all collared shirts are created equal after all, even if they're the same color), and discrimination between races and social classes was still present. Uniforms only assist in a school environment if the rest of the environment is conducive to the style of dress. Strict dress code in a private school makes perfect sense, but in a public school it serves little purpose beyond annoying students and parents alike.

 

[Airsoftslayer93]

OHH NOOOOO tbh almost every school in britain has a uniform, as in an actual uniform, most are tie and blazzer. think youse;f lucly and stop complaining about every minor thing

 

[nothinghere]

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
-No clothing with a logo of any kind outside of the school logo are permited on any clothing

And i'm probally missing some too. [Found one I left out]

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

I call bullshit on the "can't afford" game. Most of the time, these uniform policies work extremely well in low-wealth areas specifically because they steer people toward cheaper clothes. Plain colors, no logos (thus no big-name brands), and so on. When first implemented, it can be tough for people to make the transition, but eventually people in the area learn to expect it... so they don't go out and buy a brand new gajillion-dollar wardrobe before finding out it's against the dress code.

The overall reason I'm calling bullshit on the complaint is that all you've done is complain about the code. You haven't gone into why it was adopted, which was undoubtedly a very long and drawn out decision made amongst the teachers, administrators, and school board officials, likely over a period of months or even a full school year (or two). The reason you haven't given us these details is probably because you haven't sought them out yourself, if I had to guess.

People talk a lot about how "this is a public school, so it shouldn't blah blah blah like private schools." They fail to realize there are very, very unique challenges in managing a public school. Private schools can just say "Nope. You're too poor/dumb/ugly/rude/etc., so we won't be teaching you at all/anymore." Public schools have to take everyone, regardless. This means that often they have to be more restrictive to try to maintain some kind of order. Just because you aren't one of the kids that makes a dress code necessary doesn't mean your school isn't half full of them--and yep, it just takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch, welcome to Earth.

Seriously, if the only way you can express your freedom and individuality is via your clothes, you need to be working on your own personal identity issues, rather than campaigning for a change to a policy that has only served to point out how little you know about expressing individuality.

The reason why the school implemented the dress code was for public appearance and to decrease the occurence of bullies due to financial limitations. I wasn't complaining really, I just wanted to ask a question. We've had the dress code for a few years now, the only thing that bothers me is the comfort and I already have a fix for that. I don't really care for expressing myself as I've never cared what others really thought either.

I never said anything negative about the dress code intentionally and tried my best to state the facts that way I could hope to get an unbaised opinion out of the people of the escapist.

Thanks for the thought out reply though

 

[Merkavar]

Cloths define our style and personality, and God help anyone who doesn't express their individuality by dressing like everyone else (because the teachers won't). This might come as a shock to a lot of people, high school students in particular, but schools already have uniforms, they're just supplied by The Gap or American Eagle Outfitters, or whatever the local equivilents may be.

so for you to feel unique you need to wear specific clothes. instead of actually being unique through your actual personality. if everyone is wearing the same sort of clothes/uniform then you just need to try harder to be unique.

dont wish for easier lives, wish to be better people

What is that? A Kennedy Misquote?

The REAL quote is: Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men

Anyway, it's not that you need clothes to be an individual, it's that you're being told to be like everyone else for no good reason, it's discouraging and annoying as shit.

that old saying ''the clothes make the man'' isnt actually true. you are being forced to wear similar clothes. your clothes are not you. your clothes do not affect your personality. if your clothes can discourage you then what ever it is that you are being discouraged from must not be that important.

and i guess you havcent been reading this thread since there have been plenty of good reasons for having a uniform.

and yes it was a kenedy misquote. im not a history buff i just recently played black op

 

[nothinghere]

Man you're school would have hated me.

Here's me in senior year.

Spoiler

[/spoiler]

Either way, since it's public schools I think they could be spending money a lot better instead of getting everyone up in a room to decided what would be good and what wouldn't be. I'm glad my school spent their money on actual good things, like better computers, better sanitation, and what not.[/QUOTE]

We recently bought 6 flat screen tv's so people could watch sports while eating lunch. Although they never turn them on anymore and we still have laptops that need the specialized repair personnel in order to get the internet for basic school projects.