School Uniform

[Lemon Of Life]

I used to wear a uniform, until a month ago. I didn't mind it, it's easier than choosing your own clothes, but it did get annoying when it got hot (blazers don't breathe, unfortunately).

Meh.

 

[Red Right Hand]

If you're outside just carry your blazer with you and put it on again when class starts.

It's bullshit that in our school that is banned. BANNED!!! Ridiculous. Although i've left now so I don't really give a shit.

 

[Yunami]

I'm an American who attended public school, K-12. (I'm a senior in college now.) My city's school district passed an act when I was in middle school that mandated a dress code for all students--basically, uniforms that you didn't have to buy from the school. Schools individually set their own dress codes, but the baseline was business-casual attire in blue, black, white, and khaki. Specifics of color and permitted articles of clothing were left up to the schools.

My high school only allowed students to wear black or khaki dress pants or skirts (between knee and ankle length, pleated, no slits) and white or black button-down or polo shirts with sleeves no shorter than elbow-length. In winter, we were allowed to wear sweaters in black or grey. Shirts had to be tucked in. Shoes were to be black only. Boys could wear ties if they wanted, but only in the prescribed colors; no silly cartoon ties. Girls were not allowed to wear ties. Jewelry was limited to stud-type earrings, a single necklace, and one ring. Boys with pierced ears had to take earrings out for school. Makeup was allowed for girls, but it had to be subtle.

Needless to say, getting dressed every day was kind of a chore.

Summer wasn't too bad, we were allowed to wear knee-length shorts, but being a poor public school, there was no air conditioning or anything, and classrooms on the west and south sides of the buildings got really hot. We also had a lot of really strict rules about not wandering the halls, not eating in class (so no bottled drinks), and we weren't allowed to carry bookbags or purses, lest we smuggle in something illicit, like a pair of headphones or a book to read. :/

We did have "dress-down" days occasionally, usually one per semester. There were also some fund-raising things where you could pay five dollars or whatever and get a pass to dress down on a Friday.

They used to lock us into the cafeteria at lunch time. Half the bathroom stalls didn't even have doors (though I think that was because they just couldn't afford to fix anything.)

Weirdly, though, that school still had working showers in the locker rooms, and allowed students to change completely unsupervised. Only school I ever attended where that was the case.

 

[esperandote]

1: If you can't identify intruders from the kids you see every day, you're a shitty teacher. If anything, the lack of a uniform would let you be able to tell who isn't from the school because they would be wearing clothing that wouldn't fit the styles of people who were in the school. How is this point subjective?

Some teacher might not be able to identify an intruder from kids that aren't in his group or grade or distiguish a new kid from and intruder. It isn't reasonable for people to know the dressing styles of the students and assuming an intruder is from the same area will more probably be dressing in the same style than at least a little group of students.

2: If you'd read my points, you would have noticed that I said that it costs more to buy a uniform than ordinary clothes, and that the lack of it would single you out more obviously than if you had turned up in inconspicuous casual wear every day. I am in fact "poor" myself, and these days, it's incredibly easy to get ahold of used clothing. How is this point subjective?

Not if the goverment gave the uniforms away or partially paid for them. Wich raises a question, would you agree to uniforms if they were for free? Also you didn't seem to counter the argument that uniform helps reducing bullying and, I would add, social discrimination and distractions because some kids might obsess with wanting to dress as others or feel insecure because of what he wears.

 

[Yunami]

Not if the goverment gave the uniforms away or partially paid for them. Wich raises a question, would you agree to uniforms if they were for free? Also you didn't seem to counter the argument that uniform helps reducing bullying and, I would add, social discrimination and distractions because some kids might obsess with wanting to dress as others or feel insecure because of what he wears.

Not to horn in, but my school had uniforms, and it didn't change the bullying a whit. The nasty kids just found other reasons to pick on people. There were still clothing trends, like which jewelry you wore or how you did your hair, and you could get picked on for that. In my experience, as one of the kids who got bullied, dress code doesn't change a damn thing.

 

[esperandote]

Not if the goverment gave the uniforms away or partially paid for them. Wich raises a question, would you agree to uniforms if they were for free? Also you didn't seem to counter the argument that uniform helps reducing bullying and, I would add, social discrimination and distractions because some kids might obsess with wanting to dress as others or feel insecure because of what he wears.

Not to horn in, but my school had uniforms, and it didn't change the bullying a whit. The nasty kids just found other reasons to pick on people. There were still clothing trends, like which jewelry you wore or how you did your hair, and you could get picked on for that. In my experience, as one of the kids who got bullied, dress code doesn't change a damn thing.

You're welcome to do so. Its true bullies will find any excuse to offend others but lets at least give them one excuse less.

 

[MelziGurl]

In the Summer heat, I'm really hating my school uniform. Everyday we have to wear and keep on for most of the day, a dark blazer so you can imagine the nasty sweat patches. I hear that in America most schools have no uniform, I rule I would love. It would mean actually being able to keep cool in the heat and not being boiled alive. I hear a lot of arguments for and against having no uniform and was wondering how people are coping with the heat (in London anyway) and what they think about school uniform in general.

I'd be able to sympathise with you, but I can't because I live in Brisbane, Australia where humidity reigns supreme in Summer. I always wanted no uniforms at school, but since graduating in 2002 I came to realise the benefits of having one. And unfortunately, when you're at school you're representing the school not yourself.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

1. They probably expect the pupils to behave since they are in secondary school now, they supervise inside, just not outside.

2. Uniforms look the same, even if you change into a different white shirt it's still a white shirt where as if you wash a t-shirt, it will still have the same writing/logo or whatever it has on it, so you could tell it is the same as the day before.

3. Well, I take my bag off when I am in class, which is when I am suppose to be working.

1. Then that's a bad school. To assume that nothing can happen when there are so many pupils outside is insanity.


2. So? You can't tell me a minimum income family does not have the money to buy more than one shirt. There's also second hand and giving that second hand is rarely distinguishable there's absolutely no excuse why you're keeping the child with only one shirt. If you do not have the money to raise a child then give him into to the child protective services so that he can have a better life.

3. So? The simple fact that you're heading towards school should give you a headstart that you're, well heading towards a school. There's no need for objects to make you realize where you are heading and what's your purpose. If you still want to dance to this song then fine. I'll simply argue that the backpack represents school and that no matter if you take it off or not, you will always see it and you will always use it to take out your books.


Still, this a tired and utterly stupid reason to force pupils into wearing uncomfortable uniforms.

 

[Mana Fiend]

I didn't mind uniforms at all; I have a certain love it ties, and so even in sixrth form I was known to wear a tie and, on occasion, a blazer (that was basically out school's uniform, so it was basically a suit that looked the same as everyone else's suit).

What really got on my nerves was that we had to wear a 'uniform' for PE. As a guy who hated sport, I dispised having to having my make my parents shell out £40+ for a pair of shorts with a logo, and a shirt that made you look like a bumble-bee, as well as football shoes (which were compulsary for about 2 years).

Not when that money could have been spent on computer games, pokemon cards, and roleplaying books

 

[Necrofudge]

Personally, I would have enjoyed school uniforms when I got the chance. I look pretty good in fancy clothes, in my opinion.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

My school has no school uniforms (thank God) and barely any dress code. If you were wearing clothes, shoes, and something under it no one cared what you wore.

 

[Bigsmith]

I'm now in college so now more uniforms for me (I'm in England so college means summin different then it does over in America)!

But In my opinion... burn uniforms! BURN THEM TO ASHES!

 

[Blindswordmaster]

In the Summer heat, I'm really hating my school uniform. Everyday we have to wear and keep on for most of the day, a dark blazer so you can imagine the nasty sweat patches. I hear that in America most schools have no uniform, I rule I would love. It would mean actually being able to keep cool in the heat and not being boiled alive. I hear a lot of arguments for and against having no uniform and was wondering how people are coping with the heat (in London anyway) and what they think about school uniform in general.

I have never had to wear a uniform in school, ever. I wore shorts almost everyday.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Hahahaha, I never had to deal with that! I loved that my high school didn't have a uniform.

Now I just love the fact I don't have to go back to that school!

 

[Aunel]

Holland here.

and i think it might be against the law to use school uniforms here.
Freedom of Expression for the win!

we Dutch are really for our freedom.
that's right we don't even *bleep* out nasty words on tv. * le gasp*

EDIT: i really don't see any significant benefits from school uniforms.

WOOHOO NEDERLAND!

OT: back in the day, when I still lived abroad, they made me wear school uniforms,

it was horrible, but now I'm able to express myself, by wearing stupid clothes, and my crunchy bass lines of course.

 

[MikhailGH]

London = heat? Try surviving 40+ It doesn't help that we don't have Uniforms, we could run around naked and still be roasted alive

 

[Foxbat Flyer]

As long as we had black pants and grey shirts in junior high school (7-10) then when we went to senior (11-12), aslong as we wore dark blue pants and yellow shirts. this all changed when i was in year 11, juniors had to wear white shirts with the school emblem on it and black pants and seniors wore yellow shirts with emblem on it. None of us seniors got the new uniform though, no point, only 2 years to go at the time...

 

[Blemontea]

during 6th and 7th grade i had to wear a uniform but what was nice is that you could wear them any way you wanted and you had different colors for different grades, a little better than standard uniform code but still weird feeling.

 

[The Anhk24]

Well I'm from America and most schools don't have a uniform... but I really wish they did. Before, I had to wake up every morning and get the same outfit together... I didn't really like it that much at the time, but then the next year I went to a public school and everyone was dressed like idiots. I swear, everyone was sagging their pants or wearing skinny jeans or something equally dumb... I wish we had uniforms.

Dude trust me I've seen private schools, the ghetto wannabes will make those uniforms look just as dumb...u know cutting holes in the pants, getting it either too big or small etc

 

[Shivarage]

Try going to school looking ugly in uniform for years

We had torquise blazers...