Opinion What is your opinion on School Uniforms?

[Edythir]

I have had this discussion with a few of my friends as well as briefly on reddit. So i want to ask you guys since the majority is in school or just graduate from school.


What is your opinion on schools forcing a Uniform Policy? Now because the most common complaint is "It is expensive" as is with all mandatory things in america, lets pretend that the school would supply the uniform free of charge (free the first time at least, if you were to do anything which would make you need a new uniform, that comes from your pocket).


I have a pretty strong opinion on this but i feel that if i would leave mine here, most of the comments would be about my thoughts on the matter while this thread was started specifically for you thoughts, so i will leave this up for a few hours before adding my input into this so you can see what i think of this subject matter.


PS: No, i am not talking about in RPs, this is RL

 

[IG42]

Well I'm British so uniforms are a given in our schools until 16.


I suppose at the very least they save a lot of palaver with dress codes.

 

[Han]

Here in the Netherlands most school don't have any uniforms, we just dress casual in our usual outfits.


At the moment I attend a university where we have a uniform whenever a guest lecture comes over, because they are professional people we also have to dress into business attire. 


I don't think the clothes should be a big issue when you're at school. As long as it's convenient to move in and right for the current season. For example, if the uniform would only be a skirt and a blouse but we don't have a winter uniform I will alter it so I can at least stay warm and protectedfrom the weather.


Personally I like to see the different clothing styles people have. It tells a bit more about the person and it's nice to look at. Of course you shouldn't be half-naked in school so appropriate clothes are necessary. But in general I wouldn't see why uniforms would make a big change within a school system.

 

[Idea]

According to what I hear, lack of uniforms reinforces visually social differences, such as wealth (mainly that). As such, it can lead to an increase in bullying and the forming of "cliques" that ostracize people.  If that information is correct (and mind you I have no confirmation that it is or isn't), then I think school uniforms are the correct policy

 

[The Mechanist]

When you live where I live and there's a bunch of mojados and ghettos students, I'd say it's a necessity, unfortunately when I was in grade school they didn't have any

 

[cupidcreep]

i live in england so we all have to wear school uniforms. we usually customise them in small ways (rolling up skirt ect) and some people may find it annoying, but to me it's actually a good idea because it doesn't put people in certain 'ranks' or groups. wearing makeup is against the rules but you get away with it if you don't fully cake your face lol.

 

[Lemoncakes]

I had to wear school uniform up until the age of 16 (British schooling) and I think it was for the best. There are definitely flaws with school uniforms, the cost (as previously mentioned), being too strict on when and how it's worn.. but I'm glad we had it.


We used to have non-uniform days to raise money for charity and for the first few years I just wore old jeans and tshirts, but seeing what the other girls wore I decided to make an effort and buy new clothes. Next non-uniform day one of them girls came up to me and said 'are you wearing that?'. It's not a life long scar or anything (and looking back I stand by that outfit, it was so sweet) but if I had to face that everyday I would have become absorbed by what I was wearing and how I looked. As it was, I got to lie in longer because I didn't have to think about what I was wearing.


So yeah, school uniform isn't perfect and how it's implemented needs to be improved but it was right for me and right for the school environment I was in

 

[Pine]

I graduated from high school about three years ago, so I hope that I still fall under that pool of "recently graduated" that you're looking to poll, haha. As a disclaimer, I have never attended a school where school uniforms were mandated. If I make an incorrect assumption about how these things usually go down, please let me know.


I can see the theoretical benefits of school uniforms. It can help to erase socioeconomic bridges that may otherwise be seen present among students. As Idea mentioned, this could potentially reduce bullying and impede the formation of cliques.


However, as cynical as I am, I find that these things are inevitable within a community such as school. Clothes may be taken out of the equation, but personal hygiene, organizations, and general behavioral patterns will still exist. There are many ways to judge someone based on looks besides what they're wearing. (I know you said to disregard uniform prices, but I think you could even argue that it's a good investment, where you don't have any obligation to keep buying new clothes. Again, I could be wrong.)


On a personal level, I'm very against regulations that impede any form of self-expression. I have my own style and I like showing off that flair about me. The less restrictions I've had regarding that (and perhaps it's an age thing), the more I've come to be comfortable in my own skin. If people feel any aversion to me because they don't like the way I choose to express myself, then fuck 'em. I don't want to waste my time associating with anyone that would have such a shallow view of me. I will acknowledge that other people can't/have difficulty looking at others the same way, and maybe you could make the argument of me having the comfort of some privileged life or something idk. That's fine and I can respect that view.


But the thing is that outside of school, it's my assumption that you're going to dress however you want. You're going to interact with the world in a place where people will dress differently. This problem is not contained strictly to a school environment.


I don't agree with the idea of approaching school like you would a business. In business, regulations of appearance are designed the way they are so as to give off a certain vibe which will align with the idea of the product they're selling. Basic tactics to run a more successful business. School goes beyond that. School is something you attend during a critical time of development in your life. In all likelihood, it's the best shortcut to being able to interact with people of your own age group, and thus learning how to build interpersonal relationships. I feel that there should be just as equal of an emphasis on self-exploration in school as there is education.


Even in my school with no uniform mandated, I find myself enraged by the dress code they implemented. I think the double-standard where boys were not allowed to wear make-up, have their ears pierced, or have their hair below their ears, while girls are allowed to do all of those things is ridiculous, and the argument of it being "distracting from the school environment" weak. Obviously, like Han mentioned, I would not endorse someone showing up to school wearing nothing but fishnets... but those are things you hardly see in the general public anyway. If it isn't distracting in a grocery store, I can't think of it being distracting in school.


My final point to make is that generally there are separate male and female uniforms where females wear long skirts, correct? Doesn't seem to be a system that's conducive for transgenders, whether they're in the closet or not. As an identifying non-binary, I have plenty of beef with that.

 

[The Mechanist]

I graduated from high school about three years ago, so I hope that I still fall under that pool of "recently graduated" that you're looking to poll, haha. As a disclaimer, I have never been a school where school uniforms were mandated. If I make an incorrect assumption about how these things usually go down, please let me know.


I can see the theoretical benefits of school uniforms. It can help to erase socioeconomic bridges that may otherwise be seen present among students. As Idea mentioned, this could potentially reduce bullying and impede the formation of cliques.


However, as cynical as I am, I find that these things are inevitable within a community such as school. Clothes may be taken out of the equation, but personal hygiene, organizations, and general behavioral patterns will still exist. There are many ways to judge someone based on looks besides what they're wearing. (I know you said to disregard uniform prices, but I think you could even argue that it's a good investment, where you don't have any obligation to keep buying new clothes. Again, I could be wrong.)


On a personal level, I'm very against regulations that impede any form of self-expression. I have my own style and I like showing off that flair about me. The less restrictions I've had regarding the (and perhaps it's an age thing), the more I've come to be comfortable in my own skin. If people feel any aversion to me because they don't like the way I choose to express myself, then fuck 'em. I don't want to waste my time associating with anyone that would have such a shallow view of me. I will acknowledge that other people can't/have difficulty looking at others the same way, and maybe you could make the argument of me having the comfort of some privileged life or something idk. That's fine and I can respect that view.


But the thing is that outside of school, it's my assumption that you're going to dress however you want. You're going to interact with the world in a place where people will dress differently. This problem is not contained strictly to a school environment.


I don't agree with the idea of approaching school like you would a business. In business, regulations of appearance are designed the way they are so as to give off a certain vibe which will align with the idea of the product they're selling. Basic tactics to run a more successful business. School goes beyond that. School is something you attend during a critical time of development in your life. In all likelihood, it's the best shortcut to being able to interact with people of your own age group, and thus learning how to build interpersonal relationships. I feel that there should be just as equal of an emphasis on self-exploration in school as there is education.


Even in my school with no uniform mandated, I find myself enraged by the dress code they implemented. I think the double-standard where boys were not allowed to wear make-up, have their ears pierced, or have their hair below their ears, while girls are allowed to do all of those things is ridiculous, and the argument of it being "distracting from the school environment" weak. Obviously, like Han mentioned, I would not endorse someone showing up to school wearing nothing but fishnets... but those are things you hardly see in the general public anyway. If it isn't distracting in a grocery store, I can't think of it being distracting in school.


My final point to make is that generally there are separate male and female uniforms where females wear long skirts, correct? Doesn't seem to be a system that's conducive for transgenders, whether they're in the closet or not. As an identifying non-binary, I have plenty of beef with that.

Alright, I can respect your gender  designation? Is that what it's called? But as a scientist I only have two ways of telling your gender. Do you or do you not have this organ? Is it original or artificially made through surgery? 


Really that's about it, I have no problem with people's gender belief, I myself (girlfriend included) are demisexuals, um I forgot what binary was, I'll ask my girl when I get the chance, but uniforms weren't meant to respect someone's beliefs , a uniform is assigned based on your BIOLOGICAL gender. Is that wrong, morally yes, but as I said, a uniform isn't supposed to be comfortable, it's to maintain a form of authority whether you like it or not. The military for example, everyone gets the same uniform, except for dress uniforms, that one is also based off of biological gender


personally I don't think anyone should wear make up, as for the metal punched into your body, well that's your choice, as long as your face doesn't look like it was hit with a frag grenade.

 

[Pine]

Alright, I can respect your gender  designation? Is that what it's called? But as a scientist I only have two ways of telling your gender. Do you or do you not have this organ? Is it original or artificially made through surgery? 


Really that's about it, I have no problem with people's gender belief, I myself (girlfriend included) are demisexuals, um I forgot what binary was, I'll ask my girl when I get the chance, but uniforms weren't meant to respect someone's beliefs , a uniform is assigned based on your BIOLOGICAL gender. Is that wrong, morally yes, but as I said, a uniform isn't supposed to be comfortable, it's to maintain a form of authority whether you like it or not. The military for example, everyone gets the same uniform, except for dress uniforms, that one is also based off of biological gender

Gender designation works, but the common term is "gender identity." <: By non-binary I'm referring to not [wholly] identifying with either side of the gender binary (i.e., male or female). I have not disillusioned myself about what I have between my legs. However, there are assumptions and expectations attached to both sexes in society. I don't like it when people impose those ideas on me, because I don't feel that they accurately represent me as a person.


I would like to point out that both males and females are developed with the same tissue. Regarding genitals, at a certain point, it's all a matter of which way those tissues those tissues end up aligning themselves. There is generally a dominant hormone between the two which dictates a lot of our development, but testosterone and estrogen are present in all of us. There's usually an either/or distinction that exists, but intersex people (people with sexual anatomy that do not fall within the typical standards for males or females) exist. I know at least in the U.S. some form of "corrective" surgery is generally performed early on to make the kid align better with one side of the perceived binary, but that doesn't change the fact that these people were naturally born this way. Regarding sex chromosomes, you can also find quite a variety in people: XO females, XXX females, XYY males, and XXY males. There are plenty of cultures that you can look at where there are more than two commonplace genders. I would implore you to consider that even on a biological level things aren't as black and white as people are so often lead to believe. Variation is everywhere, and simultaneously, we aren't too different from one another.


But all of that side, my argument was specifically against this idea of conformity. I don't think it has any place in the school system to be imposed on our developing youth. School, to me, should be more than learning what's in your textbooks. I think schools should foster critical thinking skills, exploring expressions of self and belief, among other things which I, as someone studying psychology, believe are essential to the healthy development of children and are critical assets for situations later in life. I'm less keen on the idea of school being a place for teaching some principle respect to authorities. I'm also very against the concept of militaries, though, which will probably say a lot to you about the type of person I am LOL.

 

[Lemoncakes]

It may be worth noting that gender identity awareness is leading to discussions about school uniform. I don't agree that uniform is there to reflect someone's biological gender, and at my school (an all girls school) we could wear either skirts or trousers. In recent years some schools have allowed boys to wear skirts or tried to adopt more gender neutral uniforms so hopefully this is what we're moving towards! ( in England at least, where school uniforms are very much the norm) 

 

[Idea]

Gender designation works, but the common term is "gender identity." <: By non-binary I'm referring to not [wholly] identifying with either side of the gender binary (i.e., male or female). I have not disillusioned myself about what I have between my legs. However, there are assumptions and expectations attached to both sexes in society. I don't like it when people impose those ideas on me, because I don't feel that they accurately represent me as a person.


I would like to point out that both males and females are developed with the same tissue. Regarding genitals, at a certain point, it's all a matter of which way those tissues those tissues end up aligning themselves. There is generally a dominant hormone between the two which dictates a lot of our development, but testosterone and estrogen are present in all of us. There's usually an either/or distinction that exists, but intersex people (people with sexual anatomy that do not fall within the typical standards for males or females) exist. I know at least in the U.S. some form of "corrective" surgery is generally performed early on to make the kid align better with one side of the perceived binary, but that doesn't change the fact that these people were naturally born this way. Regarding sex chromosomes, you can also find quite a variety in people: XO females, XXX females, XYY males, and XXY males. There are plenty of cultures that you can look at where there are more than two commonplace genders. I would implore you to consider that even on a biological level things aren't as black and white as people are so often lead to believe. Variation is everywhere, and simultaneously, we aren't too different from one another.


But all of that side, my argument was specifically against this idea of conformity. I don't think it has any place in the school system to be imposed on our developing youth. School, to me, should be more than learning what's in your textbooks. I think schools should foster critical thinking skills, exploring expressions of self and belief, among other things which I, as someone studying psychology, believe are essential to the healthy development of children and are critical assets for situations later in life. I'm less keen on the idea of school being a place for teaching some principle respect to authorities. I'm also very against the concept of militaries, though, which will probably say a lot to you about the type of person I am LOL

 

[Idea]

Real quickly I just want to point out that "learning what is in the textbooks" and "critical thinking" don't quite go as one. They can be simultaneously learned and taught but if the purpose is teaching you what is in the textbooks, critical thinking will be detrimental, stall that process 

 

[jinkx]

My school has a uniform. It makes my life difficult because I have to make sure that it's all clean and if I spill something on it, I have to either wash it straight away or look like an idiot most of the week. Teachers regularly perform uniform checks and send people home if their uniform does not match their standards- one girl I know didn't have her house key and had to stand outside her house until her dad got home. School uniform is expensive to buy, especially when you have multiple children, and some people cannot afford it. It always mean students have no way of expressing themselves whatsoever. Not wearing school uniform does not seem to affect your ability to learn in any way so fuck that noise. 

 

[SimpleGuy]

Don't like them. I don't see the point in them. I'd rather have the option to where what I want than to be told what I gotta wear. Even a dress code is perfectly fine with me but uniforms are not.

 

[WhipDing]

As someone who wore a uniform for 7 years... I'm not particularly opposed to the idea of it, but I do wish they would choose something more practical, and less formal - I've got the whole shirt-and-tie business to deal with for the rest of my life, starting it in schools seems a bit much, really. There's also the whole social aspect of it - just by wearing a school uniform, you've earned yourself some pretty heavy judgement, especially on public transport.

 

[Gattoblu]

Seeing as though us peeps in England have to wear a uniform, I've grown used to it. As weird as it sounds, I hate non-uniform days as I feel naked going to school without my uniform on. I think a uniform makes students look smart, and when they go on trips people can see where they come from. It kind of prepares young people and gets them used to wearing a uniform, aswell. 


On the other hand, a lack of uniform gives young people the chance to express themselves through what they choose to wear. But I've heard somewhere that not everyone agrees with this because some people get bullied because of their clothing preference, and some people choose to wear 'revealing' clothes. 


Eh, I kinda like my uniform. I like to look smart and mine is actually really comfortable. I'm not too fond of the 'walk around with your shirt un-tucked and you've bagged yourself an after-school detention' rule though. My tie is a bit annoying too. I always spill pasta on it, lol. 

 

[Edythir]

I totally forgot this thing. Oh well, better late than never. First off, to respond to all of you guys in order with some counterpoints before i give my side of the dime.


Those who are only looking for it, yes, i think that uniforms should be mandated. For those interested in how's and why's, read on.


@Han I totally agree that uniforms should change on season, warmer for colder time and lighter for warmer times. There has been complaints in multiple places in England that the pants they are forced to wear are too hot. But i will touch on this later in my post.


@Idea I do agree with that. Even if your school has 50 problems, and uniforms would solves more problems than it would create, i think they should be mandated.


@The Mechanist See note above, same answer really.


@Sunkissed I am generally against make-up, and as i will touch upon later in here, i think that uniforms should not be super strictly enforced, they are to control what you wear, not how you look, will touch better on this in general later too.


@Lemoncakes I always see cost pop up in here which is why i asked to exclude that from the thought, but i do see your point, parents of 3 children having to pay upwards of 50 pounds for a single skirt can be absurd, but my rant about driving the price of mandatory things is for another time. And as i mentioned earlier, i do not think that school uniforms are perfect, not at all, but if they fix at least one problem, they are worth it.


@Pine Let me get to you later. My thoughts on this will eventually touch upon everything (or at least a majority) that you mentioned.


@jinkx As previously mentioned, i am wholly against schools going on power trips such as those, as i said, control what you wear, not how you look.


@TheBlackSwordsman I am actually against dress codes but with uniforms. If schools are going to be nit-picky about what you can and cannot wear, they should just establish uniforms or else people will find loopholes.


@WhipDing School is supposed to get you ready for life, correct? So what is against making you used to wearing uniforms because a lot of jobs will have them? Being the emotionless being that i am, i think we are being too lenient on our children, especially in this day and age, but my rant for that aside, Why on earth would you get heavy judgement from common people just for wearing a uniform? People know that you go to school just from your age, and if a school has such bad rep that even seeing it's uniform breeds judgement, that school should be shut down


@BlueCat1336 I must agree with your first point. On class trips, if a kid gets separated they are already wearing the uniform, making it easy to identify where that kid is from to get them back to said group. And to your next note. expressing themselves and expressing creativity should be easy to fix. I am of the thought that schools should let you express your creativity through other means, such as drawing, music, creative writing and other forms of art. Drawing and painting is all about choosing which shapes to use, which colors to pick and what designs to go for, isn't that the exact same thing with clothes? Color, shapes and design? Plus, they have half of the year to dress just as they would want. And as i mentioned earlier, super strict schools get on my nerves, In a way they do and they don't, that is a rant for another day.


To preface this next section, there are 2 things. 1. this is my opinion I might sound like i am preaching gospel here, but does not change the fact that this is what i think and is by no means a be all end all, i encourage you to challenge my believes and point out my flaws, that is how we grow. and #2. I come from Iceland, there is not a single school which uses traditional uniforms, some use dress codes but even those are exceedingly rare., so i have no knowledge of the practicality or how they turn out in real life, this has all bases in thought and is my opinion.


I absolutely wholeheartedly am with the idea of mandated uniforms. Not have the policy too strict, not be like "smallest soup stain and you can't come to school" or "i can see the corner of your shirt so you spend your lunch in detention". I even don't think that they should regulate how long your hair is, what shrapnel you willingly lodged in your face or what color your hair is.. I am against gender segregated uniforms. to get to Pine finally, uniforms are about unity, different uniforms for different genders is sexist in my mind, segregation is the exact opposite of what uniforms brings, unity would be kept with everyone, regardless of if thy are Male, Female, Trans or Apache.In the summer most schools would use shorts understandably, however, have you ever heard of Quilts? Ever heard of Sarong? Essentially skirts for men, nothing wrong with that, it is a fact that skirts keep you cooler when it is warm, with the disadvantage being that they can be looked up, which is why i would think most schools would opt for shorts.


It does not end there. Teachers hold a respectable position in society, they are literally creating the future, teachers should also have uniforms. Oh but this rabbit hole goes further, i think that P.E. should have it's own uniform, and if you are anything like it is here, you would have swimming lessons mandated in school. Uniforms for swim class as well, uniform uniforms unifying both genders, covering everything from thighs to shoulder. If women are not allowed to bare their chests, so shouldn't men, Boobs are not reproductive organs, i am guessing that people (me included) would object to girls being forced to wear nothing but speedos or trunks for that matter, so cover both genders.


So what do you think? I dare you to shoot down my points, i encourage you to point out my flaws.

 

[Idea]

I do agree with that. Even if your school has 50 problems, and uniforms would solves more problems than it would create, i think they should be mandated.

I...don´t follow

 

[Edythir]

According to what I hear, lack of uniforms reinforces visually social differences, such as wealth (mainly that). As such, it can lead to an increase in bullying and the forming of "cliques" that ostracize people.  If that information is correct (and mind you I have no confirmation that it is or isn't), then I think school uniforms are the correct policy

I do agree with that. Even if your school has 50 problems, and uniforms would solves more problems than it would create, i think they should be mandated.

I was saying that school uniforms aren't perfect and aren't a magical cure for everything, but if they fix even one thing, they are beneficial.

 

[Idea]

I was saying that school uniforms aren't perfect and aren't a magical cure for everything, but if they fix even one thing, they are beneficial.

Oh I see. Thanks for clarifying  

 

[Pine]

@Edythir if I were to support school uniforms, I would want it to be done the way you're proposing. If anything, micromanaging things like tucked-in and untucked shirts creates needless conflict that ultimately distracts from the learning environment. I'm assuming you're talking about kilts? Kilts wouldn't go over well here in the U.S. because mainstream America views anything resembling a skirt to be feminizing and would threaten their sacred values of masculinity. It would take a cultural shift to keep our boys from being bullied for it, which is a shame because kilts seem really practical. Shorts would be good.


However, I'm still confused as to why you would want these things in the first place. It was always my assumption that people hated having to use school uniforms, so I was surprised to find this thread where most people are in favor of it. I don't know of any research done on bullying in schools with uniforms versus those without. I also don't feel that it's necessary for people to be prepped to wear a uniform for work. Maybe I got a head start on it because of performing in band, both in concerts and later for marching competitions, but using a uniform to work my first job wasn't some sort of a shock to me...? Like it's not hard to do what would I need to be prepared for lol??


I'm attending a university now. Dress code is so negligent here that I'm not even sure one exists. I have a professor that will regularly come into class wearing a football jersey, shorts and sneakers. So even this guy versus my professors that prefer more professional attire has in no way has effected to the quality of my education. I mean, I will admit I have less respect for him than I do my other professors, but that's largely because I don't agree with his style of teaching. The only thing that distracts me from my class is students that just don't know how to shut the fuck up in my bigger lecture classes, which is, obviously, irrelevant to their clothes lmao.


Like I can get that once you're in school that mandates uniform, it wouldn't really bother you that much, but I still haven't seen a case that convinces me that this is in any way needed. What I'm really interested in hearing is the opinion of people who have had to attend both types of school in their lives.


Reactance theory (the kind of theory that's been supported over and over again but is only called a "theory" because it may not be/isn't complete, like evolutionary theory) suggests that when something threatens a perceived freedom we have, we want it more. The key term here being "perceived freedom." If you attended a school from the beginning that issues school uniforms, then it wouldn't really bother you to have school uniforms, because you never perceived yourself to have the freedom of wearing anything else in the first place. It's just the way things are. Conversely, if you have a school that had no uniform and suddenly uniforms are issued, people are going to be pissed off, because you're imposing on their freedom to wear what they like. Kind of like my point with there not needing to be any transition period to wear a uniform at a job, it's generally understood that you're going to have to wear a uniform at a job because you see it all the time, so there isn't really any reactance that comes from this.


So I guess from that I can predict anyway:

• school uniform > no school uniform: Not really a huge bother to people, unless for whatever reason your old school uniform breaks the new school's dress code.
  
• no school uniform > school uniform: A huge bother to people making this transition.
  

But that doesn't really explain to me why people would want school uniforms, so I'm interested in those reasoning. I'd mostly want to see whether or not these people have noticed a shift in cliques, socioeconomic tension, etc. I uh... hope that's still kind of in response to what you're talking about LOL.


Also @Idea, I wasn't quite sure if your reply to my post was meant to add to/contradict what I was saying in any way, admittedly...? Like I agree that learning from textbooks and developing critical thinking are two separate things which could hinder one another. I place a higher value in developing critical thinking skills because the information in textbooks is not concrete. Just about every field of study is constantly developing. Research in science is really just meant to disprove old ideas and come closer to the truth, since most things can't ever truly be proven. Our concept of "knowledge" is constantly under development. How many times has the Periodic Table of Elements changed? The taxonomy of animals has gone from classifying based on physical characteristics to now being based more on DNA, if I recall correctly. The model of the atom, too, has been changed many, many times, and I'm certain it will be revised again. This is why textbooks have different editions. We're constantly refining what we know.


Because of this, what comes out of textbooks, in my opinion, isn't as helpful for us in the long-run as other things are. If we put more emphasis on keeping an open-mind, thinking critically about things, problem solving, and in general learning how to learn, I think we would be better prepared for the future. We would be more receptive to the evolution of knowledge and be able to adapt better to new situations. Like, if you have these tools, you could theoretically pursue any career path you want and just kind of... learn how to do that much easier, rather than dedicating your time to memorizing the words of a definition for some term that you'll forget about in a couple of weeks anyway, because you were never encouraged to really understand the concepts presented to you. Like... critical thinking/problem solving are lifelong skills. Knowing the atomic weight of hydrogen is of subjective importance at best. I hope that makes sense.

 

[fluticasone]

Oh hey school uniform discussion. I haven't been to class in like 4 years LMAO


I actually like school uniforms because it takes the fact I have to think of how to dress for the day out of the equation. It's really that simple. I grew up wearing a school uniform most of my life, and often with extremely strict requirements regarding it. If I remember correctly, my elementary school only allowed for neutral/school colors for hair accessories (so black, white and navy blue) and your socks were expected to be at least a certain height. Boys were required to have their shirts tucked in at all times, and their hair should remain at some sort of length. Make-up and hair dye were banned in both my grade school and high school. 


After that I entered a uni without any sort of dressing regulation (people regularly come in in their PJ's and some even straight up attend class in a costume). At first I got a kick out of the freedom, because I could finally wear make up and dye my hair (not that I used much make-up... I only really used it to hide my eyebags)! But after a while, it got tiring real quick because I'm very particular with how I present myself. I started longing for uniforms since as long as I followed the school mandates regarding it, I would look effortlessly neat and smart.


So why do some schools impose a school uniform? A lot of times it's a form of discipline, in the same manner the military expects your bunks to be clean and your sheets without crumple. Regardless of the fact that they'll get mussed anyway, it's to impose the idea that one must respect the authority responsible for you. In my high school, boys were expected to keep their hair at least two fingers clean from their ear. And they checked every month. If they got three strikes in a row, they were at risk of suspension. In a way, it also teaches the students responsibility. If you can't keep up with something as simple as getting a regular hair cut, how do you expect to keep up with the school's intense curriculum? You signed up for this... like legit, we sign a contract before we attend the school, since we get a monthly stipend for studying there from the government. If we couldn't follow the school's regulations, they could kick us out.

 

[Sibelle Grey]

~Look at me, digging my way through the personal discussion forum, ancient thread by ancient thread~


fSchool uniforms are very much the norm where I live. Most people go to catholic schools, public schools, or French schools. The first two require uniforms. Only in French schools are they uniform-free.
So, I've had to wear a uniform in the five years since I left the U.S. and there are good points:
1. Not having to decide what to wear. My options are limited to one of four blouses-- different cuts, same crest-- and one of two skirts, so there's really not much to choose from.
2. There is pride in the crest. There are rich histories and long-standing feuds and alliances. Some have historically been badass (and/or terrifying and/or uncontrollable). Others generally have the most intellectuals. Others always have the best professors. We have school-specific memes at this point. When you're in uniform, you represent your school, its history, its stereotypes (this can be an awful, awful thing, as well.)

But I think that the idea of it eliminating socioeconomic barriers or something isn't foolproof. My school's uniform is a white oxford shirt with the school crest and navy blue skirts (for girls) or pants (for guys. Non-negotiable. I've tried.) Very minimalistic. It's hot af, so no need for blazers and we don't do the tie thing. But there's the state of a uniform, shoes, sweaters when it's chilly out, bags, jewelry, hair, electronics, hell, even supplies-- you can still kind of tell "who's who". And since we have literally all social classes at our school, no one actually cares much, and those who do are openly ridiculed for it. Labelled 'bourgeois' (even by the wealthiest of us) and mocked mercilessly until they stop voicing their classist opinion.
About uniform discipline, however, I live in a country of corporal punishment and attend a school where the administration is all-powerful. Kneeling's a big thing here. If your shirt's untucked and a "surveillant"(supervisor?? in English) notices, you'll be kneeling on concrete for at least five minutes. If your skirt's too short, you can't enter school grounds, obviously. If your pants are too tight, you can't enter school grounds. If your hair's dyed or you have extensions in, you can't enter school grounds until it's more "acceptable". If you're a guy and your hair's too long, you're kneeling if you somehow managed to get on school property, and if you're at the gates in the morning, you're not coming in. You can't roll up your sleeves (I've witnessed one teacher snip off the folded parts). Being sent off to help clean the restrooms is also a thing. Once upon a time (read: last year) all jewelry other than watches and earrings were taken away at the gates to be returned at the end of the year. Repeat offenders can be expelled for three days. Most people don't care.

But I digress. Three points:
1. They're useful for not having to choose what to wear, and for not paying much attention to what you're wearing on most days. And they can be an important part of your identity as a student.
2. They don't magically erase other status symbols.
3. They do stifle personal expression and can at times feel oppressive.

 

[Edythir]

s.

6 month old post. I must say i am impressed. How bored were you exactly to go this far?