School Uniforms. warning wall of text.

[aisebon]

I restate what I said earlier.

There are no benefits or downsides to EITHER system. They both create problems- but fact is, almost all of these problems are merely the same problems, but disguised.

Leave it up to the bloody school.

[Jeffery Mewtamer]

Why do so many consider cost a strike against the uniforms themselves rather than a strike against the public school system? If the public school system met its obligation to provide a completely free education, the cost of uniforms would be a non-issue to parents and students. The only time a student or their parents should have to purchase a uniform is if the student is enrolled in a private school.

[Airixx]

A large factor is the school uniforms themselves - in other words, the degree of humiliation the students will face wearing them. So until I see the samples, I will remain neutral on the subject.

[Vividine]

The only good thing about school uniforms (wore them for five years) is that they are incredible time savers in the morning. I don't function well when I first get up, so having a uniform saves me the mental power of choosing something that will look good. All in all, I hate uniforms and am soooo glad that I'm done with them.

[SourAppleLemonLime]

I go to a Catholic School and i wear a uniform, its a very simple uniform and we wear it so we prevent judging and so nothing any students wear can "distract" other students

[Prince Rilian]

SkyNet v2

To bad none of you see the beauty of conformity.

Where every thing is in it's place, everything is neat and proper, where everything can be controlled.

Muah HAHAHA

Nazi.

[Prince Rilian]

aisebon

I restate what I said earlier.

There are no benefits or downsides to EITHER system. They both create problems- but fact is, almost all of these problems are merely the same problems, but disguised.

Leave it up to the bloody school.

No. If there's no benefit or downside to either, leave it up to the individual.

[Blind Guardian the 2nd]

Sanguvixen

My argument is not completely baseless. Unlike British School systems, the American School systems don't handle Uniforms well. Typically, in at least some schools, teachers, deans, and security guards take a Uniform School and treat it like a prison.

Further more, when only a handful of schools in an area, or even just one has a Uniform policy, and the other schools don't you end up with the kinds of problems I highlighted in my first post. Students who go to these uniform schools are singled out by kids who don't, and it can range from extreme forms of bullying, to being beaten up, or chased down on a regular basis.

The particular one I went to was ever more horrible due to the fact that it had a call in number where the general public was invited to tattle on individual students walking to or from school, with their uniform off, such as a shirt not tucked in, or something similar. That led to local teenagers calling in bogus reports to get kids in trouble, particularly siblings of teenagers that some teens didn't like.

The School always took the word of an anonymous caller over the word of a student. There is nothing quite like doing nothing wrong, and then being called into the office, and being handed a Detention because some anonymous caller called in a fake report, saying that you didn't have your shirt tucked in when you were walking home from school.

Uniforms don't work, if only one school does it. If the entire group of schools in an area were to do the uniform thing, I suppose you would get better results. But that is not the case in my area. Because there are only 3, in the entire area, and cities near by, Uniforms create more problems than they solve.

So then the problem isn't uniforms, it's the inability of Americans to use them effectively.

It sounds like more of a problem with schools in the area, not a problem that uniforms create. If you state there's a problem with the administration, you can't then blame the problems on the uniforms.

I agree that uniforms don't really one when employed by one school out of many. But I still don't think you can argue that the uniforms created the problems when the school administration was clearly terrible.

[MelziGurl]

TigerlilyMae

MelziGurl

The on thing that annoys me about most negative arguements, is the common occurance of "it takes away the childs creativity" neutral Can I ask...what creativity? Coming from a high school that had a uniform code, when free dress day came along you could only see that the students were a pack of sheep and of course, they were led by a shepherd.

Not every high school student is a clone.

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As for costs. It is different with every school. Private schools, the uniform is generally more expensive, heck everything there is generally expensive. The one uniform if treated right will last a good 2/3 years, same with shoes because lets face it. How often do you buy brand new clothing to keep up with yearly/seasonal trends? I know alot of teens that do quite sadly and being at school shouldn't be about who's wearing the latest fashion.

I went to a public school, and it was far less money for me to buy what I liked, than to spend upon a uniform. And as for the 'yearly/seasonal' trends...don't follow a trend. Simple as that. Buy what YOU want. Not what EVERYONE ELSE wants. I have no sympathy for girls or guys who follow trends.

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I got bullied in a uniform, s**t I got bullied out of uniform and you know why? Because it wasn't my uniform that I got teased for, it was my general appearance...red hair, freckles etc.

Our bullies still picked upon students for their appearance upon their uniform. Clothing bullying does not stop just b/c you're in a uniform.

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Security is another issue, it's easier to tell apart those who don't belong in the school to start with. Free dress days, we'd have kids from other schools coming to ours for the day. It was a great way for the public to be able to establish who was actually wagging school for the day.

Anyone can buy the uniforms, walk on campus, wearing said uniform, and be a student. I should know. I did it, as a test for my Principal, to see if the campus guards would notice. Guess what? They didn't.

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Anyways, work gotta go I can continue this later.

Don't finish it. It's all bullshit, anyway.

Hit a cord did I? I guess it can't be helped that alot of you have insecurities. Quite sad that you'd be insecure about wearing the exact same clothing as everyone else. I guess because it makes you a clone rolleyes Seriously, those are some of the most pathetic excuses for not wearing a uniform that I have ever heard.

1. Uniform and dress codes don't make people clones, personalities make people who they are. Individuality is not in your clothing and uniforms were more cost efficient, since I only had about 3 in my life...all of which lasted 5 years of high school.

2. Did I say or even imply that bullying stopped in or out of uniform? Please, pray tell...did I?

3. Security at your school would just in general by really ******** up. Ever heard of a lazy incompetent security officer, s**t I know I have.


So yeah, my argument was just all bullshit but really, what have you brought to the conversation that's made yours less bullshit than mine?

[beckhamd23]

Spatterdash

The creativity argument is total bullshit. You're not at school to express your individuality, you're there to learn - just as nurses, policemen, soldiers and security guards put on their uniforms when they go to work to give them an image of professionalism and make them easier identifiable. You can dress however you like when you're outside school, 'cause that's your own time.
Also, frankly, anybody who relies on their clothing as their main method of self-expression lacks imagination. A true individual stands out by the force of their personality, not what they wear. Not to mention that there's plenty of leeway in school uniform; I was always required to wear uniform at school, but could express my tastes in style with my choice of footwear, backpack, pencil case, etcetera.

I totally agree !!! Lol - At school I like looking good... but nobody even cares what you're wearing. And if they DO... then they just have a major problem.. ?

[GreengageJAM]

I'm fairly sure someone has already made this point, but I'm not trawling though all those pages.

The whole cost argument is a load of bull. In a counrty where uniforms are madetory, school uniforms are one of the cheapest things you can buy (These are the basic things like blouses, trousers, and comparitively, smart shoes for children). Only when it gets to private schools do things get expensive. Even a school tie isn't unreasonable in price.

Furthermore, the cost of buying good, fashionable casual clothes every year (or month, whatever) is far more than the cost of buying a uniform, which doesn't become outdated until the child grows out of it. Heck, I'm still wearing a school blouse I wore 5 years ago, in a different school, and it's fine!

As for individuality, it's so much more invigorating if expressing yourself breaks a few rules. There's nothing cooler! Besides, it's not as if uniform dress-codes are that restricting. You can still wear the uniform how you like, so long as it's within reason.

Uniforms in school prepare children for working life, when they cannot simply wear what they like.