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I know when I was in private school we couldn't wear makeup, have crazy hair styles or wear big jewelery. It can be a distraction to other students and they want everything to be cohesive.
These days with guys with pants hanging off their rear, girls with low cut tops and high cut shorts/skirts and even low rise jeans for girls I can see why the schools want uniforms. The other thing is the cost of the designer clothes and the ridiculous taunting and judgement of the kids who don't have them.
Wearing a uniform is not like being in prison. It is actually a relief.
I really think my issue with uniform policy is that we parents are often comfortable with it, but ask any kid if they like having to wear a uniform, and I think the vast majority really dislike it.
Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe times have changed, but I just remember being a kid and wanting to wear what I felt comfortable in, or what made me happy, etc. And I know the uniforms seem to have some built-in flexibility nowadays, but I think kids (and I'm thinking upper el) are at a point in their lives where they are expressing themselves and finding their identity, and I think that clothing choices are a normal part of that.
I think this is one decision (at least in the upper grades) that I think the kids should have a say in.
What's the big deal? I wore a uniform my whole school career. I went to private schools so it was normal and I loved it. I never had to worry about what I looked like and if I had the "right" clothes. In my kids' previous school (public) the kids wore uniforms. For boys-Navy or white polo style shirt and Khaki or navy pants. Same for girls but they could wear skirts, capris, jumpers.
It just wasn't a big deal and it was totally an non issue. I don't see what the big deal is. Am I missing something?
I guess you're missing something and so am I! My whole public school life in England was strictly uniforms and I remember my mother used to make the summer dresses as the material was available locally. Straw hats in the summer and felt hats in the winter! Never did me any harm and in fact was a real plus as my family was quite poor in comparison to many others so the social equality wasn't distinguished by fashion.
Maybe I'm wrong but wasn't the school board meeting on this issue on May 26th or did I miss something else? Cheers!
I actually am for uniforms. I am not against self expression. I am however, against children being biased by their clothing from schoolmates and teachers...YES teachers too. There was a guy I knew who had a teacher who would make fun of him in front of class for being lower class than the other students. My brother got the same thing. I also remember kids being asked by va rious teachers if they couldn't find something better to wear to school. I also had a perverted principle that would let the girls wear whatever they wanted and then ride the boys for every little infraction. It was very uncomfortable walking down the hall past him. Years later I ran into him after he'd been on some trip and decided to show me how they kiss there. Didn't think he'd actually kiss me.
We just went through a thread about a 6 year old going on and on about the brand clothing they were wearing. Save yourself some cash and get the focus on learning vs fashion. There are far too many parents who just can't wait to have a closet full of really high end clothes that just are not neccessary. I'm not saying everyone has to shop at the discount store but just some of it is over the top, like $80 shoes for a kindergartener. It's the parents who put the focus on fashion and it in turn goes right to the child's head which goes right to school to turn into a little fashion snob. Uniforms would just about eliminate this.
But to say that we should take away choices and impose uniforms because there are clothing snobs seems to me sort of avoiding the real concern, which is that students (and teachers - ack!) should be learning to respect that they have an range of students of various incomes and sizes and backgrounds, and they should be able to learn and work together despite having different types of pants on, or whatever.
I have to confess where we are, we have not experienced any of this teasing about clothes, and my kids would probably be pretty oblivious to it anyhow, so I might just not understand the suffering this causes.
I do think a dress code makes sense, for general guidelines as to what is appropriate.
We just went through a thread about a 6 year old going on and on about the brand clothing they were wearing. Save yourself some cash and get the focus on learning vs fashion. There are far too many parents who just can't wait to have a closet full of really high end clothes that just are not neccessary. I'm not saying everyone has to shop at the discount store but just some of it is over the top, like $80 shoes for a kindergartener. It's the parents who put the focus on fashion and it in turn goes right to the child's head which goes right to school to turn into a little fashion snob. Uniforms would just about eliminate this.
My six year old isn't going on and on about the brand of clothes they are wearing.... but I am the OP of that thread....they are being harassed because they are NOT wearing a certain brand and she is not begging for it....and I refuse to buy it and she knows it and is learning kind come backs to these unkind remarks such as I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU when they say things to her about how they are dressed and she isn't.... this is why I am all for wearing uniforms to school.... I wish they did have uniforms.... shocked by how early this is starting.....
School uniforms are the greatest thing ever in my opinion. Some kids arent fortunate enough to have their parents buy them the expensive clothing. Because of this (and i know first hand ) these kids self esteem takes a shot. getting picked on only adds to injury. Kids shouldnt have to deal with that type of stress while at school. with uniforms, everyone is pretty much on the same level fashion wise. Now that im grown and made pretty good discisions, i can afford to have my daughter looking as though her family is rich. would that benift her? NO. It would probably make her a target if anything. Uniforms all the way!!
My kids and I are much happier when they attend schools that require uniforms. We move often and switch schools often (such is the life of a military family). One of the major differences that I have noticed between schools with uniforms versus schools without has been attitude of the students. The uniformed kids were happier, they were calmer, nicer and paid attention to lessons and were generally really well-mannered and nice to both their fellow students and the staff (I always volunteer at the schools so that I can know what is going on). In the uniformed schools, I didn't noticed the prevalence and severity of the cliques that I saw in the non-uniformed schools. There would always be a pair or trio of friends but the students interacted with everyone at the uniformed schools, not so much at the non-uniformed schools. My own children also did better academically in the uniformed schools. At the end of the day, they stayed in uniform until homework was finished and when homework was done, they would change into their own clothes and be much more relaxed and less stressed because it was a tangible "I'm off duty" type of feeling for the kids.
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