Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
(Aug. 6) - As the new school year approaches, more schools are requiring students to wear uniforms or otherwise restricting what they may wear - and parents are objecting.
Their complaint: The policies trample students' right of expression and parents' right to raise children without government interference, says Vickie Crager, founder of Asserting Parental Rights - it's Our Duty, a parents rights group that opposes school uniforms.
News - Ironing Out Policies on School Uniforms - AOL News (broken link)
one of the things that schools are supposed to teach children is that at some point in life, they are going to have to get a job and conform. At that point, they will not have "freedom of expression" They will dress according to the code of the business, they may even wear a uniform.
I don't think it's doing the child any good to complain to Mommy and Daddy everytime the school does something that keeps them from expressing themselves.
The Question is; do we prepare them for the real world, or do we take the easy way out and pretend that they will always be able to do exactly as they wish?
I'm for the old addage of students losing thier rights at the schoolhouse gate...... When they are old enough to vote they can drape themselves in thier inalienable rights, but MY kid has a right to learn without YOUR kid being a jagoff and distracting everyone. I think MY kid's rights are more important....
I am all for school uniforms. They simplify life and you don't have the issues of the haves and have not. It saves money - there are so many reasons. Also we are one of the very few countries that don't enforce this because of this nonsense of self expression and rights.
When the uniforms were first introduced into the school systems out here it bugged me that they HAD to wear uniforms. The only way to not have your child wear a uniform was to make an appointment with the principal and give your reason why your child should not wear a uniform. I can't even remember the reason I gave, but my kids would wear uniforms some days and their regular clothes the others it eventually became not such a big deal.
I don't even think it was "uniforms", just a dress code
If this is similar to the article I read in "USA Today" (I know, the paper sucks but I was on vacation and didn't really care what is going on with tractor prices in Bozeman) the schools were just talking about a dress code beyond the usual indecent exposure of mini-skirts and tube tops... it had provisions that were nearly communist such as "no baggy pants showing off half your crack", "no logos" and "solid colors only (in attempt to stifle gang affiliation colors)".
I think the work "dress code" comparison was excellent, and if any employee (except, maybe the cute 19 y/o receptionist) was as clothing and appearance obsessed as many of today's teens, they would be fired. Jeez, no wonder so many kids are failing! It isn't the schools that are broken, it's the student's "work ethic"!
The elementary and middle schools in my town just voted to institute uniforms and I really don't like it, but they are allowed the right to do it.
We have the 2nd worse school testing results in the state, but my kids have been in the small group who have been passing the state tests. I think that it's a way for the school board and most parents to ignore the real problems with the schools and blame an imagined reason for the bad performance of most kids. Some parents are so overly concerned about appearances, that student and teacher performance is only a secondary concern.
In my city, the largely Puerto Rican/Hispanic parents overwhelmingly supported the measure, and they have been very vocal about supporting it in a large nearby city too.
Some of the other complaints that I have about it are that:
1. The clothing will end up being more expensive even though it was touted as being a cost saving measure for parents.
2. The quality of the clothing is not as good and the variety of sizes is not as great. In the winter the kids might be cold, and some of the synthetics and blends I examined that were displayed by clothing vendors at a school district exhibit were very thin.
If a kid wears some of these clothes outside to play after or during school, and they fall just once, the clothes could be ruined unlike if they could wear bluejeans to school which are much more rugged.
3. The kids are being taught to not display their individuality even though most kids dress appropriately. Just because a few dress poorly, why should everyone have to suffer?
4. Brightly colored clothing is beautiful, but the limited uniform colors are mundane and blah.
5. If people choose to go to a parochial or private school and they want to wear uniforms, that's fine with me, but public education is a right and not a privilege. Bluejeans are not disruptive to the learning process. So why make believe that all clothes except the uniforms are disruptive?
And it's not just bluejeans that's banned, but any color besides the 2 specified school colors.
And now they are even saying that if the clothing isn't approved, that the colors might not be allowed because they won;t be a good enough match.
What is it going to be next, every student needs to have a certain hair style?
6. This is going to create a hardship for some parents to comply with. Just how many school uniforms does a parent have to buy? Between warm weather, and cold weather, if the laundry isn't done on time, and if a family has multiple school aged kids, then suddenly some kids are going be wearing the same dirty clothes to school all week long just because they have to wear the school uniform. Meanwhile they could have a closet full of clean clothes at home that they can't wear to school.
Where's the justice in that?
Quite frankly, school uniforms is a rotten idea. It punishes the responsible students and their parents because the irresponsible parents didn't supervise how thier own kids dressed for school.
Well, at least it's not the high school, and I won't have to deal with it after this school year.
The elementary and middle schools in my town just voted to institute uniforms and I really don't like it, but they are allowed the right to do it.
We have the 2nd worse school testing results in the state, but my kids have been in the small group who have been passing the state tests. I think that it's a way for the school board and most parents to ignore the real problems with the schools and blame an imagined reason for the bad performance of most kids. Some parents are so overly concerned about appearances, that student and teacher performance is only a secondary concern.
In my city, the largely Puerto Rican/Hispanic parents overwhelmingly supported the measure, and they have been very vocal about supporting it in a large nearby city too.
Some of the other complaints that I have about it are that:
1. The clothing will end up being more expensive even though it was touted as being a cost saving measure for parents.
2. The quality of the clothing is not as good and the variety of sizes is not as great. In the winter the kids might be cold, and some of the synthetics and blends I examined that were displayed by clothing vendors at a school district exhibit were very thin.
If a kid wears some of these clothes outside to play after or during school, and they fall just once, the clothes could be ruined unlike if they could wear bluejeans to school which are much more rugged.
3. The kids are being taught to not display their individuality even though most kids dress appropriately. Just because a few dress poorly, why should everyone have to suffer?
4. Brightly colored clothing is beautiful, but the limited uniform colors are mundane and blah.
5. If people choose to go to a parochial or private school and they want to wear uniforms, that's fine with me, but public education is a right and not a privilege. Bluejeans are not disruptive to the learning process. So why make believe that all clothes except the uniforms are disruptive?
And it's not just bluejeans that's banned, but any color besides the 2 specified school colors.
And now they are even saying that if the clothing isn't approved, that the colors might not be allowed because they won;t be a good enough match.
What is it going to be next, every student needs to have a certain hair style?
6. This is going to create a hardship for some parents to comply with. Just how many school uniforms does a parent have to buy? Between warm weather, and cold weather, if the laundry isn't done on time, and if a family has multiple school aged kids, then suddenly some kids are going be wearing the same dirty clothes to school all week long just because they have to wear the school uniform. Meanwhile they could have a closet full of clean clothes at home that they can't wear to school.
Where's the justice in that?
Quite frankly, school uniforms is a rotten idea. It punishes the responsible students and their parents because the irresponsible parents didn't supervise how thier own kids dressed for school.
Well, at least it's not the high school, and I won't have to deal with it after this school year.
I love the idea of school uniforms. I think it is beneficial in many ways. Of course some people could see non-uniforms beneficial in many ways, so this is only my opinion.
1.AND 6.-More expensive: I know, having bought uniforms (well, it depends on if you have to wear the kind of dress shirts and uniform pants as catholic schools, or polo shirts and tan/navy pants of public)...that the shirts and pants are cheaper than the regular clothes I buy for my children. And, they don't need such a variety-hence the reason it is less expensive for uniforms-wearas if they wear regular school clothes to school, GOD forbid they are seen in the same thing twice in the same week...with uniforms...you might have 2 shirts in the same color and people don't think about it.
2. If it is the more casual uniform- you can find them as cheap quality as at Walmart, or better quality at Polo...Macy's. So it's a matter of what you buy. Plus, they can wear undershirts underneath...in my school, as long as it is plain, they can wear like a turtle neck or something underneath...and they can wear a sweater or something on top.
3. AND 5. I don't know about you...but before this school changed to uniforms...and having taught at other schools (yes, I am a teacher and a parent of two)...bluejeans was really NOT the problem. Here is what I saw: blue jeans so low I was suprised the girls' stuff was not hanging out (true true!), blue jeans with holes ALL over the place, half tops and low hanging tops for the belly and the cleavage to be hanging, too expensive clothing to be on the children (the case up in a city I lived where a child was severally injured due to a shirt)....it was many things. I live in a great school district, and this was on most of the children-not just "a few".
4. After having just bought my children, these are the colors I have hanging in their closet: red, maroon, yellow, orange, tan, brown, black, light blue, navy, lime, white (my school can wear any color polo). I have noticed that most kids nowadays love dark colors anyway!
I too think this prepares them for the real world. Hubby is a mailmen-uniform of light blue and a darker blue. Waitresses. Cops. Firemen. Medical profession. Even offices where you have to wear business dress is a uniform. The purpose of school is also to prepare children for the real word. Expectations too...not just academic based. If children get accustomed to it now, they will be used to it when they are adults.
As for individuality, each child is already an individual! They each have their own personaility! No child is the same, no matter how you dress them. I don't think that should be worried about. How they express their individuality- in thier words, in their actions, in their thoughts, in their writing, in their drawings, in their play....in their style of hair, in their sense of humor....what they wear with YOU at home...how they act with you at home......they have plenty of opportunity to express themselves.....plus as an adult themselves.
I only replied to your post because you did bring up a bunch of points I could address, so I hope you don't feel as if I am 'picking' on you
Dress codes/uniforms are enforced in REAL life...and that is what we, as parents are suppose to be preparing our children for and yet some are yelling about the schools enforcing a dress code? Or uniforms? Why not grow up and show our children that we as parents function in the real world?
And kids can still be kids within the dress code policy: MyrtleBeachOnline.com | 07/29/2007 | Back to style (broken link) It just takes a little inventiveness. Liz
You might want to re-write the question to "DO public schools have the right." Subject-verb agreement.
Public schools in many areas say that they are manditory, but parents can usually sign a waiver.
Dawn
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't even think it was "uniforms", just a dress code
Another loss of freedom!
