School Uniforms

[author_by_night]

What do you guys think of school uniforms?

I used to be very much against them, perhaps partly because I went to private school and was forced to spend winter shivering in my skirt because leggings didn't do one thing to warm me up. However, I do wonder if I would have minded had we been allowed to wear pants more often.

Now I'm very conflicted.

-: It might inhibit self expression.

+: Of course, I speak as someone who rarely wore nice clothing to school until college. Meanwhile, a close friend of mine who was one of those people who'd shop at the same store for hours missed wearing a uniform and not having to worry about what she was going to wear. (Maybe she would have gotten better grades? Seriously, maybe she would have.)

+: School is a place where you're supposed to be learning.

-: School is also a place where you learn to interact with your peers, and that includes peers who might be wearing clothing you find distracting, that's more expensive or less expensive than your own clothing, or outfits that express beliefs and/or ideas you disagree with.

-: Skirts make for cold legs in the winter.

+: Schools wouldn't have to require skirts. 

Where do you guys stand? 

Comments

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

I only wore a uniform for middle school, and while everyone hated this fact, I do think it's great to have during that time in one's life. Everyone's so self-conscious as it is, it was relieving for me to be told what to wear so that I wouldn't have to wonder if my clothes were "cool" or "sexy" or whatever. We weren't made to wear skirts though, I wouldn't have been able to tolerate that, I think.

[kakeochi-umai.livejournal.com]

Heh, my winter uniform for high school was absolutely vile (gym slip and tights, which were a pain in the ass because I had to hand wash them every day) but it still beat the hell out of having people judge me for not wearing cool stuff (as happened at previous schools. God, preteens can be little shits.) We were allowed to wear our own clothes in our final year, which was nice because by then everyone had outgrown that kind of pettiness, so it was all the pleasure with none of the pressure.