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

[padrejose.livejournal.com]

I taught at a school that had uniforms, they were khaki pants and then whatever color polo shirt the school store sold.

I'm on the fence about uniforms. I think that they take away distraction and discrimination against the students, but I also think that it takes away their individualism. I think I would have liked wearing uniforms to school because then I wouldn't have had to make any decisions about what to wear and worry about "impressing" others at the school. But definitely no skirts. Skirt uniforms are so outdated and need to be gone.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I think that they take away distraction and discrimination against the students, but I also think that it takes away their individualism.

That's one of my concerns. It's so important to teenagers to explore who they are, and for many clothing is one way they do so. :/

[kelleypen.livejournal.com]

Kids in uniforms show their individuality with their ideas and their personalities. That's much better than showing it in how they dress. Besides, they can still choose what colors to wear, whether to wear Mickey Mouse socks or rainbow toe socks, whether to wear their earrings that have a knife on one ear and a fork on the other, what color to paint their nails, what jewelry to wear, which purse to bring, etc.

[padrejose.livejournal.com]

a big thing at the private school I taught at was to wear fun socks or belts. That was how students showed their individuality. But sometimes they would concentrate so much on their socks and belts and show them off during class. It was a little annoying.