SCHOOL UNIFORMS: Yay or Nay?

[VideoGamerYoshi]

After not having to wear them after 8 years of wearing uniforms, I must say Nay-Nay!

[Gunstar Green]

It depends on how it's handled I guess. I'm jaded by my own bad experiences.

When I was in high school they decided to implement a "dress code" policy which was basically a plain polo shirt and khakis that you had to go out and buy yourself. They also had to be specific colors as well. God help you if you had the wrong shade of blue on, you would spend the entire day in in-school suspension if your parents couldn't pick you up and take you home to get changed.

It was more of a pain in the ass than it was worth as kids found other ways of expressing themselves or make fun of their peers for being different anyway.

[dsheinem]

I can see their value in certain school climates, but I think they should be an avenue only taken out of necessity (e.g. rampant appearence-based bullying, gang problems that are exacerbated by clothing, etc.), not out of some assumed benefits they might bring.

Whether you like it or not, the fact is that in life many people will judge you based on appearance, and so learning how to dress to express (whether that be expressing one's conformity, wealth, individuality, craftsmanship, subculture affiliation, fashion sense, etc.) is a valuable skill that, like other social skills, can and should be incubated in school.

[ZeroAX]

NAAY. Your sense of fashion is a part of who you are. You are expressing your personality through it.

I like wearing geeky shirts. My favorite shirt is a super Mario shirt I own. I wouldn't like to be forced to wear the same clothes as everyone else.

[oxymoron]

It's just un-American.

[Ivo]

Again, do you have kids?

Not me, but I don't think having kids is required to understand the potential benefits of school uniforms. As far as I remember, you don't have kids either and you seem to be for school uniforms.

[ZeroAX]

It's just un-American.

That could always be fixed

[Forlorn Drifter]

I've never seen a really good argument for it. People will find a way to make fun of other people based on appearance, and it'd be better, in my opinion, for them to make fun of clothing than physical appearance. Clothing can change, physical appearance is forever. It'd be much more stressful to be made fun of for something one can't change than something one can but chooses not to.

[Pichu]

Nah. Clothes may be the source of bad things but it's a two-way thing, clothes make up the physical part of who you are and I wouldn't want to take that away from people.

[Luke]

Again, do you have kids?

Not me, but I don't think having kids is required to understand the potential benefits of school uniforms.

I think otherwise. Especially as the husband of a teacher who has been teaching for over a decade.

I'm fine with clothes being a form of expression when you are a grown adult. Kids, however, need structure. They need rules. And as someone who is slightly successful, I would say kids need to learn early in life how the game is played.

Uniforms do not prevent bullying, but they lower the occurrence of it. It's cheaper for parents, and gives the opportunity to really express themselves during the weekend. It strongly strengthens personality in my view as kids have to depend on their personality, not their clothes to gain popularity.

If everyone looks the same, who will stand out? The person who is deemed as superior by his or her peers. School is a job, not a playground (well, besides recess). Dressing with professionalism doesn't equal assimilation. It means you have to work harder to stand out and not just get a shitty haircut and get 10 gauge earrings.

Also, our government is happy to help with the costs of school uniforms, if not provide for them outright. No worries about being bullied for wearing skips.

What is the Pro argument for NAY on uniforms? I haven't heard a decent one yet. If your clothes are who make you...sad sad state.