SCHOOL UNIFORMS: Yay or Nay?

[Er!X]

Well, i'm from the netherlands, and i think there's a bit of a cultural difference here. There's almost no school here that uses uniforms.

Interesting though to read about this...

[ZeroAX]

Well, i'm from the netherlands, and i think there's a bit of a cultural difference here. There's almost no school here that uses uniforms.

Interesting though to read about this...

you should. It'd be funny if all school children and teens dressed in orange (plus it would add some much needed color )

[Er!X]

Well, i'm from the netherlands, and i think there's a bit of a cultural difference here. There's almost no school here that uses uniforms.

Interesting though to read about this...

you should. It'd be funny if all school children and teens dressed in orange (plus it would add some much needed color )

Something like this?

[oxymoron]

Well, i'm from the netherlands, and i think there's a bit of a cultural difference here. There's almost no school here that uses uniforms.

Interesting though to read about this...

you should. It'd be funny if all school children and teens dressed in orange (plus it would add some much needed color )

Is there really a shit on of riots in Greece? I'd love to go to one of the anarchist demo's!

[oxymoron]

Well, i'm from the netherlands, and i think there's a bit of a cultural difference here. There's almost no school here that uses uniforms.

Interesting though to read about this...

you should. It'd be funny if all school children and teens dressed in orange (plus it would add some much needed color )

Something like this?

The one to the far right is fire.

[ZeroAX]

Is there really a shit on of riots in Greece? I'd love to go to one of the anarchist demo's!

bah. there hasn't been a good riot in 1.5 year. You're better off going to Egypt or Turkey. ......man the neighborhood really is on fire now that I think about it

[Luke]

I'm speaking from a students perspective as i'm still in high school. I clothes give a sense of individualism.

Does Apple also make your clothes and correct your spelling errors? I kid, but I don't.


My wife always makes more sense than I do, so I asked her to list a short list of pros and cons (one step short of a swot) for uniforms in k-12 and here is her two cents (I took notes):

Pros:

Uniforms = uniformed. Not that every class or school is united, but there is without a doubt a sense of conformity and unity helps. There is no "My polo is better than yours". Kids wear the same clothes, and creates a bond.

(She also said that sometime that bond is: I hate these frigging clothes, but it still bonds them together).

It psychologically relieves stress from parents. You buy the outfit, and you are done. You don't have to worry about telling your kid his/her outfit of choice is dumb and expensive. The school does that for you.

Uniforms are cheap and provided for families in need. "It doesn't stop kids from getting into gangs, but in my eyes it has helped...a bit".

It helps teachers and students not have to worry about yearbook pictures. There is no stress on the students, teachers or the parents to make their kids "look the best of their class".

It provides better security during times of danger. Kids are easily identified.

It doesn't prevent bullying, but it does deter it to a certain degree.


Cons:

Her answer was "I can't think of anything negative about uniforms, and my students don't wear them. My esl students already feel awkward due to not speaking English, and having something in common with other students would only be a positive.

Hmm. Students have hundreds of ways to display who they are...be it painting, drawing, art, or excelling at any particular skill. If they want to deal with the expletive deleted you (that's me) put up with, they can do that when they are adults. They are kids and need direction. Clothes have no factor in "who they are" when they have no clue "who they are".

She also said, "Kids usually hate everything they don't initially or have to put work into. As a teacher you need to put a tingle in the tooth or you show no authority".


NSFW

She also noted: BIG DADDY is fun and all, but it shows what dumb shit parents are. FINE! Let your kid name himself Frankenstein, but when you get the call it will be you cleaning up the piss in the classroom plant beds and apologizing to the other parents for being an ass finger.

[dsheinem]

Part of figuring out who you are can (and often does) involve figuring out your own sense of fashion. My four year old has taste in clothing, as he likes to wear clothes that express certain things he enjoys (e.g. Monster Trucks and Angry Birds). I'd be pissed if someone took that away from him in the name of "unity" or "conformity".

Most of your wife's comments seem to be about easing the parent's anxieties. No offense, but any parent getting worked up over yearbook photos or fashion consulting is probably a piss poor parent to begin with and too concerned about how much their child is a reflection of them. I get that teens and parents argue about clothes, but that is PART of growing up. Not everything needs to be sanitized and not all stress needs to be removed, and stress over clothing is usually very minor. It should be an opportunity for instruction, compromise, and learning to work through disagreement over something that isn't a major life decision.

That said, I do sympathize a bit with parents who can't afford trendy clothes. My parents were this way. I know that assistance programs are available for these parents. My parents never used those to my knowledge, but I had plenty of thrift store outfits as a kid. That said, I didn't let those clothes define me, because my parents taught me they shouldn't.

i said before that uniforms are occasionally necessary and useful for students in certain contexts. But that context shouldn't be "mom and dad can't handle dressing their child."

[Luke]

I grew up in a house where the rules were "Do not speak unless spoken to", and often there was an unspoken tag of "..and for your best interest, just don't speak at all".

I didn't join the table unless asked, and didn't leave until excused. Talking Back was a no no. Earning your keep was the only way save your keep.

That remains my rule of thumb. Nothing is given, but everything can be taken in time.

[dsheinem]

I grew up in a house where the rules were "Do not speak unless spoken to", and often there was an unspoken tag of "..and for your best interest, just don't speak at all".

I didn't join the table unless asked, and didn't leave until excused. Talking Back was a no no. Earning your keep was the only way save your keep.

That remains my rule of thumb. Nothing is given, but everything can be taken in time.

And maybe that worked well for you, but that doesn't mean it will and should work for everyone. There are many ways to raise a child well, and "one-size-fits-all" "solutions" like uniforms often end up doing just as much harm as good because it imposes a template over an aspect of children's lives that sometimes does more to stifle than shape.