Last week’s presentation on student and teacher dress codes in public schools caught my attention. The group was very thorough and made several valid points. There was one point in particular on the slides that we did not spend too much time on though that I find worth mentioning: school uniforms.
I attended a private high school in Georgia about ten years ago and we adopted a school uniform policy. The clothes were very conservative but not all that bad. Our uniforms consisted of red or white polo shirts, white oxford shirts and khaki pants or shorts for the boys and the same for girls with the addition of a plaid skirt. Ties and jackets were optional. The uniform simplified our day. There was no confusion as to what to wear every day or who was wearing what at school. We were all the same as far as our school apparel was concerned.
While I agree that students need to be able to express themselves, I believe that there are other more artistic means to do so than in the clothes they wear. Uniforms can help promote school unity, community and even safety. As a teacher, I would prefer teaching my subject without knowing that a specific student belonged to a certain gang or was affiliated with a certain group so that I could focus on my mission of teaching and educating equally. Uniforms can also lessen the attention on the not-so-fortunate who may not be able to afford the latest clothing trends and face ridicule for the clothes they wear. Uniforms level the playing field somewhat and can make our schools a safer place. Students have enough distractions as they mature and develop their identity but at least they do not have to worry about what they wear to school.
Teaching adolescents is difficult enough but the fewer distractions that students have, the easier our job will be.
2 comments:
I never really thought about school uniforms creating equality in the classroom, but it makes sense. I can see where uniforms would really allow the focus to be more scholarly, less social. You made a good point about as a teacher, you would rather not knowing what gang they belong to, or who has the money for the cool clothes, etc. I am all about freedom of expression, but I do agree that school uniforms may create a more unified school community. They may also help students and teachers from making judgements about others, or having general biases.
I grew up attending parochial schools, so I wore a true uniform - not khakis and a polo. Although we were all dressed alike, we were acutely aware of who were the rich kids and who were not. We knew who came to school in a Cadillac and who came in a beat up wood-sided Ford station wagon. We knew who lived in the big houses, etc. Uniforms do not level the playing field. If the school is in a gang infested area, then I understand the need for uniforms - gang color, symbols, etc. When my own daughters' middle school tried to institute a uniform policy, I (along with 80% of the parents) voted against the policy.
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