A uniform discussion
Greta's school is currently one of the few public elementary schools in Boston without a uniform policy. That was actually one of the reasons we made it our top choice in the school lottery. But barring something unexpected, promptly at 8:15 a.m. tomorrow, the school site council will vote to adopt uniforms for the next school year.
It will be the mildest of uniform policies - the school won't be enriching the coffers of that uniform store in Roslindale Square: no jackets with crests, no ties, no plaid skirts. Instead, students will be expected to wear something like khaki pants and light blue tops with collars, buttoned up to the top.
That last thing is important because with these uniforms, such as they are, the main target of the policy is girls: With the school going K-8 (it's currently K-5) next year, we have to worry about older girls trying to get away with as much exposed skin as possible, apparently. At least, that's what we heard at a parent meeting last week. With boys, it's not an issue, because they all like to dress like slobs, but you know how girls are. It's a battle the principal would rather not fight, which I can understand, but:
It's really not fair to those of us who haven't abandoned our parental responsabilities at the schoolhouse steps. As the mother of a young boy said at that meeting, we already regiment these kids's lives all day long - letting them pick out their own clothes is one of the few areas where kids can be independent (within reason of course) and learn to make choices. And now we're taking that away from them (I will admit I sort of bristled when several parents talked about how wonderful uniforms were when they or their kids were at one of the local parochial schools - um, people, this is a public school; some of us really don't want the parochial-school experience for our kids).
Fortunately, there's an out. Even though some parents last week seemed quite eager to discuss the issue of "enforcement," as the principal kept reminding them, state law prohibits public schools from forcing kids to wear uniforms. At most, she said, she can require parents to submit a consent form that their kids will not be wearing a uniform to school. So if Greta does stay at the school next year (we still have a separate, ever more agonizing decision on that score that has nothing to do with uniforms), she will still get to choose what she wears each day. Even if most days that means she looks like she's going to a Phish concert after school. The important thing is: It's her choice.
| 
| 
Give them a chance
My daughter attends a uniform school, and I too was somewhat bothered by the concept at first. However, what I have realized, is that schools were never intended to abdicate discipline and order in the name of social freedom. Learning requires stricture, and if a uniform policy can assist in building that environment, so much the better. The "loose policies" most BPS schools have still allow for quite a bit of personal choice, yet the uniform reminds the children that they are in school for a purpose. It also builds school spirit, which is important.
Sure, as an adult, raised at a time when such ideas were anathema, the gut reaction is "oh no, creeping fascism!" But really, the loss of a choice about clothing color should not stand in the way of learning.
Uniforms
I despise the notion of school uniforms. It tells the students that they are all supposed to be the same, all stamped-out products rather than individual thinkers. Dress codes are a reasonable thing, and quite different.
So little imagination?
Don't be silly. When has clothing ever made the man? There are so many outlets for creativity within the classroom, outlets focused on learning. Why let externalities like clothing creep into the classroom at all? Believe me, I once felt the way you do, but I've observed the policy in action, and think it is on balance a good thing. Sure, we ask the students to give up a small piece of personal choice, but in return, they get a better learning environment. Why should you oppose that?
So when and how do kids learn how to choose appropriate clothes
Like the other commenter said, there's a difference between a dress code, which most workplaces have, and a uniform.
I've got quite a bit of flexibility in choosing what's appropriate to wear within those guidelines.
If kids wear uniforms every day until college, when will they get the chance to figure out their own sense of style, which colors and cuts they like and/or are most flattering to them, or just to experiment?
Disclaimer: I have no children.
In their outside-school lives? I don't know; I just learned how to dress well and have a style a couple years ago (for I am a giant dork). I don't remember getting teased for my clothes, because there were so many other, better things to tease me about, but other kids did get singled out for their clothing choices. But if it wasn't clothes, I'm sure it would have been something.
In junior high, we weren't allowed to wear shorts. The only rules I remember in my high school were no halter tops, no tube tops, no hats, and no beer shirts. Of course, one kid got around that by wearing a Budweiser tie. By the time I graduated, they had not yet rephrased that rule.
In my current main job, our dress code is fairly relaxed, no jeans, T-shirts, sweats, or generally slovenly appearances. Men usually seem to wear ties.
School does seem like the logical place to learn how to work within a set of guidelines without necessarily needing uniforms.
I suppose until kids come along in my life, I will continue to put a T-shirt on the big cat and think it's funny.
Better learning environment?
How does requiring everyone to wear the same thing make for a "better learning environment"?
"Why let externalities like clothing creep into the classroom at all?" Well, the ancient Greeks agreed, but I think nudity in the modern classroom would be a distraction. :) Seriously, variation in clothing is an "externality" which "creeps" into every other aspect of human life, and we seem to live with it without trouble.
But we don't
As adults, we accept and live with all kinds of restrictions. We accept them in exchange for other goods that are important (like income). It's a mistake to teach kids to value individuality above all else. Will an employer put up with an overly large sense of individual purpose? If it gets in the way of the job, probably not.
If clothing is a distraction to classroom discipline, why should the school and other students have to abide by that problem? Continuing the workplace analogy, we can fire the out of line employee. Public schools lack that latitude, so I say cut them some slack on the dress code. If uniforms make for a better learning environment, who are we to suggest such policies are wrong?
Tales out of School
When my husband taught public school, I wondered why they continued to let kids wear baggy cargo pants and buttcrack jeans and t-shirts that were really halter tops.
The baggy cargo pants were the worst - some of the kids were very likely hiding drugs in the pockets (evidenced by totally stoned kids trading money during class for little packets of stuff that, once pocketed, the teacher could not demand to examine), as well as stealing things from the school and using them to deposit pieces of things removed (vandalized and defaced) to make the computers inoperable.
The inappropriate clothing can be handled with a well-written and applied dress code. Yet the fashion parade aspects, the constant primping, and the bloody violent fist fights over supposedly stolen clothing items were something that could be done without.
I wore uniforms when I
I wore uniforms when I attended a private school for middle and high school. I was and remain glad of the experience, for one critical reason: the socioeconomic status and social class of my classmates was generally much higher than mine, and the uniforms were great equalizers. I don't perceive my creativity or what have you to have been stifled, and it saved me a great deal of personal embarrassment and/or torment from my fellow students on the basis of what I could or could not afford to wear.
Besides, many adult jobs require either an explicit or implicit (i.e. suit and tie) uniform. If the purpose of education is to prepare a person for his or her working adult life, it doesn't seem inappropriate to ask children to wear uniforms to school also.
Dress code v. Uniforms; Purpose of education
many adult jobs require either an explicit or implicit (i.e. suit and tie) uniform
What you're describing is a dress code, not a uniform. There are many styles of suits and ties to choose from, with different colors and cuts.
If the purpose of education is to prepare a person for his or her working adult life
But it's not. There's the false dichotomy.
Ben Franklin early on said that the true purpose of public education in a democracy is to educate kids to exercise political judgment.
Job placement is certainly a close second, but we're supposed to be educating future voters and political leaders in this country.
So many schools and
So many schools and teachers, though, don't seem at all interested in encouraging independent thought. Quite the opposite sometimes.
A student in the class ahead of mine once went in to see the principal because she didn't feel she and her peers were being challenged enough. He told her point-blank that our school wasn't geared towards gifted kids and they could seek enrichment elsewhere.
I'm not at all sure that's really how you want to be treating your top students. Different time in a different state, though.
You're missing or ignoring
You're missing or ignoring my main point, which is that uniforms help minimize at least one aspect of classism among students.
Is this Kilmer or Lyndon?
Just curious. Moving to Roslindale in April (Beech St, you may remember our conversation about the shooting) Have a 14m old.
I have little sympathy for
I have little sympathy for these kids or parents. The reason that schools keep having to reform dress codes and adopt uniform policies is because of the way parents let their kids go to school.
Girls insist on dressing provocatively and I've seen some inappropriate T shirts on some school aged boys. The girls in particular can cause distractions and they or their parents don't seem to care.
Wearing a uniform is not as oppresive as some people insist on arguing. The kids can take it off when they get home, and where what they like on the weekend. Learing that you can't do whatever you want all of the time is an important lesson to learn, along with the many other benefits that uniforms and dress codes offer.