School Uniform Policies

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Staci

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Oct 25, 2005, 5:58:09 PM10/25/05
to School Uniforms
As a young child, coming from a prominently shy family I found it
hard to find ways in which I could express myself. I had attended a
Uniformed Catholic school up unto my 5th grade year where I had to
transfer over to a prestigious dress coded local public school. The
only profound difference that one could see between these schools was
the apparel that each student strode into school with. I noticed a
strange range of different looks. I saw girls with high top converse
on, young ladies with purses that now carried meaning over fashion. I
saw teachers with combinations of sweaters in bright colors with either
skirts or slacks, and young boys with uniquely styled hair varying from
corn rolls to dread locks, and Mohawks to Mullets. I saw male teachers
that wore shirts with logos or advertisements. They displayed their
favorite sports team or maybe just the local dinner; so much variety.
All this diversity made me wonder why we were never allowed this
privilege at my old school. They strived for equality so hard not
knowing that it could be found so easily. How is dressing one up in the
same clothes making one connect to another. It didn't make any
connection for me. I still found dislikes in people that appeared to
look identical on the outside. What of the behavioral problems. I
hadn't notice an increase in any more violence than any ratio going
from 30 students to 450 per class could easily see. Not even the
attendance record seemed to change. Students still acted like kids that
would think whatever they wanted while wearing whatever they pleased.
But perhaps a little more free minded? Maybe they felt less tucked in,
when they could express their own personality on the outside. When
thinking of all these possible reasons why one may be prone to
condoning schools to invoke these uniform rules think of this: for all
the reasons why one may want uniforms The National Educational
Longitudinal Study of 1988 has just proven most cases wrong. They have
found no correlation between uniforms and behavioral problems,
attendance, and substance use. The only arguments that seem to remain
are student victimization (gangs and clicks), attitudes towards school
(team-spirit), increasing student achievement, increasing self-esteem,
lowering suspension rates, and increasing organizational skills. I have
met enough non-uniform students to know that one simple change like
that is not going to solve world peace. Diversity is half the battle.
Let's not start taking steps back here.
I feel more emotionally content and relaxed knowing I can be who I
want today. With out a uniform I find it easy to express how I'm
feeling. I can wear my hoodie when feeling insecure, or I can wear my
General Hospital fanatic t-shirt as a conversation piece when feeling
social. Whatever the days looking like I can prepared for it like a
weather forecast. I'll get my umbrella when it's rainy and I'll
wear a jacket when it's snowing. How is this any different? I often
hear the argument though that the dress code is made up strictly for
people's own protection; the right to find someone underneath all the
layers. The uniform is said to have the power of stripping people of
their label. But I really must admit I was considered more of a freak
on the bus with all of the non-uniform kids than I ever was in my
normal clothes anywhere else in the world. It segregated me from a
society that didn't as a whole have a rule such as this one. I was
looked over, stared at, and even glared at (yes there is a definite
difference neither being good in this case.) I don't dress to be
judged EVER no matter what it is I'm wearing but it seems to me that
someone's always going to have their initial thoughts anyway so why
not go out doing it in style.
When I heard that ten states allow school districts to mandate
school uniforms, I was shocked that they had to even get permission.
That right there should be a sign of some serious issues. Many families
aren't open to the whole stripping their children of their First and
Fourteenth Amendment; the lack of our own freedom of expression, as
well as our lack of control behind ones personal appearance, is harsh.
And then I hear statements like this "Ridley officials say the new
policy is intended to foster a team learning environment and help
teachers and administrators maintain order." One set of straightly
set out clothes are suppose to solve all that. If we unfold it can we
solve world peace? Gosh, how is a uniform supposed to help the learning
environment? I can understand the typical tube tops that may distract
the male settings, but things like that can be denied as unacceptable
with a dress code not by ordering in uniforms for the whole district.
But what's wrong with a little variety every once in a while. Knowing
what my freedom is now and again. I would never allow myself to go back
to the way I once was since I've seen it this way. I never really
paid much attention to it until I had the choice, then my mind was
clearly made up. Once I chose who I was to everyone else, I found out a
piece of who I was for myself. No one judged me as I walked into a room
during my senior year of high school. People took the time to get to
know me. They look past my black lipstick and Hot Topics new age
flairs. I'm more than what I wear now, I am a person underneath. That
person would be stuck behind a desk at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
Marry Elementary school where I stayed hidden in a camouflage of
everyday life; fading in and out of everybody else's similar
existence. What fun is that, and since when has similarity gotten
anyone anywhere in this life?

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