FACTS: Beginning next year, all students at my local public school district will wear uniforms. 65% of the parents that responded to the questionnaire about uniforms were in favor of them. I was in the 35% who were against uniforms. The students that I know are vehemently against them, and I think the students that I know represent a microcosm—although not one that can be relied upon scientifically—of how most of the students feel.

QUESTIONS: How many of you live in a public school district where uniforms are required? Do you like the idea of uniforms? Or, does it even matter to you?

I've never had to wear a uniform to school, but I have had to wear one to work.
Enforced comformity sucks.

I went to public school back in the day, and we didn't have uniforms. At the time, I wouldn't have cared. It would make picking out clothes to wear every day much easier :D

Kids today are soft. They lack discipline, honor and respect. The should be severely punished when the get out of line, and forcing the little punks to wear uniforms against their will is a small step in the right direction.

I don't really agree with the school that take it to the point of saying everyone must wear khaki slacks, white buttondown, etc - however I do think schools should have an enforcable dress code.
You know.... if your t-shirt is offensive, yer sent home. If I can see your %*$^$*@# underwear, yer sent home. If your pants have writing that goes across your ass, yer sent home. Etc.

I think they are a great idea. Like Kraw said- one less thing for them to stress over. Help personalities shine more than "does mom and dad have a big credit card bill" I do think that if schools have uniforms they should have a way for kids w/less $ to purchase them. That's one prob- I know all my pals in private school had to pay a good bit just for the uniforms.

I don't really agree with the school that take it to the point of saying everyone must wear khaki slacks, white buttondown, etc - however I do think schools should have an enforcable dress code.
You know.... if your t-shirt is offensive, yer sent home. If I can see your %*$^$*@# underwear, yer sent home. If your pants have writing that goes across your ass, yer sent home. Etc.

"Sending them home" isn't punishment because the lousy little brats would rather be at home anyway, watching MTV, drinking soda pop and jerking off.

If you want to change their behavior, you have to provide incentives that actually matter, like a good beating, followed by starvation or other sensory deprivation.

Many schools have banned Tshirts with rude sayings and profanity. It's not hard to enforce. They get a school shirt to wear instead, and have to pay for the supplied garment.

And you guys are way harsh on the students. I work with some awesome kids, I don't know many that are watching MTV, drinking soda pop and jerking off. I see the ones working long hours to buy cars, and pay for their upcoming college tuition.

:drool: :drool: :drool:

http://www.lalalingerie.com/prodimages/vinylschoolgirltn.jpg

When I was a kid, I went to a private school where uniforms were required and a public school where they were not.
At the private school, the focus was on learning. In public school, the focus seemed to be more on fashion and associating with the "right" social groups.
Based on that experience, I think the uniforms are a good idea. They'll take the focus off the latest fashions....everybody will be equally unfashionable.

... I do think that if schools have uniforms they should have a way for kids w/less $ to purchase them. ....

We have them here.

The basics (anything that doesn't have the school's name on them such as pants, shorts, jumpers, shirts, etc.) can be found at a number of different chain stores in the area in a variety of price ranges.

Many schools have banned Tshirts with rude sayings and profanity. It's not hard to enforce.



if your t-shirt is offensive


But it seems like a lot of schools have to deal with parents who are encouraging their kids to push the line. Like a band of kids who each wore one letter of "Jesus Saves" and tried to line up that way for their class picture, thereby putting their little message on everyone else's senior picture. They'd all been told they weren't allowed to have any political or religious slogans in the picture, so they each wore just one letter. Then their parents tried to sue when they weren't allowed to line up to skirt the rules. Or kids wearing "Bush Sucks" tee shirts, or whatever, just to try to start trouble. When the school tries to lay down the rules, the parents call a lawyer.

If the parents in some school districts try to push the line using their kids, then it would be hard to enforce. (I think the really big problem cases are more about whiney parents than about whiney kids).

I think they are a great idea. Like Kraw said- one less thing for them to stress over. Help personalities shine more than "does mom and dad have a big credit card bill" I do think that if schools have uniforms they should have a way for kids w/less $ to purchase them. That's one prob- I know all my pals in private school had to pay a good bit just for the uniforms.

Yeah, that's the biggest problem. Paying for them. Are they going to kick kids out of school if their parents can't or won't buy them uniforms?

"Sending them home" isn't punishment because the lousy little brats would rather be at home anyway, watching MTV, drinking soda pop and jerking off.

If you want to change their behavior, you have to provide incentives that actually matter, like a good beating, followed by starvation or other sensory deprivation.

That's how Stalin and Hitler, and most serial killers and dicatators were raised.

If all schools are privately owned and operated, then parents would have a choice about whether to send their kid to a school that requires uniforms, and a school could kick a kid out over dress code issues without fear of lawsuits. :|

I went to Catholic school (:eek3: ) - grade and high school - and we were required to wear uniforms. For me, it was great - I liked not having to decide what to wear, and my parents spent WAY LESS on school clothes than they would have otherwise. (Of course they were spending a shit load on tuition, but that's another story....) When there were special events (dances, e.g.), we had the opportunity to wear "real clothes" and it actually felt more special, I think. I'm not sure whether I would advocate uniforms in public schools or not, but most of the kids I went to school with didn't mind them at all.

In Junior High school I had to wear a uniform. It nearly broke my mother's bank. I went to a public school and in the primary school my mom didn't have to get a standard set. But in the sixth grade my mom and dad got a divorce (abusive father) and my mom had no money. Nearly put us out of home to have to go to the store and spen 70+ dollars on a uniform so that I could go to a place I was required to be at.

The idea of uniforms is good but it cause a lot of finantial problems if you are really strapped for cash.

QUESTIONS: How many of you live in a public school district where uniforms are required?

Not I .

Do you like the idea of uniforms? Or, does it even matter to you?

Not really, because for historical reasons here, uniforms are associated with the militarization of the secondary education by Napoleon, ie with the goal of creating a moulded and obedient elite.
But I reckon those catholic school girl uniforms are hawt.

I vehemently oppose making "offensive" clothes illegal, but I do like the idea of school uniforms. It could counteract children getting picked on for not having expensive enough clothing - which supposedly is a problem that causes many other problems (like petty crime). I'd favour banning cellphones, iPods and other show-off expensive stuff for the same reason.

I don't like the idea of uniformity and discipline associated with it, though. I don't think it would help children respect their teachers, which is really something that's necessary.

When I was a kid, I went to a private school where uniforms were required and a public school where they were not.
At the private school, the focus was on learning. In public school, the focus seemed to be more on fashion and associating with the "right" social groups.
Based on that experience, I think the uniforms are a good idea. They'll take the focus off the latest fashions....everybody will be equally unfashionable.
That's what I was about to say.
I went to a private school and wore a uniform. Didn't bother me at all because everyone wore them.

Damn it was ugly though. Navy blue slacks with a sky blue shirt. :P

ROFL @ Guido...man that's some funny shit.

Anyway, I actually have a relatively "queer eye" view on this. I actually think that teachers should devote maybe about an hour a week on teaching the kids about clothes, what to wear when, what kind of shoes are appropriate in certain situations, interviews, work, etc. Teach them about color coordination, different fabrics, what makes a quality suit, and even the history of style for both men and women. They can wear uniforms if they must, but at least give them a day a week to wear what they like.

Why do I think this? Because I went to a catholic school, and I hated wearing a uniform. I never really cared about clothes until I got much older, but I remember hating wearing the same thing as everyone else. Also, take a look around. Most men are clueless when it comes to clothes, and the reason is they were never taught anything about it. As a result, most guys look like jackasses. Not all, I'm saying most.

There are actually psychological benefits to dressing well. Even a very well made pair of shoes will actually make you feel pretty badass. When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you make more money, have better relationships, etc.

...yes. that's definitely the "queer eye" view on this.

That's what would happen if Carson was a Principal :rolleyes:

Optimus, I think it's relative. By teaching everyone to dress okay, you're just setting the bar higher.

Hey, I fully admit my views are not mainstream about this, and probably never will be. It stems from my other beliefs that schools aren't teaching the right things at all. Most of everything I ever studied in school is useless. I was constantly bored, always daydreaming or drawing, or sleeping in class. Such a waste of time.

After the basics are taught, reading, writing, math, etc...they should teach real world skills such as:

- how to manage and invest money
- how to figure out what you love do do, and how to earn a living from it
- nonverbal communication
- how to build wealth
- developing intuition
- how people are influenced to do things unconsiously
- how marketers use certain principles to gain complicity
- a thorough and accurate education on health and diet
- developing extremely accurate memory
- how to use your brain more effectively to solve problems
- developing strong self motivation
- logic and reasoning
- developing skills to detect fallacies
- relationship skills
- developing high character


those are just a few off the top of my head...but this is off topic.

Every where you go, people have to wear uniforms, police, military, most fast food eaterys, even preachers wear those white things around their necks. Now in Kentucky, our schools have to wear uniforms, unless you are Muslim, then you can wear that head cover thing. But if you want to wear a shirt with Jesus on it, you will be suspended, just saying

Every where you go, people have to wear uniforms, police, military, most fast food eaterys, even preachers wear those white things around their necks. Now in Kentucky, our schools have to wear uniforms, unless you are Muslim, then you can wear that head cover thing. But if you want to wear a shirt with Jesus on it, you will be suspended, just saying
Church and home are for Jesus worship. It doesn't need to be in the schools. They have enough crap to try & teach kids.

Church and home are for Jesus worship. It doesn't need to be in the schools. They have enough crap to try & teach kids.

How right you are. Now if they would actually manage to teach the little yard apes some math that would be great....

How right you are. Now if they would actually manage to teach the little yard apes some math that would be great....

You have to speak their language.
If Bob have a quarter ounce, and he was selling it at 15 dollars a gram, and Anne has 60 dollars left from the stolen ipod she stole...how much would Bill have to throw in to buy tickets for the Eminem concert?

I am all for uniforms. Kids rely way too much on the status of fancy clothes to define who they are as well as who is cool, etc. Without that diversion, they may actually gain something from their time in school.

This local school district already had a dress code in the Student Handbook. The teachers, however, enforce it sporadically. So the board of trustees sent out the survey to parents (65% were for uniforms). What the survey did not say was the fact that the school district would be funding some of the uniforms.

I’m not for uniforms for the following reasons. (1)if they do not enforce the dress code that was in place, who is to believe that they will enforce uniforms? (2)we have many families that simply will not be able to afford the uniforms. That means, of course, that taxpayers will pay for them via state funding and local funding. (3)the “cliques” will find a way to remain in their “cliques.” (4)it seems to me—and perhaps I am wrong—that this is telling the teachers that they don’t have to do their job.

Incidentally, my wife teaches 3rd graders in this district, and she did enforce the dress code that has now been replaced with uniforms.

Maybe there will be benefits to it. I hope so.:)

this is telling the teachers that they don’t have to do their job.


This one lost me - what does the kids having a uniform have to do with the teachers doing their job? :confused:

i don't support uniforms, but i do support buisness casual for a school's dress code: khakis, polos, etc.

the youth of today need to dress civilizied, not like trailor/ghetto trash. :mad:

i don't support uniforms, but i do support buisness casual for a school's dress code: khakis, polos, etc.

the youth of today need to dress civilizied, not like trailor/ghetto trash. :mad:
note, i am not calling members/ members' children who do not dress like this trailor/ghetto trash, i was merely using an extreme. :)

I've lived in trailer parks before. :(

I've lived in trailer parks before. :(
there are ppl who live in trailors, and then there's trailor trash. two completely different types, who merely share the word "trailor" in the phrase to describe them. :(

It's spelled 'trailer', not trailor. :hmm:

I liked high school. We had school uniforms. Dress slacks, dress shoes, collared shirt and tie during the winter, spring/fall, we had polo shirts that we could wear instead. Once or twice a month, we had dress down days. Pay a buck or two to dress down. Money went to a charity or benefit. I liked it. Kids tried to circumvent the dress code by wearing funky colored pants and stuff, but they were punished. We supported at-school suspension, which sucked. I never had to experience it, but having to stand for hours without breaks, staring straight ahead, while holding an heavy object out in front of you had to suck. That, or you were expelled.

"DAers" sounds vaguely like an insult to me, from my childhood.

There was a a group of kids in the neighborhood who wore their hair with a "duck's ass" style...I don't know how to explain it, but it is kind of like the way the boys combed their hair in "Grease" (the movie).

we called them DAers.


I would have loved to had uniforms when I went to school because we were kind of poor and so we didn't have money for things like levis/nikes whatever.I wore toughskins (from a sears catalog) till I was 14. (sucked)

i've got a really bad headache right now, excuse my typos. :|

Sorry don't agree with the idea that parents will go broke buying uniforms. Try buying regular school clothes for a while. There is no significant economic difference. Its a lot easier to enforce a uniform code than it is a regular dress code. You can obviously pick out the offenders whereas with street clothes you may have to look harder for those things on the banned list. I just see it as a chance to put all kids on the same level playing field and perhaps show them that they don't need false values to live by. Its hard enough to raise them right without the messages they get everywhere being those of materialistic values.

Sorry don't agree with the idea that parents will go broke buying uniforms.

Thats true. When I was a kid we would go to Nana Gilchrest's house and have to change into our play clothes. If we were caught playing in our school clothes my Mom would lose it and beat us about the head, neck, chest, and breast. (she didn't really beat us, just yell loudly using all three of our names.)

Indeed uniforms should be mandatory, and not just any old ordinary uniforms, but the most humiliating ones possible.

No jewelry. None. Nada.

No makeup. None. Nada.

No bizarre hair. No bizarre hair colors.

Bring back paddling, and do away with social promotion, and screw 'standardized tests'.

Make a crappy lunch made from old leftover government WW II surplus canned goods standard again. Take out the candy and soda machines.

Assign homework, at least 3 hours a night's worth, minimum.

Any dropouts should be sterilized , or locked up in reformatories. Their choice.

Any parents who snivel in public or pester principals about any of the above get 30 days in jail. No exceptions.

It's spelled 'trailer', not trailor. :hmm:


-or1
suff.
One that performs a specified action: accelerator.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/-or

A trailor is a vehicle that trails behind the car,dad blame it!!!
Leave Red alone:(

I'm glad I never had to wear uniforms, but I always followed the rules.

No shorts or skirts above the knee level.
No sleeveless shirts.
No underclothes or skin of the torso showing.
No inappropriate/offensive messages/pictures.
No hats.

Those rules aren't hard to follow and the teachers/principal should enforce them. If they did we wouldn't have to have uniforms.

As someone else on here said something similar, only the kids who break the rules should be provided with mandatory uniforms for a month as punishment.

Unfortunately some teachers have favorites and allow certain students to get away with it. Now you see girls in miniskirts and spaghetti straps and guys with plumber's crack and beer advertisements on their shirts.

My opinion is that schools are a good thing.
I like that they they have an idea what kids need to learn and experience in presenting it at the right time.
But I also hate school for their indoctrination. While they put facts in kids brains, they teach them to follow the masses rather than think for themselves. I don't know how it is these days, but I sure encountered that in my school days.
If I had a kid in school, I would do what I could to get them into an alternate school - where the focus is on the person, not the crap.

Most alternate schools are for troublesome kids. I went to one for a couple years.., that is where I learned the best of what I am.
Without a word of a lie, I'd encourage my kid to steal & get caught just one time (with reasons clearly presented) , just to get them into an environment that is about loving, caring, respect, growing, acceptance, understanding......

Well I’m glad to see that none of you DAers have any opinion on this issue.:) :)

This one lost me--what does the kids having a uniform have to do with the teachers doing their job?

That was poor wording on my part. To explain, part of a teacher’s job description is to send students that violated the dress code to the office. The vast majority of teachers choose not to do so, for various reasons. They simply were not doing their jobs in this area.

Sorry don't agree with the idea that parents will go broke buying uniforms. Try buying regular school clothes for a while. There is no significant economic difference. Its a lot easier to enforce a uniform code than it is a regular dress code.

Parents will not go broke because the school, via state-funding (taxes) and/or local funding (taxes), has already developed guidelines about whom they will help. My wife enforces it without a uniform code, and when a kid is sent home and it disrupts the kid's parents' schedule—they have to leave work and/or figure out a way to pick up their kid, et al.—the parents get the message (or so says my wife, whom I believe).

Yet I crater to your opinion: It will be a lot easier to enforce the uniform code.

Some of the kids actually take clothes to school in backpacks that violate the dress code and put them on in the restrooms so their parents will not know that they are wearing inappropriate clothing. They are not sent to the office by the teachers in any consistent manner. (My twin sons just graduated, thus I’ve been able to learn lots of wacky things about this high school if I can drag info out of them [and it’s hard to drag info out of 18 year olds, as everyone on DA already knows]).

One of the kids that hangs out here (a lot) says the students are planning a “walkout” the first day of class when school starts again. That’s fine as long as he—and the others—understand that there will be consequences to a “walkout” (3-day suspension, I believe) and they are willing to bear the consequences that arise from their actions (a “walkout”). I’m betting the students decide not to “walkout.”

Way back when, we had a dress code. I didn’t have to worry about being sent home. My parents—especially Dad—made it clear that I was to obey the dress code, and I did.

i remember reading something.. where... uniforms were actually beneficial... keeps the kids focused on school...

i remember reading something.. where... uniforms were actually beneficial... keeps the kids focused on school...

These rotten little punks should not only be forced to wear uniforms, they should also be required -- via the certainty of physical discipline -- to address their teachers with "Yes, Sir!" or "Yes, Ma'am!," and to bow and curtsey depending on their respective genders.

America's decline began when corporal punishment was banned in schools.

ok... so we're legalizing all drugs... putting our students in uniforms... check... what's next... i'm making a list :D


nationalistic reform? i think that's kinda how we're heading.. might be termed a little better... evolving

ok... so we're legalizing all drugs... putting our students in uniforms... check... what's next... i'm making a list

Tell the people who have authority over the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to stop creating more paperwork/compliance for school districts to do so schools will not have to have 129 (seemingly) Vice Principals and 129 (seemingly) counselors and 129 (seemingly) et al. This school is grossly bloated at the administrative level. I suspect that is the case in schools across the nation.

Elect school board trustees who will hold school employees accountable. I audited school districts for several years, and it is incredible how inefficient they were. Most school employees are almost impossible to fire. Thus they do not work as a taxpayer would hope they would.

Stop building high school football stadiums that seem to be more elaborate than the Taj Mahal.

Stop building school buildings that seem to be more elaborate than the Taj Mahal.

Gotta stop and head-out (which is good news for you DAers).

Before I head-out, check out the thread I am about to start (if it please you to do so) and think about what this group is proposing. It has some folks in schools unhappy.

Indeed uniforms should be mandatory, and not just any old ordinary uniforms, but the most humiliating ones possible.

No jewelry. None. Nada.

No makeup. None. Nada.

No bizarre hair. No bizarre hair colors.

Bring back paddling, and do away with social promotion, and screw 'standardized tests'.

Make a crappy lunch made from old leftover government WW II surplus canned goods standard again. Take out the candy and soda machines.

Assign homework, at least 3 hours a night's worth, minimum.

Any dropouts should be sterilized , or locked up in reformatories. Their choice.

Any parents who snivel in public or pester principals about any of the above get 30 days in jail. No exceptions.


We're talking about schools here, not boot camps where kids can be molded into good little slaves.

ok... so we're legalizing all drugs... putting our students in uniforms... check... what's next... i'm making a list :D


nationalistic reform? i think that's kinda how we're heading.. might be termed a little better... evolving

Next we get them marching, and then we'll give them guns & send them overseas.

No shorts or skirts above the knee level.
No sleeveless shirts.
No underclothes or skin of the torso showing.
No inappropriate/offensive messages/pictures.
No hats.- Lol, such stupid rules. No wonder they get broken :P

- Lol, such stupid rules. No wonder they get broken :P


so we need to give some leeway on the uniforms... their uniform might classify their major.. perse...

good idea

Huh? Well, it would be nice if there was some variance in the uniforms, so as to avvoid the uniformed part of it - if you know what I mean. And no stupid rules about not dying or writing on the uniform :\

so tattoos are cool...

leaving behind the taboo... individuality is of utmost importance... but... we're putting everyone on the same scale... to begin with...

but you might get a slap on the wrist for ... you know.. provocative tats.. b4 age of enlightenment... you get out of line.. you move to the back of the line

I'm of two minds on this issue. I don't support the notion of monolithic public schools to begin with (I'd rather see locally controlled/chartered/private ones than the federalized version). In some areas that are plagued with gang violence, school uniforms have diffused it and helped improve the educational environment, so there can be a benefit. Uniforms just for the sake of conformity is not a good reason - but if they help create a more conducive atmosphere for focusing on education, then I can support them.

Sorry don't agree with the idea that parents will go broke buying uniforms. Try buying regular school clothes for a while.


You can get hand-me-downs and freebies if there's no uniform. A lot of kids in poor families wear the neighbors old clothes, or their parents shop at thrift stores.

You can't do that as well with uniforms.

Well, considering what schools claim to spend per student, the cost of say 5 uniforms should be a drop in the bucket.

Its cool I guess. It certainly does not hurt. In the public schools in my town kids have to wear these blue shirts with colars. They are kind of dumb looking. But in the case of this town, something has to be done to control the gangs and stuff.

- Lol, such stupid rules. No wonder they get broken :P


Well, it would be nice if there was some variance in the uniforms, so as to avvoid the uniformed part of it - if you know what I mean. And no stupid rules about not dying or writing on the uniform :\

Without uniforms you would basicly get to wear whatever you want as long as you just kept yourself covered and free of offensive messages and pictures. What's the point of even having uniforms if they aren't appropriately cut and have profanity on them?

I said it on the first page, "it could counteract children getting picked on for not having expensive enough clothing - which supposedly is a problem that causes many other problems (like petty crime). I'd favour banning cellphones, iPods and other show-off expensive stuff for the same reason."

I like uniforms because of that^ , but I dislike them because of the "uniformity", i.e. the loss of individuality - and because it doesn't let people experiment with expressing themselves through their clothing.

This is not a personal issue to me, btw, I wear boring clothes and have always done so :l

That's how Stalin and Hitler, and most serial killers and dicatators were raised.

Strange, its also how Ghandi, Mother Teresa, and Florence Nightingale where raised ;)

hugs

lilnymph

You know.... if your t-shirt is offensive, yer sent home. If I can see your %*$^$*@# underwear, yer sent home. If your pants have writing that goes across your ass, yer sent home. Etc.

You mean like this?
http://www.eulogyrecordings.com/store.php?id=1251

I see nothing wrong with students wearing what they want at school, or anywhere. Most of my school life was in uniform, so I just stopped shaving, ****ed with my hair, wore my pants low, made up excuses for not wearing school shoes and for wearing hoodies not school jerseys ("sorry, sir, someone stole my jersey yesterday, and it's really cold" etc).

So did everyone.

Schools should focus on teaching. Kids need also to learn to deal with adversity, difference and offence.

We're talking about schools here, not boot camps where kids can be molded into good little slaves.

They're molded into good little consumers now, and part of that mindlessness is directly due to the shallow status games allowed to run rampant in schools today. Conformity in dress removes any number of stresses on kids, and allows them to develop true intellectual and emotional individuality. They learn to compete on merit, and not on who has the most indulgent Soccer Mom. It prevents parents from competing with each other through their kids, at least for visual status. It would also likely be the only discipline most of them will ever see, at a time when they most need it, especially as far as Jr. High and High school goes.

Its cool I guess. It certainly does not hurt. In the public schools in my town kids have to wear these blue shirts with colars. They are kind of dumb looking. But in the case of this town, something has to be done to control the gangs and stuff.

The dumber looking and more hated they are, the better. It is more likely to create a common bond across the student body that way, and channel some of the hate energy at a 'common enemy' instead of at each other. True, it won't entirely prevent that sort of thing, but it does redirect some of it.

But it seems like a lot of schools have to deal with parents who are encouraging their kids to push the line. Like a band of kids who each wore one letter of "Jesus Saves" and tried to line up that way for their class picture, thereby putting their little message on everyone else's senior picture. They'd all been told they weren't allowed to have any political or religious slogans in the picture, so they each wore just one letter. Then their parents tried to sue when they weren't allowed to line up to skirt the rules. Or kids wearing "Bush Sucks" tee shirts, or whatever, just to try to start trouble. When the school tries to lay down the rules, the parents call a lawyer.

If the parents in some school districts try to push the line using their kids, then it would be hard to enforce. (I think the really big problem cases are more about whiney parents than about whiney kids).


http://www.discussanything.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92911

See what I mean? Kids break rules, parents side with kids, claim school district is totalitarian communist police state for enforcing rules.

I agree with Boo. Kids can find better, more constructive ways to express thier individuality. School isn't a fashion show or a place for political/religious commentary through clothing.