Friday, January 29, 2010
School Uniforms
I have a four year old in Pre-K. It is so difficult to find clothes she likes. However, the teacher required that the students wear long sleeves all winter long and since the teacher required it, I have no problem with putting long sleeves on my four year old. There is no more fussing in the mornings. I think that school uniforms would be a great way to also cut back on the time it takes for all students to get ready. This goes into my topic of having school uniforms in Tennessee.
A safe and disciplined learning environment is the first requirement of a school. Due to violence in many Tennessee schools, school officials are starting to see school uniforms as a positive way to reduce discipline and increase school safety. There are many potential benefits of school uniforms. School uniforms can decrease violence and theft among students over designer clothing or expensive shoes. School uniforms also help prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at school. Uniforms help to instill students with discipline and can help them get ready with ease for parents. Uniforms help the students resist peer pressure and concentrate on their school work rather than who is wearing what. School uniforms cut back on the amount of discipline over clothes and increase the amount of teaching. School uniforms help school officials easily recognize intruders who come to the school. School uniforms can also assist families who need financial help. School uniforms are usually less expensive than the name brand clothing that students typically wear. I feel this could be a benefit for students, parents, and teachers.
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I agree with your statements on school uniforms.
ReplyDeleteA person is unique by what they are on the inside, not what is on the outside. A gift is special by its content not by the wrapping paper or the box it comes in.
It would be great if we could enable our children to feel special on the inside without the need to have the external trappings of clothes, tennis schools, and electronic gadgets to bolster their persona. We adults get caught up in making fashion statements too.
Parents and Teachers alike need to empower students to find their uniqueness by exploring and complimenting their unique gifts and abilities highlighted by individual study.
Looking at this from the perspective of when I was a public school student (at least as viewed through the filter of 25 years since that phase of this life concluded) and from the perspective of my school-aged nephews, I agree with your comments.
ReplyDeleteI think it is likely popular for school-aged children to oppose school uniforms in general as it takes away their control. But, when you get down to it, I believe it relieves much of the pressure of "fitting in" and worrying about what others are going to think of them because of what they wear. I recall all too well that the kids without the best clothes were often ridiculed and made to feel "less than" because of limited wardrobes.
Why are we so quick to approve of school uniforms? It is just me but I have never loved the idea of dressing like anyone else. Hardly ever participated when it was suggested to wear a particular color that everyone else would be wearing.
ReplyDeleteIt is evident to me in the Memphis City School system that it really does not matter what you are wearing. The grades of the children attending are still low. There are all kinds of fights and children are still bringing guns to school.
It really doesn't matter what you are wearing the question really is... Do you choose to retain all of the information that is provided from a free education?
Our district instituted school uniforms 8 years ago. Initially yes, it stated that all children would lookk alike, it would cut down on gang violence, and gang affiliation, etc. The truth of the matter is no, it does not cut down on Gang affiliation, because trust me, if gangs want to flash thier colors, they have creative ways of doing it, we have seen colored belts, undergarments (that show in the opening of the t-shirts) shoe strings; although the policy states that it must be white or black shoes, and accessories. We are now finding out that it puts another burden on parents to go out and buy extra white collar shirts, in fact, TCA (Tennessee Code Annotated) stated that if a district makes it manadatory that a student must wear a uniform, then the district must provide them, as Public Education is supposed to be FREE, If we are asking parents to buy uniforms in order for thier children to attend schools, then in fact, we are charging that student to attend school.
ReplyDeleteLastly; The uniforms seem to work better in early grades, (prek-7) I have seen that the older the student, the more they want to show thier individual style. What I cannot understand is why parents will buy thier children 2 sizes too big, allowing the students to sag.
And I think it is noteworthy that if the policy is not enforced at the school level, by principals, and teachers, and to EVERY student, the policy is not worth the paper that it was printed on.
I agree with Tom, it's the inside of a person that counts. Until our school ordered uniforms (we were one of the first Catholic schools to have uniforms in the 1950's). The rich children would make fun of the poorer children and there would be so much friction that the Nuns decided they would "try" school uniforms for a semester (so they sent a letter home to the parents and said for the rest of the year the all boys and girls would wear white tops and blue skirts for the girls and blue pants for the boys) and if it was a positive move they would have real school uniforms the next school year. When summer came, the Principle sent a letter to parents with different size and shape children to be "models" of different uniforms approximately 10 different styles and 5 different colors. Together the parents and teachers chose what they thought was complimentary to all the students. The colors ended up being white shirt/blouses, blue pants or shirts and all had a v-shaped vest.
ReplyDeleteThe parents were amazed at the attitudes of all the students and how the grades improved over all. A VERY POSITIVE MOVE... LESS EXPENSIVE ON THE POCKET-BOOK (PURSE) OF ALL THE FAMILY'S TOO! I'm all for uniforms if the school teachers and princpals don't get bent out of shape and put their priorities in the wrong place. Here in the Nashville area in an outlining county, if a child forgot to wear a belt he/she was being sent home and threatened to be suspended when other things should have been more important.. Example: A boy forgot his belt and his dad had to bring it to him immediately or the child was going to be sent home for the rest of the day (instead of someone just getting a string and putting around his waist or letting it go for the day with a warning (his pants weren't baggy nor too big, they fit kind of tight so there was no way they would have fallen off.) Two days later when the same boy fell in PE and broke his wrist, he sat in the Principal's office for over two hours before either parent was notified the child was hurt and needed medical care. If the child's teacher for his sister hadn't come in the office the child would have been there till school was over at least two more hours.
Here's why I say they need to get their priorities together. The accident should have caused a call home immediately not the forgetting of the belt.... Some of the teachers and principals need to get real and grow up themselves.
I agree with MDaniel's post. I grew up in a poor area, basically the projects in South Memphis. There were six of us with a single mom. I was the youngest girl, which meant I had to wear hand-me-downs from my older sisters. If there was a special occasion where we had to dress up, I almost hated it. Other parents went out and bought new clothes for their children to look good in, but my mom could not afford new clothes and shoes. I have no regrets about the way I grew up, because I was taught a valuable lesson. It really is what's on the inside and not the inside, but sometimes this can be difficult for a child to understand. There really are two sides, and there need to be some sort of common ground. We should be concerned with raising responsible kids, and not little brats who always get what they want. I believe when a child gets too much stuff, they can sometimes grow up to be ungrateful or show a lack of concern for others.
ReplyDelete