Should Public schools switch to uniforms?

I completely agree with you. My kids go to public school and they are required to wear uniforms. It's easier on us and we never hear any stories of someone being picked on because of their clothes.

YES - it is financially better for parents and it will possibly get rid of a lot of the bullying that goes on...

I finished high school in a private school and had to wear a uniform daily. The great thing about wearing it was I never had to worry about selecting clothes in the morning and was never ridiculed for choice of clothing.
So should public schools switch to them?While I'm for individuality, I think that with the competitive nature of education and schooling, the last thing kids need to be distracted by is being concerned about being teased just because of choice of clothing. I know right now that "gang" paraphernalia isn't allowed to be worn and that there are rules about how short dresses and skirts can be. I bring it up because after having a client yesterday, she told me her daughter (in middle school) was being ridiculed by other girls for what she wore that day. It ended up being an argument and later she and a few other girls were taken aside by the principal to iron out the issue.
Even though kids will still find something else to tease about, possibly having uniforms can help to at least stop or reduce the teasing of clothing being worn.
Thoughts?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

YES, YES, AND SUPER YES!!

When I was in highschool the girls were all up on clothes with tons of shoes and accessories and so nit-picky over clothes. Nowadays the boys are just as bad with their shoes, hats, etc. It's ridiculous how pressure surrounds clothing at school. For a few years it seemed like the whole brand name issue went away that existed when I was in school but it's definitely back again and worse than ever. Kids worry so much about the clothes that having a uniform to provide one less distraction would be great.

Then there's the whole cost. It would really help the parents to not have to buy a bunch of casual clothes, shoes, etc. Lastly, the school administrators aren't consistent. I've seen in our kid's and a friend of mine's school system where the admin's say these are the rules and then even if the kids dress within the guidelines but maybe push it a little they get a multi-day expulsion. Not a slap on the wrist, not a detention, a friggin expulsion! Ridiculous! For example... My friend's son wore a tank top to school. The shoulder strap or whatever you want to call it has to be at least 6" wide. She's so anal that she even measured it and it was like 6 1/2" wide. He got expelled for 2 days due to uniform code. Crazy...

Heck yes
save $$ and kids comparing clothes in school and labels etc
My nieces were uniforms now in public school....and actually love it.....keeps it simple...time effective
they get to save their special stuff for weekends etc

I don't know a public school that does NOT have a uniform

This is Eton's

http://layersandswathes.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/school-uniforms-boys-make-010.jpg

my son's school just switched BACK to regular clothes after being in uniform for years!!! There was no diff in the teasing aspect from before to after...and the kids are much happier now that they can wear what they want and express themselves for who they really are! I DISAGREE with unifoms

On the one hand: yes. Makes life about 100 times easier, saves money, takes away that "you don't have the latest brand name" competition stuff.

On the other hand: I wore uniforms from K-8th grade (Catholic school). Ok, we all had the same clothes on. Well, that just meant the kids in middle school had to find a different reason to pick on you or make fun of you. You don't have a cool backpack. You don't have the coolest shoes. Your parents don't drive a nice car. You don't live in the nicest neighborhood, etc. The uniforms did literally nothing to cut down on the have picking on the have nots...at least in my experience (I was considered a "have not" with the rich kids I went to school with. My mom was the principal so I got free tuition, and other kids could get scholarships...those kids got picked on for being "poor" too.)

When I got to public high school (I chose to go public, I'd rather have killed myself than spend another 4 years with those snobby brats), I was SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY that I got to wear whatever I wanted (within dress code rules). I didn't realize how totally isolated from fashion and personal expression I had been my whole life! My family wasn't rich, we weren't poor, just comfortable, and although I didn't have all the latest brands or whatever (unless I had done a particularly good job at sweet talking my dad into something), I never got made fun of for my clothes in high school. I got made fun of for being in the show choir lol.

Who is going to pay for the uniforms? Currently, public schools in my area are sending home lists of school supplies with kids, and they show up with whatever is on their list, then the teacher throws everything in a pile and rations out all the supplies for the class.

Uniforms are great for keeping distractions/teasing down, but somebody is going to bear the brunt of the cost. "Forgive my uniform loan!"

The same parent who would pay for their regular school clothes.

My boys had to for Middle School only. It didn't save us money at all. We had to have uniform $ and regular clothes $. The idea is great and I do believe it helps with social class a little. But instead of clothing, it's about which phone you have, shoes, or accessories. In HS it's about what electronics you have and what kind of car. Not like when I was growing up, what brand of designer jeans do you have on. ya know?

I was made fun of for what I wore, generic clothes. I couldn't afford $50 Guess? jeans. I came from a poor, single parent family.

Who is going to pay for the uniforms? Currently, public schools in my area are sending home lists of school supplies with kids, and they show up with whatever is on their list, then the teacher throws everything in a pile and rations out all the supplies for the class.

personally, I don't think that is fair, Why should one parent who is barely making it pay for another child's supplies because their parent knows they don't have to buy supplies? Not that I believe most people are like this, I just happened to work with a lady that did just that, she only bought enough supplies for one child and expected her other child to be provided for.

Uniforms are great for keeping distractions/teasing down, but somebody is going to bear the brunt of the cost. "Forgive my uniform loan!"

You'd still by school clothes if they wore regular clothes. The uniforms are usually subsidized for people who make less income.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I had a friend in private school, and saw her uniform catalog. Those prices were NOT comparable to Kmart prices. My single parent owned the house we lived in, so we didn't fall into the qualifications for free/reduced school lunches. I would have to believe we wouldn't have qualified for subsidized uniforms.

I know I wasn't the only family like that.

Yep! My son was in uniforms for a couple months (tried a private school, he HATED it) and it was expensive. I can see over the long run it saving money, but I had to pay for his uniforms, which were way more expensive than the clothes I buy him at Old Navy, AND had to make sure he has weekend clothes, shoes, etc. Uniforms can save money over time, I'd imagine, but going out and buying 5 uniform shirts and 5 pairs of uniform shorts so I wasn't doing laundry every day, that cost me twice as much as buying the same amount of clothing for non-school days.

During my time in high school in Los Angeles California (Crenshaw High School) in the 80s it was nearly a fashion show. If you weren't wearing the latest fashions (Guess jeans, Miami Vice gear, Le Tigre or Ralph Lauren Polos, K-Swiss, Nike, or Diadora tennis shoes, parachute pants, or etc.) you were teased without fail.

When my now 21 year old son attended middle school here in the south Seattle area a strict dress code was enforced, not necessarily a uniform beyond blue or khaki slacks and white or blue Polo shirt. Kids would ridicule kids based on their shoes because you can't really tease someone based on a plain non logo Polo and no tag khaki or blue slacks.

In the south Seattle areas it appears schools adhering to some type of uniform are typically in urban areas versus suburbs.

On the other hand: I wore uniforms from K-8th grade (Catholic school). Ok, we all had the same clothes on. Well, that just meant the kids in middle school had to find a different reason to pick on you or make fun of you. You don't have a cool backpack. You don't have the coolest shoes. Your parents don't drive a nice car. You don't live in the nicest neighborhood, etc. The uniforms did literally nothing to cut down on the have picking on the have nots...at least in my experience (I was considered a "have not" with the rich kids I went to school with. My mom was the principal so I got free tuition, and other kids could get scholarships...those kids got picked on for being "poor" too.)

This is definitely true and just what I was going to say. Even if you have a uniform, kids will find something else to show off their wealth or something to bully someone about.

Even in college, picking on others for their lack of wealth happens. I'm probably the poorest of out my three roommates, and I'm not even poor, just middle-middle class I'd say. I don't think they do it intentionally all the time but sometimes I get teased a little for my situation. I won't spend money to get my nails done when I can do it with polish I already own, and they don't get that. I've never flown on a plane, yet one of my roommates goes on Spring Break every year to locations like Mexico and flies at least once a year if not more.

Even the other day, I mentioned I was going on vacation and one of my roommates said "where?" I said "to a cabin up north for a week." She said "that's your vacation?" Um, yes, it has been, and it's been the only vacation I've ever been on.

So yes, bullying/teasing always happens no matter how old you are. Uniforms won't solve anything.

In NYC most public schools do have uniforms now whether the parents choose to buy them or the staff enforces kids to wear them is a different story

Try taking away the individuality of adults and see what happens to society. :noway:
Don't do it to our children either.

On the other hand: I wore uniforms from K-8th grade (Catholic school). Ok, we all had the same clothes on. Well, that just meant the kids in middle school had to find a different reason to pick on you or make fun of you. You don't have a cool backpack. You don't have the coolest shoes. Your parents don't drive a nice car. You don't live in the nicest neighborhood, etc. The uniforms did literally nothing to cut down on the have picking on the have nots...at least in my experience (I was considered a "have not" with the rich kids I went to school with. My mom was the principal so I got free tuition, and other kids could get scholarships...those kids got picked on for being "poor" too.)

THIS! Kids will find something to pick on, even if it isn't clothing. Uniforms are over rated. IMHO.

<---teacher.