this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2024
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[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

There are many reasons to have school uniforms. Growing up in a school system that does this for elementary and middle school:

  1. it allows the wardrobe to be much more simplified so students don't have to figure out what to wear that day.

  2. Kids don't have to get jealous of others for wearing fancy brand names or maybe in some bad areas they'll do gang colors or something.

  3. The prices are generally ok, I was never complaining at the prices.

  4. It might reinforce dressing up professionally even if the clothes aren't the most comfortable.

The way my school district worked it never looked for the brand names or anything, just so long as it fit the guidelines.

[–] dgriffith@aussie.zone 12 points 7 months ago (2 children)

All those are perfectly good reasons for school uniforms in general.

And then your school implements a uniform policy that requires you to buy a blazer for $225 that your child will wear three times a year, and monogrammed socks that are 3 pairs for $45.

[–] mochisuki@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That’s some serious graft. But nothing to do with uniforms as a policy. My daughter’s public school has a uniform of sorts but it I just color and style based, not specific required brands

[–] Cypher@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Uniforms as a policy enables the graft. It has everything to do with the policies.

[–] mochisuki@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Try and have a logical discussion. Graft is the problem and a system that allows it will produce it however it is easiest to express.

A uniform is just an idea. It can be an excuse for graft, or it can just be a simple dress code with multiple competing vendors. I’m sorry your system is corrupt but many aren’t.

[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago

That feels like an extreme case. I feel like this would only happen in an upper class private school.

[–] thehatfox@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

There are also a lot of good reasons uniforms are unnecessary or even detrimental to students and families.

  • Creates additional stress in having to have a narrow range of clothing always clean and wearable each day
  • Uniforms do little to nothing to mitigate inequality, as children will always have other items to compare each other with - pencil cases, sports trainers/boots, lunchboxes, mobile phones etc.
  • Prices of uniforms will likely always be higher than regular clothing due to limited choice and supply, and limited utility outside of school
  • Workplace dress codes have become increasingly casual in recent decades, and continue to do so, making reinforcing the use of a highly restrictive uniform seem anachronistic

School uniforms create more problems than they solve.

[–] youngalfred@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago

On the other hand, an argument for uniforms would be that they remove a whole raft of problems with grey areas.

Without a uniform, you'd need to have a policy about 'acceptable' clothing - profanity, slogans, sun safety, workplace safety etc which would all be up to interpretation by students and an administration.
And you know that students would push the boundaries, and the 'line' would be constantly redrawn every week.
How short is too short on sleeves? What words are inappropriate on shirts?

Uniforms remove this - you're either in the approved uniform, or you aren't.