Normal school uniform on all days, and a white dress on Saturdays or during house/school club meets. Shirt, pants/skirts, tie, socks, belt and school shoes are a part of a complete school uniform. Remember the times when you missed one of these and you were either fined or got punishment for not being properly dressed for the school? We’ve all been there, and experienced it at different degrees, of course. Is it just a way of reinforcing discipline at school or has other dimensions to it?
Uniform Encourages Uniformity
“As the name suggests, Uniforms create uniformity in school. It removes all types of irrelevant discriminations. Children are too young and innocent to be burdened with the daily stress of what to wear and how to look good. It helps in reducing insecurities and creates an atmosphere of focusing on better, more important things. Besides, why not keep the casual dresses for special occasions, right?” believes Rashmi Ramchandani.
Some would argue that there may be better ways to create uniformity, than to deprive individuals of their basic right to dress-up the way they please. But one mustn’t forget that not having a uniform would call for constant dress-code control, arguments about what is wearable to school and what not, which is even more troublesome for school authorities. “The flipside of conformity is dullness” says an article on The Gaurdian but if school uniforms are smart enough, pupils would find pride in stepping inside them.
No-Stress Mornings: Easy For Student, Easy For The School
Let’s face it – students already have a hell lot of things to take care of. They juggle with weekly tests, assignments, daily homework, project work, chapters to read, lessons to revise, and add to this, the pressure to dress-up differently every single day. Dressing-up isn’t all about a dress after all, it’s also about a hairdo that goes with it, shoes that compliment it, and a bag that wouldn’t be laughed at for being the one, picked up from grandma’s closet. Uniforms make mornings stress-free as it is effortless dressing. If the student comes to school without the baggage of being judged for what he/she chose to wear, it creates a healthy atmosphere at school.
Creates School Spirit
Imagine Sachin Tendulkar playing a match in a swanky white outfit, and Glenn McGrath bowling in a branded grey shirt and Bermudas. Infact, both the teams are wearing what they feel like (because uniform is boring and dull), would you still feel as much connected to the team you wish to support? Audience’s eyes would be busy figuring out who’s wearing what. Now imagine going to another school in order to represent yours’ at a national/international level. It does feel great to be dressed in the colors of your school as it creates a sense of pride. It instantly gives you a sort of belongingness. There is a reason why people still spend money to flaunt Cambride University or Harvard University logos on their t-shirts or sweatshirts, right?
“Uniform is not just a training in conformity but a symbol of the school’s distinguished community”, believes Paridhi Khurana, Primary Teacher, Municipal Corporation Primary School, Shahabad Dairy.
Easy Identification
Safety comes first. Along with other reasons, it’s equally important for students to be safe at a place where they spend almost half of their day. School uniforms facilitate identification. Once out of school, if a student is lost, and doesn’t have any other information on him, his school uniform can speak for him. During excursions, when students are out in the crowd, uniforms make it easy for the person incharge of the group to identify his lot.
Controls Peer-Pressure And Eventual Acts Of Violence
“School uniform may not be the only way of controlling peer pressure at school, but it is indeed one of the ways to do so”, emphasizes Kalpana Singh, Head JSDC at Karmaarth Foundation. Expensive designer clothing, mobile phones, jewelry, etc. make way for robbery and acts of violence among students, while the lack of them might create a sense of inferiority. “The idea is to look for a way out and keep the life at school simple”, added Mrs. Singh.
