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At least once a week, I have a heated discussion with my son about his choice of clothing for school. He is only 7, and I am starting to let him make his own choices. But often, they aren’t the most tasteful choices.
Yes, he has a few T-shirts that promote WWF wrestling or have sayings, such as “blame my sister.” Those have been purchased to wear around the house — basically play clothes. It’s no secret boys wear through their clothes pretty quickly.
However, when he chooses one of those T-shirts for school, he finds himself scrambling for a change before he heads out the door.
School dress codes have changed so much over the years.
Stories are told of girls kneeling down to check whether their skirts touch the ground. Young men having their hair cut above the collar. I was raised in a Catholic school where
uniforms were worn, and it never fazed me.
As clothing styles have changed, with girls wearing clothes that seem to have shrunk in the dryer and boys wearing items that seem to have been bought at the big and tall store, I have become a big fan of uniforms.
The current Winona Senior High School student handbook has a lengthy list of rules for student attire, including no chains from belts, no coats on inside, no obscene messages on shirts, no shirts promoting underage illegal activities, no clothing that exposes abdomen, buttocks, chest … the list goes on and on.
Think of how short that list would be if students had to wear uniforms.
School uniforms don’t have to be plaid jumpers or polyester pants. They can be as simple as blue or khaki pants, with a few color choices for shirts with a collar. A simple guideline for uniforms may make many parents’ lives a lot less stressful. I don’t think I’m alone in the dressing-for-school battle. I can’t even imagine what happens when children become teenagers.
Those in favor of school uniforms feel the benefits include less distraction during the day for children, while instilling discipline and a sense of community. While school violence is not a major issue in our community, many inner-city schools have found a decline in violence when school uniform policies are instituted.
In 1998, during President Clinton’s State of the Union address, he mentioned the positive impact of student uniform policies in Long Beach, Calif. That district is the third largest in California, and one of the most diverse ethnically and socio-economically.
Administrators tend to be in favor of the uniform policies as it allows them to spend less time acting as “school fashion police.”
Those opposed have raised the argument that it stifles students to express themselves freely and that they may be cost prohibitive.
While many may use their choice of clothing to express themselves, there are more hours in the day outside of school to do so.
The argument of cost has become less of an issue as many retailers have started selling uniform items, including Old Navy, Target and many other contemporary retailers, where parents and students may already purchase clothing.
Those most opposed to the uniform policy are the students themselves. School districts that have implemented uniforms have used simple options, such as the khaki bottom and a plain top rather than the traditional plaid polyester skirts and jumpers.
Districts that faced opposition have also made uniforms voluntary to ease the transition.
School uniforms are not a new concept and will never be without opponents. When it comes down to it, schools are places to get an education, and while many students don’t like math, it is not a choice to take the class.
The fashion changes in the past 30 years have been amazing. It’s up to the schools to help maintain a balance of what is and is not appropriate. As parents, we need to support the
decisions these institutions make, even though it may lead to heated discussions with our 7- or 17-year-old children.
Maggie Modjeski lives in Winona and writes a column for the Winona Daily News on Mondays.
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theguy33 wrote on Feb 10, 2008 8:00 PM: