School Uniforms...

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

One of things that I forgot to say no to was the school uniform committee.  Yes, good old Japolina is saving the world and giving back to the community again. Seriously, somehow I found myself at a serious meeting discussing high school uniforms.

My sons' public k-8  school has always had uniforms. For the first few years, our mornings consisted of ironing the smallest easily wrinkled button down embroidered shirts. Luckily my husband is a pro-ironer and they eventually changed to embroidered polo shirts and dress shorts or pants or I might have gone prematurely mad.

My eldest son started public high school this year and was so excited to ditch the uniforms and show his individuality by ordering tons of cool t-shirts with sort of obscure cultural references such as these
                                        This is not my son. His arms are not this hairy (yet)

The large public school has a dress code but it seems impossible to enforce. It seems that girls like to tape up their skirts and shorts during the day and remove cardigans to expose tank tops, etc.  They look fine when they walk in during the morning but slut it up during the day. The hoochies are ruining it for the boys.

So the school  wants to require uniforms. Everyone  on the 8 person committee including faculty, administration, parents and students wants uniforms. Everyone except me. And they want sort of fancy ones. I suggested a school t-shirt and jeans but the committee members were dreaming of khakis, embroidered polos and school uniform belts!  I think that the kids should learn how to follow the dress code or be forced to go into an ugly box of clothes in the school office and change into ugly clothes but I'm very far from being an educator so I really don't know how difficult is to enforce a dress code on crazy teens.

The decision now goes to all the parents. It needs to pass by 51% of the parents who actually vote.  There is fear that the students will hijack their parents' votes. This is big drama in a mom's world.  Not really but I know a certain 15 year old who is going to be very pissed when his Ferris Bueller t-shirt is now only weekend wear.

Forget Gun Control and North Korea, this is my issue today. Let me know your feelings about this very important topic.

2 comments:

Susie said...

Japolina, I can almost see both sides. But I think back to when I was in school..no it was not the stone age.LOL. We had rules and we were grown up enough to follow them. I don't want to see boys underwear, besides what is holding those pants up, inside duck tape? I don't want to see all the way to china if a young girl bends over either. I know that big city schools...so called gang wear is being done away with, because they have gone to uniforms. Your sons' t-shirts are normal and do-able...but some kids stretch the limits. I love the ugly box of clothes thing...that would cure some kids from wearing the wrong things. Maybe it's just less of a hassle for the schools, to go with the uniforms. xoxo,Susie

NanaDiana said...

LOL- When our kids first went to a parochial school I was a little ticked off that they had to wear uniforms. However, in the big picture of things it was a great equalizer. No one was any better (or worse) dressed than another child. Those that could afford designer brand names were on a level plane with those that could barely afford to pay tuition and all else that was required. So, they only needed 2 or 3 school outfits to get through the week. I don't know- I guess I can really see both sides.

However, there is no reason that it can't be an "easy" uniform. One that doesn't require hours of ironing. Good luck...Are you gonna work on world peace next?;>) xo Diana

 
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