Maeve's ideas regarding school uniforms

While the school uniform debate is tired and old, my time in South Africa and a conversation I heard recently gave me a new perspective. Most people say that getting school uniforms takes away the student’s individuality and doesn’t allow the student to express themselves. However, when you look at clothes as the distraction that they can be in a school environment, it only makes sense to make mandatory uniforms. What people choose to wear and what people can afford to wear says something about them and sets people apart as they sit in the classroom. If you’re wearing secondhand jeans and you know the girl a few seats over spent $50 on hers, you’re likely to be a little less focused on the lesson the teacher is explaining. Therefore, school uniforms serve as an equalizer to put everyone on a level playing field in terms of outward appearances so they can focus more on academics and less on what everyone looks like.

Children in Christel House School

In South Africa I noticed that all schools have school uniforms. At Christel House, the children chosen to attend are given two uniforms to wear to school plus a pair of shoes. This starts everyone off on the same page no matter where they come from or what their home situation is like. The children see people like themselves and are able to make friends and focus on learning new concepts and life skills, instead of being distracted by clothes at such a young age. This is especially important for the children at Christel House because they are the poorest of the poor and probably don’t have very many clothes to start.

           

With new school policies and disparities between white and black schools in South Africa becoming more numerous, clothes are an unnecessary distraction that uniforms eliminate. Uniforms ensure that everyone has something appropriate to wear to the school environment and unifies the student body to an equal start. And this is true of not only South Africa but the United States as well. I heard a former school teacher from a relatively poor town tell someone about the positive impact uniforms had on the learning environment there because everyone was dressed the same and the focus shifted to academics instead of who had the best clothes. Although we say “don’t judge a book by its cover”, that’s easier said than done. Everyone deserves a fair shot to succeed in school and I believe that school uniforms are the first step.