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School uniforms are common in elementary and secondary schools in many nations. Britain is the European country with the most widespread use of school uniforms, and the practice of prescribing clothing spread from there to many formerly British territories, including Ireland, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and South Africa. Japan is another industrialised country where school uniforms are nearly universal. In most of continental Europe and Scandinavia uniforms are not common, and in the United States and Canada they are generally found in independent schools rather than public schools, though the 1990s saw a trend toward introducing them in some American public schools.
School uniforms are common in elementary and secondary schools in many nations.
The European country that has the most widespread use of school uniforms is Britain. The practice of prescribing clothing has spread from there to many formerly British territories (including Ireland, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and South Africa). Japan is another industrialised country where school uniforms are nearly universal. In most of continental Europe and Scandinavia, school uniforms are however not common. Russia abolished school uniforms in its public school system after the replacement of communist party government in the early 1990s. Cuba still dresses its children in the "pioneer" uniform.
In North America, i.e. the United States and Canada, school uniforms are generally not used in public (e.g. state-sponsored) schools. However, independent schools often have school uniforms. In the 1990s, there was a trend toward (re-)introducing uniforms in American public schools, and especially so in low-income areas. This was at first motivated by a need to counter "gang clothing", but has later also been seen as a way of improving morale and discipline. Those arguments are controversial among many parents, and that fad seems to have peaked. The American kids who are most likely to wear a school uniform today are either very poor or very rich.
Proponents of uniforms argue:
Common arguments against school uniforms are:
Traditionally, school uniforms have been subdued and professional. Boys' uniforms often consist of dark pants and dress shirt, plus a jacket in cold weather. A girl's might consist of a skirt or kilt and blouse. The gender-specific uniforms have been another point of contention, and some schools permit female students to choose either skirt or trousers. The use of a blazer or suit-like jacket has come into favor in some areas. Some school uniforms proposed in US public schools have discarded the formal style and have opted for bright shirt and khaki pants, or shorts in the summer.
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British night clubs often organize uniform theme parties where patrons are asked to wear adult versions of the uniform. This kind of use of a childrens clothes may be controversial in context of heavy drinking and sexual behavior. Angus Young from the Australian musical act ACDC often wears on scene his school uniform.
Starting from term 2004-2005, the French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools forbids Islamic hijabs and headscarves, Sikh turbans and Jewish yarmulkes.
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/school_uniform ). 9/17/04 |
The geography of the school uniform follows history. Where British educational models were adopted, the uniform went with them, and it remains standard across much of the Commonwealth and in countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong. Japan adopted uniforms with its modern school system and kept them nearly universal. Russia abolished school uniforms in its public system after the end of communist party government in the early 1990s, while Cuba still dresses its schoolchildren in the pioneer uniform. France takes a different approach to the same questions of equality and secularity: its law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools forbids items such as Islamic hijabs and headscarves, Sikh turbans and Jewish yarmulkes in public schools, without prescribing a uniform itself.
Beyond school, the uniform idea leaks into popular culture in ways that show how strongly the outfit reads as a symbol of schooldays: British nightclubs have organised uniform theme parties for adults, and the Australian musician Angus Young of AC/DC performs on stage in a school uniform, cap and shorts included, as a trademark.
Traditionally, school uniforms have been subdued and professional. A boy's uniform often consists of dark trousers and a dress shirt, plus a jacket in cold weather. A girl's might consist of a skirt or kilt and a blouse, and some schools permit girls to choose either a skirt or trousers. A blazer or suit-like jacket has come into favour in some areas, while some American public schools have opted for a bright polo-style shirt and khaki pants or shorts.
Proponents argue that uniforms reduce cliques and peer envy based on clothes, let students focus on schoolwork rather than socialising, add a professional air that improves morale and discipline, and spare parents the cost of fashionable brand attire, since several sets of the same clothing can be rotated and later handed down to younger siblings.
Critics argue that uniforms restrict students' self-expression, that a standard style does not suit all body shapes, that they do not in themselves produce scholastic improvement, and that gender-specific uniforms can raise questions of fairness. Cost is argued both ways, depending on what a family would otherwise buy.