By Staff
According to an online poll conducted by The Standard, out of 115 votes, 66.1 percent of voters are in favor of school uniforms and 33.9 percent are opposed. While the votes are in favor of uniforms, I just wonder, what is the big deal with uniforms?
I am going to stick my neck out there and say that I am in favor of uniforms because I wore one for 13 years throughout elementary, middle and high school. I have not heard one valid reason as to why there is a huge hang-up on kids wearing uniforms. I was just glancing over the message board on our Web site and was baffled to see that writers were comparing students who wear uniforms to inmates.
I went to a former military school, which has black iron gating around the entire school. People are checked in and checked out and escorted throughout the campus now. Uniform was strictly enforced, and I mean strictly enforced.
When I was in third grade, the all-girls school merged with the all-boys school. Girls' uniforms consisted of a button wrap, dark gray skirt with thin navy blue, yellow and maroon lines. The younger girls could wear a jumper. Accompanying the skirt and jumper was a light blue button down and seniors were able to wear white. The girls had a choice between oxford shoes or loafers.
The boys' uniform consisted of light gray pants, black loafers and light blue button down shirts and white for the senior boys. In the winter, we had the option to wear our maroon blazers with the school seal (which was mandatory on Thursdays for lagniappe), or a gray fleece. When temperatures were below freezing (which rarely happens in Mobile) we could wear our own outerwear.
Sounds like a very attractive outfit right? I never once heard other parents or my parents, who have four children, complain. In fact, I think most of the time they rejoiced over the fact that we had to wear uniforms.
Consider the facts: