Young Writers Society

Not sure if this is supposed to be in research, but it is homework, lol. Okay, to get you quickly in:

Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, my class is going To have a debate on WOS (Wiedza O Spoleczenstwie - a lesson about governments and such, how it works etc.) The topic is: School uniforms.

Another quick fill in: You're in Poland. The government, or rather the minister of education, wants us to wear uniforms, I think it is already passed, but oh well. The discussion.

There are four people who speak for and there are four against. Where am I? Oh, of course, for. My luck.

So, my question is, what are the advantages of wearing a uniform? How can that stop someone being beat up )the main point of our minister of education, lol). Better yet, any examples?

If no one answers, it's ok. Tomorrow our group's going to die.

-elein

Will this help?

Pro-Uniforms

* Save money on clothing
* Uniforms will cut down on teasing and cliques
* schools will be safe from outsiders
* Parents will no longer have to buy designer labels
* Uniforms will separate the public schools from the catholic/private schools.

Anti uniforms

* Uniforms ultimately cost more
* Uniforms do not teach children how to deal with people who are different then themselves.
* Cliques will still form.
* It is impossible to prevent all outside intrusion
* Children will still ask for designer labels for outside of school clothing. (Uniforms will not make this issue go away.)
* If you need uniforms to distinguish between public and catholic/private schools it's time to re-evaluate where your child is going.
* Uniforms teach children that in order to get along everyone must conform to the same standards.

if you want more got to: http://www.angelfire.com/ca/bygranite/u ... /args.html

Shadowsun

I think the main idea is that (according to teachers) it looks nice and neat with everyone wearing the same clothes.
I agree with Shadow and I think that another 'reason' for, is that there is no worry about fashion and no need to keep up with the 'latest trend' (which may mean spending money on designer labels).

I hate discussions unless they're about something I feel very passionately about.

ARGH, not got much time. Might add to this later.

DarkLight

The introduction of a smarter school uniform in my school seems to have improved behaviour. The idea is that looking smart may improve one's confidence and working attitude. And I have to say - it certainly seems to have worked.

It also helps to stop elitism (holier-than-thou, cooler-than-thou, etc etc), which could also lower bullying.

I don't think 'saving money' on 'designer labels', as Shadowsun has suggessted, has anything to do with this though. The school isn't concerned with how parents and students spend their money.

I've worn a school uniform at all my schools and i think ultimately it's a good thing. It stops people being able to instantly spot the chavs and goths and etc and then tease them for it.
It looks smarter in the school pictures and when (or if) you go on school trips, it is easier for teachers to identify their pupils and so you're less likely to lose someone. Like once a couple of years ago, everyone was wearing their own clothes on this school trip and they stopped somewhere for petrol and loos. They then all got back on the bus and didn't realise until they'd been travelling for a good half-hour that they'd accidentally picked up a stranger and left a pupil back at the service station.
So now we always wear school uniform.

I hope this has helped slightly. Or at all.

Okay, thanks you guys. Just wrote my speech, but thanks nevertheless. You guys are the best, lol.

One Q, though. It's supposed to stop bullying. But how? I mean, if someone really wants to pick on somebody else, he or she will always find a reason, right?

Oh, and one more thing. An exaple of a school where uniforms helped. Please. I'm begging here. 'Cause when the other side asked for one, I was speechless. For the first time. It was horrible xD

-elein

Well, it's not going to stop all bullying, of course. But here's a situation for you: there's a kid at the school whose family doesn't make all that much money, so he or she has to get his or her clothes discounted, hand-me-downs, secondhand, etc. So they're terribly out-of-fashion, probably don't fit him right, and mark him or her out as poorer than the rest. Traditionally, poorer students have always seemed to be easier targets, at least at all the schools I've attended.

So if all students wear the same thing, regardless of what they wear outside of class, it might cut back on that sort of thing.

Also, like someone said, maybe people prefer to pick on goths, or chavs, or some particular group; they're harder to identify with uniforms.

And as for the example you've asked for, I've always attended public schools but Sureal's answer seems like it might work.

Shadowsun wrote:Anti uniforms

* Uniforms ultimately cost more

Not really. They're expensive as an initial investment, but that's what they are: an investment. My dad says he saves more money by just buying plaid skirts, polo shirts, and khakis than he ever did buying pair after pair of blue jeans or arguing over designer labels with my sister, who went to a public high school that didn't require uniforms.

I think they're a good thing. I would lose my mind if I had to really think about what I was going to wear every day. I like that I can just throw on a uniform and if I look crap I can say, "Dang, these uniforms are ugly!" And you get away with it. So that's a plus.

I agree about the teasing thing. When kids at school see each other outside of school there's always one kid who somebody says something about his or her clothes, so I'm all for uniforms.

I think part of it is just getting used to it; I've been wearing one to school since third grade. So if you're not used to it I guess I could see how it would be awkward or uncomfortable. But it's actually kind of nice. Makes mornings go faster and saves you from thinking about what matches or doesn't.

Having uniforms also gives you something to rebel against. Maybe that's not exactly the best thing, but there we go. It makes some people feel as though they're doing something!

I've always had uniforms, being in the UK where uniforms are mandatory, but recently at my school they went so far to try to tell us what shoes we can wear - black proper shoes, no white, and no trainers. I was surprised that loads of people actually did wear them (although most of them just wore black trainers which aren't that noticeable, and I quickly did the same), and, though the whole "discrimination because of what you're wearing" thing wasn't that much of a problem to begin with, I noticed there was less focus on whatever footwear you have. So, it seems to have fulfilled its purpose, even if very few people have taken any notice.

KazSmurf wrote:Having uniforms also gives you something to rebel against. Maybe that's not exactly the best thing, but there we go. It makes some people feel as though they're doing something!

Haha, yeah, that's another good point. I don't know if this is exactly what you mean or not, but the fact that we all have to wear the same retarded plaid skirts and the guys have to wear ugly plaid ties gives us this sense of camaraderie that's pretty cool. We call them our "dorkiforms."

I love you guys, thanks for all the help.

I had the debate today, it went good, I think. I mean, at first we were supposed to say our speeches, but the real discussion of course started when I ended mine... Lol, it was fun! I ended up shouting at the other group and vice versa (my group didn't really budge, but oh well).

Anyways, thanks again for all the help, I really appreciate it!

-elein

P.S. Debates are so cool, lol...

It went well.

And yes, debates are fun. Glad it went well for you!

I've never had to wear a uniform (yay for american public schools!), but some of my friends went to Catholic elementary schools, and my mom was at Catholic schools until college. My friends say:
-It was a pain to find clothes in the morning
-You would basically get in trouble for forgetting to put your clothes in the laundry
-It was a pain to buy the uniforms
-They were ugly/uncomfortable
My mom said:
-People still wear too-short skirts, they roll 'em up, then yank down when the nuns come
-You can't stop cliques
-You actually have to buy more clothes so you don't look like a dork on the weekends.
Having never worn a uniform, the advantages (I think) are:
-It doesn't really matter if I put my clothes in the laundry the previous night, there's always something, even if it's not my favorite
-Cliques form, people make fun of others for their clothes (like this guy at my school who wore skin-tight pants today, tighter than any girl's pants *shudders*)
-It eventually bounces off. You learn how to dewal with people's differences, and only *****y losers insult others, eventually, even if someone's pants really disgust you, you learn to be polite and say nothing.

Oh, sorry, I really didn't help at all, did I?

Personally, I wish my school mandated uniforms. I like the structure that they provide, and there's just something about them that seems conducive to academics and formality, which I absolutely adore!

Is there anyone else out there that prefers uniforms to plainclothes in a school environment, or am I just the odd one out?

I do! It's just one less thing to worry about for me. My school is challenging enough; forget trying to figure out what to wear.