But in reality the majority of students in schools around Britain are against school uniform and it’s the students that should decide if they want a uniform or not, the parents don’t have to go around all day in them, neither do the teachers of governors but the students, and they are the ones who don’t want a uniform. Uniforms may reduce discrimination but it doesn’t stop it, students will still have the discrimination out of school, and also in school like “your bag isn’t from a designer shop” or “your shoes are not of a trendy brand”. Also I believe from a newspaper article that students (mainly girls) who travel on public transport are more susceptible to attack because of stereotypes of schoolgirls in uniforms. I have to say to the people that say “a school uniform makes the students work and behave better then those not in uniform”, but there is no academic proof that a school uniforms improves student’s performance or behaviour in school time.
As a governor you should also know the reality of the price a school uniform would cost the school and to the parents of the students, to get it designed and manufactured would cost the school precious money which could be used on books or on other school equipment. Also the average parent who has a child at a school has to pay £130 for a school uniform at a time. And the argument “its cheaper then buying the children the designer clothes they want to wear all the time” well maybe so but if a school uniform is imposed on the students then the parents would have to buy two sets of clothes for the children. One for school time (the uniform) and then one for out of school which would probably cost more then if they didn’t wear a school uniform. I do agree that school uniforms reduce the discrimination in schools but it wouldn’t stop it in its entirety in the schools. Plus there is the aspect that the students would get more discrimination from other students going to other schools, and as it is said in the times “school children who wear a uniform are more open to attack and unwanted attention then that not in uniform because of the image that goes with school girls in uniforms.” Another report from a newspaper found that most students oppose school uniforms and that there is no academic proof that a school uniform improves. The teachers would also benefit from not having a school uniform. There would be less students trying to “customise” or bend the rules for the uniform, so the teachers can concentrate on teaching. A teacher has even said in a newspaper “there is a mistaken idea that uniformity is the equivalent of control, young people do have to learn discipline and self control, but I don’t think that dressing alike is a means of doing that.” “some of the students subvert the uniform to try and make themselves look individual and most of them end up looking like tarts” and a head teacher from a school in Totness where the uniform had been removed after a vote in which getting rid of a uniform won 3:1 said “it brightened the place up and the kids look delightful now”
At the moment in Bosworth College the atmosphere is a relaxed and friendly environment (mostly). People are happy to express themselves with their clothing and are proud to be at the school because not every student in Leicestershire can say “my school accepts me for who I am, and lets me use my creativity in my every day life” may it be the clothes they wear, the music they listen to, the expressive art they decided to express them selves in. I my self am a musician and I am pleased with the way the school treats musicians. They are aloud to bring their instruments into school grounds; the school has places to store the instruments and to play them. Also the feeling of acceptance from the school towards the variety of social groups that the students make for themselves in the school. There are people who wear fashionable clothes with brand names on, there are people who like to dress some what differently and there are groups of people that are casual wearers of clothes i.e. they just wear what ever they feel comfortable in.
Where as bringing in a school uniform to Bosworth College will remove the image of freedom of self expression that the school has at the present. It will be replaced by the image of control and discipline. But in reality it will not be disciplined and controlled, the students will try as hard as they can to bend the rules, i.e. come to school not in uniforms or try to adjust and customise the uniform as much as they can even if it means getting in trouble for it. Please don’t enforce the uniform onto Bosworth College; it would be a blow to the student’s freedom and their sense of individuality. It’s in human nature to break rules, so why enforce rules if you know they will be broken as much as possible
Yours Sincerely
Micheal Gibson