Hi all, Just wanted to say - as a kid, I went to schools both with and without uniforms. As a parent, my kids have been to both kinds of schools, too. Fortunately, they now claim an exemption from wearing uniform at a school that has a uniform, and while this is not ideal (I would prefer a school without uniform), it at least means they are learning to be confident about dressing themselves. So what's so bad about uniform? Here you are:
* it doesn't get rid of competition around material things. Don't kid yourselves! Kids and teens find ways to be competitive - whether it's the store the clothes were bought from, even if they look the same, or if it's the accessories (phone etc), or if it's the clothes they wear when they socialise together (in Australia, where I live, stricter uniforms are enforced in wealthier areas, and those kids are super conscious about having the most expensive clothes to socialise in, regardless of what they wear to school), and so on. If you want more info, just ask!!
* it doesn't get rid of bullying. For example, kids without money might wear a uniform, but it tends to be threadbare, and even if parents think it looks the same, other kids know, and they bully. What has far more effect on bullying in schools is attention to things like developmental assets - check out the Search Institute's website for more info!
* In my experience, kids who grow up wearing a uniform to school don't know how to dress themselves as adults. They tend to be paranoid about what other people think of them. Maybe they never got a chance to grow up when they were supposed to be growing up? I am really proud of my kids who are confident at dressing themselves and don't need brand names to feel accepted.
* Uniform teaches kids that you have to look the same to belong. In a school community that has uniforms without exemptions, belonging to the community is defined by whether you look like everyone else. In our community, those who are most militant about uniform are also those who are least tolerant and accepting of people who look different - like black people, Asian people, people who wear a veil, and so on. What kind of community are you looking to create for your kids? Do you want your kids to be afraid of people who look different?
* Parents who want everyone to wear a uniform (no exemptions) are often, in my experience, parents who still struggle themselves to deal with peer pressure. For example, those parents tend to feel the need to buy the car that the neighbors bought (otherwise they're letting the neighborhood standards down ...), or have the clothes that their friends have (hey, they might be grown up in years, but their friends expect them to dress like they do or they won't be friends ...), and so on. My question is: what kind of behavior are these parents modeling for their kids? I model behavior for my kids by sticking to a budget when I shop, by not wearing many things with obvious brand name labels, by choosing clothes that I like even if my kids don't think they're cool :), by being willing to wear second hand clothes if I like them, and by saving money buying things on sale. I take my kids shopping for clothes and expect them to stick to a budget, too. So if they want a brand name shirt, that's ok - but, hey, they might have to live with four other $2 shirts from the second hand store to get them through the week! They're good at compromising, and I'm proud of the people they are grwoing up to be. Have a think about it ... and for goodness sake, if you're bringing up kids who aren't confident enough to dress themselves, and you want your child to wear a uniform, at least don't impose that on the rest of us, or try to bully other people into wearing a uniform. And remember - if your kid isn't confident about dressing themselves now, that's probably how they'll be as an adult ... is that what you want?

i am a student at newton high school amd i am on the scocer teamvery helpful amd that was

I'm so glad my school does not make us wear uniforms, but I know to come to this page if I need to prove this to my school if they start considering school uniforms.