New rule in school not fair?

[thestory]

One of my friend's little brothers is still in high school. The same one I went to for a year or so. Apparently they are implementing a new rule since I've been there. Boy's hair cant be grown out past the top of their ears. It has to be under a certain length.

What a lousy school system. You think they would work on getting us more books or fixing the overcrowded rooms. Instead we are stifling individuality.

Oh and a funny side note. They arn't allowed to wear purple anymore because it may be a gang color. Yet we don't ban red and blue? wtf?

[spacial]

That is very strange.

But having gone to a school, where opportunities for self expression were strictly limited, I can say that, many of us have since expresse ourselves very well.

Some gave into opportnities and seem to have spent rather successful if somewhat dull lives. But those that are prepared to be associated with the likes of me are a pretty colourful bunch.

[My Name Is Ellie]

I got a few remarks from teachers that my hair was "pushing it" (footlong tied in a pony) but it was never actually banned. We had rules against "extreme hairstyles" which were used willy nilly, usually if someone had say, red hair and was messing around. (Red hair was actually banned, as in pure red, but I always thought that was a natural colour o.o)

[Lyric]

This happened when I was in school decades ago and still goes on all the time. I'm pretty sure it will continue, too. Most people don't seem to realize that schools exist as much to create a uniform and submissive society of mass consumers as to teach reading and math. Back in the late 1800s the concepts of mass production where taking hold and creating the nations first circles of super wealthy industrialists. Some of these guys decide it would be to their advantage to adapt school model in use in Germany and Prussia at the time. Thus, through financial influences, a schooling culture was gradually created that fosters dominance through humiliation and oppression of individuality. This ushered us into the age of mass consumption, mass media and housing developments full of identical house with identical fat guys mowing identical lawns. I've always rather suspected that football fits into the scenario, too  .

Anyway, it makes the average sexually insecure school administrator uncomfortable when kids wear their hair or clothes too much like it's normally worn by the other gender. I don't believe it's about the kids at all.

Lyric

[Jeatyn]

I spent a good chunk of my school life in "isolation" because I refused to conform to certain appearance rules. If I wanted to have ridiculous hair, I would have ridiculous hair. I think as long as the kids aren't being disruptive and getting work done it shouldn't be an issue. It drives me nuts that it still is such a huge issue. It carries on into the corporate world too. "Diversity" spreads across race and gender and sexual orientation (mostly)...as long as everyone dresses and acts the same. It's madness.

[thestory]

Lyric is someone who explained it well IMO. It seems our education system (I'm in the  U.S.) is geared towards creating cogs to pretty much do what they are told by the government and upper classes and so on and so forth.
We are forced to take the same kind of history classes again and again that focus on ourselves then we take a billion math classes as well. We don't have any required classes that focus on say gardening or the arts or any real practical skill.

Then again we outsource everything. We are a very consumer based society.

[Nicky]

Mmm,

This is a complex one. I can see it from the schools side. The idea is every one is equal in the eyes of the school, i.e. equal opportunity. I think dress codes reflect this. It can create a unity, kind of like being in the army. Also it is a good look for the shool if all the kids are smartly dressed clones. Parents seem to like that - it suggests order and an a good place to learn, a place that has discipline and a united spirit.

When I was studying to be a teacher I remember reading something about how uniforms can actually be good for school culture, particulalry in poorer schools. This happend in a school in my area where they instigated a uniform. It meant that the disadvantaged kids did not stick, they had something to wear (ok they have to buy expensive uniforms but I think they helped to suppliment these families). Suddenly there was a lot of pride in the shool, vandalism to the shool went waydown, sports teams performed better and academic performance improved. Parents got more involved. Bad behaviour was down. It was a win win.

Of course from a kids perspective it sucks. I went to a private all boys catholic school. How fun was that! But from my folks perspective I bet we looked smart all lined up, looking the same.

[Hikari]

Personally I don't see how any public school should be able to really say anything about the appearance of those who go there, as attendance is mandatory. After all it is a government entity, I mean it isn't like having blue hair is going to make the IRS not want it's cut, is it?

Private institutions can and should be able to do whatever they want when it comes to appearance standards, as you can just not go there if you don't want to. Of course, that is up to the parents and not the children but, at least there is some say in a private institution.

I have had hair that was past my shoulders since I was 12, and for the majority of my high school career it was near my waist, and I also wore eyeliner, mascara, and foundation (in a gothic more than feminine look) and the only thing they ever said was that I couldn't wear my spikes for safety reasons, and I think I can deal with that.

Perhaps my public school experiences were nicer than most, then again I didn't have any parents telling me not to dress as I saw fit, even though if it weren't for the scorn of society I would likely have been wearing dresses to school. And make no mistake, teachers and students alike had problems with the way I looked, but despite the occasional threats of 'guys wearing makeup disrupts class' there was never any official action taken as I was within my rights according to the school rules. And that is how it should be.

As far as purple being a gang color, I would tell them to prove it. And while they are at it, they need to prove that red and blue are not if being a gang color is now a dis-qualifier to the dress code. The truth of the matter is, that every major color is used for a gang somewhere, therefore it is nonsensical to be banning colors outright. Banning bandannas hanging out of peoples pockets, etc seems alright, but banning a color outright is just going too far.

[Shang]

My last high school was a public school and they put in a "uniform" policy because everyone voted for it.  They thought it was going to raise GPAs, lower violence, etc., but it didn't.  The school had the highest teen pregnancy rate in Mississippi and therefore in the country (Mississippi has the highest teen pregnancy rate), kids were 'stuck-up' and 'snooty' and we had lots of fights, bomb threats, sex in the bathrooms.  We had nice GPAs, but because the teachers were horribly lenient and yet it was one of the top rated schools in Mississippi.  Things got worse when they put in the uniform policy and there's now talk of the rule being changed.

My first and second high schools, though, didn't have a uniform or hair policy.  The first school was horribly drug riddled, we even had a drug bust at the school the first week of classes.  My second high school was filled with all sorts of people and there was only a general dress code (no 'slutty' clothes, etc.), I even had a friend who cross-dressed one day and everyone loved it and no one said anything until he showed his thong straps.  The high school was also a really good school and most of everyone had a decent GPA.

I really think it depends on area and not what the person looks like or dresses like.

[harlee]

I live in Australia...so pretty much every single school has a uniform you MUST wear  Anyway, the last school I went to was a private school - my parents had to pay just that little extra each year for me to go. The rule was that girls hair had to be tied up (no matter the length! they were not allowed it completely short ) and boys hair had to be above the ears...like you said  You were not allowed unnatural hair colours...and your hair could be only one colour at that. Girls had to wear a skirt, unless they were doing sport that particular day. I hated that school

Now I go to the state school, which is only a few hundred meters away from my old private school. There is still a uniform policy, but girls can wear shorts. And you can have your hair what ever colour or length you like 

[Lyric]

When I was studying to be a teacher I remember reading something about how uniforms can actually be good for school culture,

Your experience very much supports what I was saying earlier. It's well known that when the people of a society are given less freedom they are more easily managed-- crime rates go down and so forth. Communist countries don't have the poor feeling inadequate compared to the rich and so forth. Schools are simply a microcosm of society-- our children's first encounter with societal structuring. But loss of freedom has the price of sacrificing human spirit. And, of course, those of us who absolutely don't fit into the cookie cutter mold no matter what probably suffer the most. Giving people-- including children-- freedom doesn't allow for a neat, easily managed social system. But putting up with the difficulties of it gives people room for self discovery and innovation that benefits a society in the long run.

Lyric

[Jeatyn]

I have no qualms with a uniform policy. It makes it much easier on the parents for starters, not having to worry about what their kid is going to wear and keeping up with laundry and whatever....just uniform up and go.

[Muffin]

"Of course from a kids perspective it sucks."

This is what the teachers don't get, sure they think they're just being the bad cop and doing what they feel is right but certain kids feel like their individuality is being threaten. At such an age it's important that a child feels room to develop themselves otherwise it can hinder their schooling.. for some it's so easy to just shut off. Some kids accept it and others don't ... we are all different and to expect every student to act and do the same thing is crazy talk. :S
It's such a fine line though and you can't please everyone.

my experience was that I would be told to wear the uniform from some teachers so for their classes I just pulled it over the top of my own clothes... simple. If any teacher complained during lunch or between classes I'd just pull it out of my bag and put it on until they were out of sight. They no doubt knew my game and perhaps that it wasn't worth the effort.