Thoughts about the 'NO UNIFORM POLICY'

I was in doubt if I had to laud the incoming President Duterte on his plans of implementing the ‘NO UNIFORM’ policy on government-owned/public schools here in my country, Philippines because of the following reasons I want to share with you:

The idea at a glance can help cut the cost on educating students.  I have said at a glance because, if we have to think deeper – it will be added burden for parents to produce presentable clothes that their children can wear in school.  The frequent use of SAME clothes can be a subject to criticism and mockery of bullies might later cause the underdog shame eventually leading to episodes of unwillingness of going to school.

This will also affect the well-being of the children feeling inferior of others wearing flashy and expensive clothes unlike when wearing uniform that everybody dons a white top and a blue pleated  skirts for girls or blue  shorts for boys –  nobody looks better than the others.  Students, especially little children who do not know much about parents’ budgeting might feel insecure and pity themselves for not having what others have. 

This is also applicable with adolescents (high school and college students) in fact extreme humiliation can cause them suicide attempts  later on – not all youth mentality is positive that will sometimes give them motivation to strive more and be inspired to do the best to improve the situation.

Besides, washing the easily-dried uniform clothing is hassle-free than drying jeans, or heavy shirts.

I think the incoming President has the best intentions and he wants to lighten the burden of those families who may have used the money for the uniforms to buy food instead. But in the long run, the benefits of having a pair or two will save these parents a lot as well as SAVE their children too of emotional trauma of bullying and having the so called ‘inferiority complex’.

May I suggest as an ordinary mom, that it MAY BE changed to ‘NO STRICT implementation of  WEARING UNIFORMS’ – meaning, the parents and the students can  opt to choose WHEN they can have their uniforms, no strict policy.

Disadvantage of ‘NO UNIFORM’ policy, students can easily enter computer shops and ‘cut classes’ leaving their bags somewhere if they are not wearing school uniform – the shop assistants can not easily recognize them and may let them play games instead of going to school. 

Another thing is that school authorities or guards can not easily spot school trespassers when bona fide students are NOT ‘in uniform’.

Suggestions:

-If the schools will sell uniform (to maintain similar fabric tone and texture), they must price the items lower than how much it is sold in the market getting them in bulk gives them a huge discount. That is, if the school administrator wishes somebody to supply the uniforms for the school.

-The sellers must make sure that it can be delivered within the week (there are instances that the parents paid in advance but the uniform or even IDs (Having an ID card represents the complete set of uniform) are still nowhere to be found.

Side Story:

I could not forget an incident when my daughter is in grade one,  the ID contractor provided an ID with the wrong school year (previous), they might have over-printed the IDs in the previous year and as we parents have demanded for a replacement – the promise was just made to be broken till the last day in school. Why do we need to pay for an expired ID?! Or they must have printed the kind that listed four blank spaces for the school year if they want us to use the ID till it lasts but every year the school had to charge for a new one because they SPECIFY the school year and YET we have given the maybe proceeds from last year.

You are welcome to air your opinion and comments on this article. Let us be heard, let us use social media to reach the authorities who can influence the policies and make them understand our stand point being the recipients or citizens where the rule or laws made shall be imposed of, let us share our thoughts and hope that this can somehow enlighten the minds of concerned people.