school uniform

School uniforms are also compulsory in Mexico . Here students of a high school (preparatoria) in Caracuaro, Mexico

A school uniform (also school clothing ) is mandatory, uniform clothing for all students in a state or school .

distribution

Japanese school uniforms (from left to right: sailor suit for girls, uniform for boys, blazers for girls)

Japanese girls in school uniform

School uniform in Alto Paraiso, Brazil

Germany

In Germany there is no tradition of school uniforms, apart from earlier student hats , which also identified the wearer as a pupil of a certain school and grade, but were only worn with normal everyday clothing. The latter could be freely chosen by the students, even if in the past there were often certain framework conditions, for example when girls were prohibited from wearing trousers or short skirts.

Political items of clothing such as the pioneer scarf or the FDJ shirt as well as uniforms or uniform clothing of political organizations such as the Jungvolk or Hitler Youth or BDM cannot be regarded as school uniforms either, since they came to a certain extent from outside, via political guidelines, into everyday school life and only from Students who were members of the relevant organization. However, they have led to a certain aversion to school uniforms, as it is associated with a suppression of individuality and the "bringing in line" of students through exaggerated authority, similar to the aforementioned political youth organizations.

Proponents of school uniforms, on the other hand, argue that the uniform clothing would make the social differences between the students less noticeable, as the quality of the clothing would no longer be considered (expensive branded clothing versus discount goods). In this way, bullying can be prevented, excessive consumption by the students is suppressed as a result, the school is no longer a catwalk , but joint learning is coming back to the fore. As a counter-argument, however, it was put forward that the acquisition of several sets of school uniforms (in addition to the casual clothing that is required anyway) is financially difficult for less affluent parents and therefore precisely the opposite of compensating for social differences is achieved, in that students from poorer parents prefer schools without Uniform would visit. Consumption would not be prevented either, but would shift to other things (e.g. expensive everyday objects, jewelry) and would take place in leisure time anyway. Bullying could also continue to take place, especially since certain physical characteristics (such as obesity) would become even more visible through the school uniform and there could even be increased bullying for such reasons. Ultimately, school uniforms would also mean that it could be seen at a glance which school someone was attending, thus creating new opportunities for bullying between the individual types of school (e.g. secondary school students)

Due to this controversial discussion that arises again and again, the mandatory introduction of a school uniform has only been made in Germany in individual cases: In September 2000, Karin Brose, together with the parents' council of the secondary and secondary school in Hamburg-Sinstorf, introduced uniform clothing for the first time at a state school in Germany a. Brose coined the name “school clothes” for this. School clothes are not school uniforms, because the students have a say in their clothes and choose from a collection what they want to wear. These clothes are now only worn occasionally at the Hamburg school.

Debates about the introduction of school uniforms are held again and again in Germany, but rarely achieve real, practical relevance. Some state schools have meanwhile introduced uniform school attire and at some private schools, uniform school attire is compulsory for all students, but overall these are exceptions, especially since the introduced regulations in some cases (see above) could not last long.

Switzerland

In Basel there was a model test for contemporary school uniforms. A new generation of uniforms can be seen in Basel (Switzerland) at the secondary level (WBS Leonhard). Formally, these uniforms correspond to the idea of uniformity, but are optically strongly adapted to the needs of young people. The two test classes were included in the creation of Tanja Klein and the project is tackled at the initiative of the budget advice center.

France

In France , students used to wear black coats .

Commonwealth

The largest country in Europe where school uniforms are worn is the United Kingdom . The idea of a uniform dress code for students spread here from Cambridge since the 16th century . The uniform for pupils in elite schools should, among other things, express their intellectual superiority. In state schools, rules on school uniforms are less strict than in private schools; For example, Muslim girls are allowed to appear in state schools wearing a headscarf for class. In many of its former colonies such as India , Australia , Singapore , Hong Kong , New Zealand , the Republic of Cyprus and South Africa , they were not abolished even after independence.

North America

In the United States and Canada, there are no uniforms in government schools, but there are many private schools. However, since the late 1990s, many state schools in the USA have had a sometimes highly controversial dress code. According to this, no articles of clothing with labels, often only in certain colors, no sneakers etc. may be worn. In addition, there are strict rules on hairstyle and jewelry in school. This dress code corresponds to the 1996 “Manual on School Uniforms” of the US Department of Justice . School uniforms or a uniform dress code should therefore counteract violence in schools, promote discipline and thus contribute to a pleasant learning environment. 21 states now allow their public schools to have mandatory dress codes.

Japan

Cuba

Cuban middle school students in yellow ocher school uniform

In Cuba , school uniforms are financed by the state. Students of the six-year elementary school wear dark red, students of the following three-year high school ocher yellow, higher students of the three-year high school dark blue school uniforms and university students also dark blue or light ocher. The school uniform for male children and adolescents consists of colored short or long trousers, girls wear skirts , and both genders wear colored sweaters. In addition, shirt, guayabera , T-shirt or blouse in white and white socks or socks and colored scarves for special occasions. Every child receives 2 white shirts and 2 trousers or skirts from the state for free. To get by for a week, many families add to this supply. This additional clothing is either sewn yourself or bought for 3 pesos per shirt (corresponds to approx. 0.1 €; as of 2009) or 2 pesos for trousers (the monthly income of a trained doctor is 320 pesos).

Other states

School uniforms are also available in China , Korea , South Africa , Thailand and Vietnam . School uniforms are also worn by most students in South America and Barbados.

Unlike in the Soviet Union , there was no school uniform requirement in Russia from 1994 to 2013. However, this was reintroduced on September 1, 2013.

In Turkey , the school uniforms in 2013 were abolished.

In 2012, school uniforms with a sewn-in RFID chip were introduced in the Brazilian state of Bahia , which can be used to automatically record the presence or absence of students in school.

Arguments

Pro school uniform

The reason given for uniform school clothing / school uniform is the strengthening of cohesion , team spirit and the creation of a corps spirit among the students. It is also mentioned that efforts to outdo classmates with expensive branded clothing can be prevented. Uniform clothing promotes the expression of individual character, which is not ostensibly based on expensive branded clothing. In addition, wearing uniform clothing also counteracts truancy, as students and their respective school affiliation would be more easily recognizable in public.

The financial situation of the individual students is also not immediately apparent. Particularly in countries with high social gaps, parents appreciate that their children wear school clothes to go to school. This is relatively inexpensive to acquire. Many cannot afford high-quality clothing in sufficient quantities for their many children. Parents significantly save clothing costs if their children wear school clothes. There are no morning discussions between adolescents and their parents if the school clothes are the work clothes of the students.

“Regardless of whether you are rich or poor, everyone wears the same thing. And nobody is excluded just because they don't have such great clothes. A uniform is also useful. This means you don't have to make a long decision in the morning whether to wear jeans and a T-shirt or the new dress. It also saves time. I can sleep a little longer there. "

- a student

Against school uniform

The mandatory wearing of uniform clothing or uniform would constitute an interference with the right of self-determination of children and their parents. State schools can therefore only introduce uniform school attire if their parents decide, because parents determine what their underage children wear. In principle, the Basic Law guarantees a free choice of clothes. Since adults often have different stylistic tastes than children or adolescents, students must be involved in the design and concept of uniform clothing if they are not to feel disguised.

Even the competition is only superficially alleviated by uniform clothing, but not ended, because students would try to differentiate themselves from others, for example with eye-catching haircuts, expensive shoes or jewelry. This is prevented if you work on the " WE feeling " every day . Uniform clothing could cause competition and conflicts between different schools or school types. In addition, a stronger corps spirit could also contribute to the increased exclusion of students based on their characteristics or their behavior. Neither would happen if young people were raised tolerant and free from prejudice, which is the basis of the WE education.

In addition, the purchase of a school uniform (or several sets, since a change of clothes must be available) is likely to put a significant financial burden on less well-off parents. It is very unlikely that school uniforms would be made available by the school free of charge if they were introduced, given the financial bottlenecks in the education system that are already evident.

In addition, a uniform that is tailored to the sexes can be seen as discriminatory and sexist , since stereotypes and prejudices about the clothing style of certain genders also inevitably played a role in the selection of this uniform. In the case of transgender people with gender-specific uniforms, it can also happen that they are assigned “the wrong uniform”.

When school-specific uniforms are introduced, schools may enter into economic partnerships with clothing stores or manufacturers, meaning that parents can only buy their children's school uniforms in certain shops or from certain companies.

various

The Australian AC / DC musician Angus Young became famous for wearing a school uniform on stage .

In Chile, the student protests in 2006 were also called the “penguin revolution” because the Chilean school uniforms are dark blue and white.

The college jacket developed and spread out of college sports .

literature

Oliver Dickhäuser , K. Lutz, M. Wenzel, C. Schöne: Do clothes make school? Correlates of wearing uniform school clothes. In: Psychology in Education and Teaching. 51, 2004, ISSN 0342-183X , pp. 296-308.
David L. Brunsma, Kerry A. Rockquemore: Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Abuse, and Academic Achievement. In: The Journal of Education Research. 92, 1, 1998, ISSN 0022-0671 , pp. 53-62.
Karin Brose: School clothes are not school uniforms. Weidmann, Hamburg 2005, ISBN 3-00-016953-9 .
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees: Uniform school clothes in Germany, Working Papers 2006