Dude, that's how I tend to feel, too. I understand in some places it might be a very real safety issue, and I want kids to feel safe so they can learn, but otherwise I feel kids deserve to express themselves as they like. I think uniforms can be great, it's that random mide ground of controlling kids' very bodies that irks me.
St. Margaret, I've always felt that it was important to let children express themselves however they wanted to - I'm a semi-artsy person myself, and a definite non-conformist. When my dd was little, she was all about fashion - and she had her own very unique (and definitely identifiable lol) style. She was so into fashion that when we offered her the chance to change schools to the school her brother was switching to she refused not only because she would miss her friends, but because the school required students to wear a uniform. She was heard frequently throughout that first year ds was at the school shouting as loudly as she could at the universe that she would NEVER ever go to a school that told you what to wear. Well, guess what? My absolutely by-the-farthest most individualistic child with the most wildly creative imagination and her own very definitely *hers* fashion sense, my child most likely to become a fashion designer when she grows up.... is now wearing a school uniform every day because she saw how cool her brother's school was and said who the heck *cares* what they tell you to wear if you're learning interesting things while you're there. And the thing is - imagination goes wild at this school, the kids and teachers are passionate, and it's all about the individual. i used to think uniforms were silly, now I just basically don't even notice them because whether or not you have to dress the same as the other kids really doesn't force conformity on anyone and doesn't surpress individuality in the slightest.
polarbear
