School Uniforms Definition 校服的定义

Schooluniformsarecommoninelementaryandsecondaryschoolsinmanynations.

TheEuropeancountrythathasthemostwidespreaduseofschooluniformsisBritain.ThepracticeofprescribingclothinghasspreadfromtheretomanyformerlyBritishterritories(includingIreland,Australia,Singapore,HongKong,NewZealandandSouthAfrica).Japanisanotherindustrialisedcountrywhereschooluniformsarenearlyuniversal.InmostofcontinentalEuropeandScandinavia,schooluniformsarehowevernotcommon.Russiaabolishedschooluniformsinitspublicschoolsystemafterthereplacementofcommunistpartygovernmentintheearly1990s.Cubastilldressesitschildreninthe"pioneer"uniform.

InNorthAmerica,i.e.theUnitedStatesandCanada,schooluniformsaregenerallynotusedinpublic(e.g.state-sponsored)schools.However,independentschoolsoftenhaveschooluniforms.Inthe1990s,therewasatrendtoward(re-)introducinguniformsinAmericanpublicschools,andespeciallysoinlow-incomeareas.Thiswasatfirstmotivatedbyaneedtocounter"gangclothing",buthaslateralsobeenseenasawayofimprovingmoraleanddiscipline.Thoseargumentsarecontroversialamongmanyparents,andthatfadseemstohavepeaked.TheAmericankidswhoaremostlikelytowearaschooluniformtodayareeitherverypoororveryrich.

Proponentsofuniformsargue:

• theyreducecliques(organgs)andpeer-envybasedonclothes
• theyallowthestudenttofocusonschoolworkratherthanonsocialising
• theyaddaprofessionalairtotheschoolenvironment,resultinginbettermorale
• parentsdon’thavetospendonvogueishbrandattire.Theycanbuyseveralpiecesofthesameclothingandrotatethem.Theycanevenbelatertransferredtoyoungersiblings.
  

Commonargumentsagainstschooluniformsare:

• theyviolatethestudents’righttoself-expression
• theyarecostly(thismayormaynotbetrue)
• "one-size-fits-all"styledoesnotsuitallstudents’bodyshapes
• theydonotactuallyresultinanyscholasticimprovement
• manyuniformsarenotgenderneutral,whichmayleadtoexploitationordiscrimination
• (specifictopresent-dayUnitedStates)useofpublic-schooluniformsimpliesafailingschoolsystemandcouldevenreducepropertyvalues.

Traditionally,schooluniformshavebeensubduedandprofessional.Boys’uniformsoftenconsistofdarkpantsanddressshirt,plusajacketincoldweather.Agirl’smightconsistofaskirtorkiltandblouse.Thegender-specificuniformshavebeenanotherpointofcontention,andsomeschoolspermitfemalestudentstochooseeitherskirtortrousers.Theuseofablazerorsuit-likejackethascomeintofavorinsomeareas.SomeschooluniformsproposedinUSpublicschoolshavediscardedtheformalstyleandhaveoptedforbrightshirtandkhakipants,orshortsinthesummer.

Britishnightclubsoftenorganizeuniformthemepartieswherepatronsareaskedtowearadultversionsoftheuniform.Thiskindofuseofachildrensclothesmaybecontroversialincontextofheavydrinkingandsexualbehavior.AngusYoungfromtheAustralianmusicalactACDCoftenwearsonscenehisschooluniform.

Startingfromterm2004-2005,theFrenchlawonsecularityandconspicuousreligioussymbolsinschoolsforbidsIslamichijabsandheadscarves,SikhturbansandJewishyarmulkes.