Dear Editor,

Re: Get rid of uniforms

I must disagree with you on your suggestion about getting rid of school uniforms.

I believe that if we are to have schools without uniforms then we will be facing more problems.

Uniforms are a symbol of unity. They signify honour and respect and give the students a sense of belonging. Uniforms also create an identity for the schools in the community.

It is significant for schools to wear uniforms because it teaches the students to dress formally when they leave their homes. Having no uniforms would introduce more problems like students wearing inappropriate clothes to school which will be a huge issue regarding our culture.

There will also be the issue of peer pressure. Students will be pressured about the clothes they wear especially if the parents cannot afford to buy proper clothes for them to wear everyday to school. 

Then will arise bullying and discrimination. Some students will bully other students for being rich enough to buy fancy clothes to wear to school everyday or it can be the other way around.

Lastly, students not wearing school uniforms will be a huge distraction to their education. If the students wear a uniform, they will have confidence in what they wear and therefore they don’t have to worry because they are all wearing the same outfits. 

But, if they are to wear whatever, some students will not feel comfortable, some will find what another student is wearing distracting and some will spend most of their time criticising or making fun of other students outfits.

It is not the uniforms that’s causing the violence between schools. We can say that it is a disadvantage when it comes to school fights, but the real problem lies within the attitudes of the students wearing the uniforms.

If we are looking for a solution to this problem, then I suggest we parents make it a number one priority to drop and pick up our kids from school. 

That way, if a student is caught fighting again, then the blame falls on the parents, not the teachers or the principal, or the school and definitely not the uniform.

Merenaite McCarthy Afele