Subject: School Uniform should be discontinued 

By Umar

Through the well informed opinion pieces of your newspaper, I want to raise concerns for the impacts of school uniforms towards the students. It is very important to understand that school uniforms are not serving their purposes, instead they affect a student in many ways.

 First of all, school uniforms in most schools cost a lot of money. Little children keep growing and parents have to keep repurchasing the uniforms. On top of this, most schools have a variety of uniforms for different seasons and activities. All of which are supposed to be bought and can really add up to the cost. Secondly, school uniforms squelch our freedom of expression and force us to conform. We’re not allowed to be creative and express our sense of style. Someone who’s used to looking like others will have no drive to express themselves. Clothing is a way to explore and discover our identity and not being allowed to do that for more than a decade can lead to people numbing their creativity and individuality in a world that craves it. Thirdly, however we look at it, being a part of a crowd is very boring. Most uniforms come in some ugly pattern if you’re lucky and don’t have to wear a solid colour. To add to this insult, we have to wear them every single day, 6 times a week, for over 10 years! This is why I think schools should eliminate uniforms and stick to a reasonable dress code. 

For all these reasons schools should consider excluding uniforms completely. Finland, Sweden, France, Germany, and the United States are some of the countries that have traditionally prioritized personal freedom in students and do not mandate standard student attire in public schools. We should stand against school uniform’s compulsion so that the students that will lead us tomorrow can feel free and express who they are without facing any backlash. I hope the concerned departments will prompt action to address these issues.