School uniforms should be abolished. Do you agree?

The old adage rings true. “Do not tear down a fence before knowing why it was put up there
in the first place.” School uniforms are a worn down fence with blistering splinters and at the
end of the day do not hold back the chaotic canines of societal change violently ramming into
it. Nonetheless, we should reexamine our stance on this hot potato and the reasons behind it
before going forth with this demolition of tradition.

First of all, the liberty to choose one’s attire allows for more creativity and individual
expression. As we step forth into the new decade, education has already evolved into a peer
to peer digital experience. Gone are the days of strict, quiet and restrictive teaching as
enhancements to the education system in the form of 21st Century Learning along with the
integration of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in the syllabus. Oddly enough, all
change on attire regulation have been unconsciously mitigated. To great detail, school
uniforms were adapted from military academies and used to train factory workers and clerks
which was the main objective of primary and lower secondary education back in the day.
Now, that philosophy has changed and so to should the rules for the sake of instilling values
of innovation and creativity in the modern student.

Secondly, with just a few guidelines to prevent extremely inappropriate clothing, abolishing
school uniforms is a surefire way of instilling discipline- Self Discipline. By wearing school
uniforms, students are not taught to dress for the occasion or to plan ahead for themselves.
Everyday’s attire is already spoonfed on the silver platter of school uniforms. Rather than
this, students should be trained to join the workforce, to balance work and errands, to plan
their days and to not be late for work due to a wardrobe malfunction.

On the flipside, critics of this movement to abolish school uniforms tout the effects of
amplifying the social status gap at such an early stage of development. Many believe bullying
cases would skyrocket if the economic background of students can be easily discerned by
what they wear. The thin social fabric of school may be torn apart as students from not so
well off families may feel embarrassed or even unfit due to the simple fact of coming from
different households. Even now, what bag you use, what pencil case you are equipped with
has become an instrument of isolation and bullying in primary schools all over Malaysia.

However so, the elephant in the room should not be swept under the rug. Rather it must be
addressed honestly in the controlled environment that is school. In many ways, school is but a
simulation of society, a miniature community consisting of diverse, socialgroups which then
form hierarchies perhaps unconsciously. Thus, we should take advantage of the presence of
counselors and teachers to educate students to accept their birth status and to respect each
other. This in the long run ensures social acceptance as the new generation becomes blind to
wealth and power.

School uniforms are and should be a thing of the past. As we improve as a society so should
our rules be revised to better suit our loftier goals.