Conform to Uniform?

by Mr. Freij

Are uniforms and conformity synonymous? Do soldiers not distinguish themselves in combat, or police officers in the line of duty? Do we not have medals and awards for all such individuals who stand out regardless of the fact that they wear the same clothes as another? Why should students be so resistant to uniforms in school then? Working at a large high school in the Bronx, the safety of our students is a necessity. Metal detectors scan students as they enter, but our campus houses six different schools. Of these, two do not mandate uniforms to be worn. This poses a problem of safety. If we cannot recognize which students belong on which floor, then we cannot adequately protect our students from unwanted interactions with students from another school. Likewise, since each school is technically a separate entity, students may find themselves facing trespassing charges if they were to get innocently lost. If all students were required to wear a uniform in the school building, they could be identified and guided to the correct place, before any incidents could occur. Furthermore, once students are freed of the burden of maintaining their outside appearance, they could then begin working to distinguish themselves by their minds.