By I have always liked the idea of school uniforms but it appears that Seoul American Middle School is rather divided on the issue so it won’t be implemented:
Students at Seoul American Middle School will not be required to wear uniforms, principal David Dinges announced Friday.Dinges’ decision came the morning after the School Advisory Committee (SAC), composed of teachers and parents, voted in a closed session Thursday against recommending a uniform policy. Dinges was not required to act on the committee’s vote, though he said it was a key factor in his decision because parents, teachers and students were divided on the issue.
“I think the SAC could have gone either way, and I would have supported the SAC either way,” he said.
Three-fourths of the school’s students said in a poll that they opposed wearing uniforms. Sixty-six percent of teachers and 51 percent of parents supported it.
Committee chairwoman Elise Hampton said members voted 4-2 against the plan, with her abstaining as head of the committee.
“It was a very difficult decision for everybody involved,” she said.
“In the end, our overall consensus was that maybe the community just wasn’t ready, that there just wasn’t enough information put out to make the parents comfortable,” she said. [Stars & Stripes]
11:53 pm on February 2nd, 2010 1
"Three-fourths of the school’s students said in a poll that they opposed wearing uniforms. Sixty-six percent of teachers and 51 percent of parents supported it."
The majority of professional teachers want it. The majority of parents agree.
But the precious snowflakes oppose it…
…so let's follow the wise advice of the experienced teenagers.
Kinda like letting the lunatics run the nuthouse.
1:32 pm on February 3rd, 2010 2
I am a Alumni from Osan American High School, and Talk of school uniforms at DODEA schools is nothing new. during the previous couple of years, there is always a few school administrators who are interested in looking themselves look good, with out examining if this is really a good idea. When I was a Senior, this topic came up to the Parent Teacher Student Organization, and a survay of the about 450 high school and middle school students had 3 students in the entire school vote for Uniforms. I felt that uniforms were a security risk for the base due to the frequent anti-american "green party" protests that happened off base when school usually got out, hence if the school required students to have uniforms, you might as well paint a target on the back of a vest and write in korean, "Hi, im a potential hostage of an American Service member, the ones that your protesting against." it would also cause issues in logistics of actually getting the uniforms, and cost money. As for if the majority, cosidering that I am currently in college, and several of my friends are studying to be teachers, as well as my experience with OAHS's attempt to gain uniforms, which I talked to several teachers and concluded that out of the entire school, there was only 5 teachers who really wanted uniforms. (interesting story one of the teachers whom really did not teach much had a son who consistantally wore inapproperate baggy clothing, actually started this movement, and it was looking piss poor on her part that she wanted to enforce standards on the entire school for the reason that she could not enforce standards on her own children. Quite embarssing.)
also as a case study, for the DODEA school in Guam, while that was a successful implation of uniforms, it was a case by case usage, and the entire island had uniforms.
this is just OAHS during the years that I was a student there. which years I would rather not say.
2:41 pm on February 3rd, 2010 3
Although 51% of parents who responded to the survey voted for them, 45% of the parents voted against them. As someone who already pays $20,000 per year for each of my children to go to school, I'm not interested in paying more so the school can dictate my children's wardrobe. Considering that one of the reasons given for getting uniforms was that "it would improve the morale of students" and that they didn't want them, and another reason give was that "the quality of our student body will go down when we approve more command sponsorships", most parents didn't see how the added expense of uniforms would significantly improve the quality of education at the middle school – a school that already seems to be doing pretty good without them. The attitudes of our "precious snowflakes" had little to do with it.
3:53 pm on February 3rd, 2010 4
Dave,
"Although 51% of parents who responded to the survey voted for them, 45% of the parents voted against them."
Well… uh… I'm not sure of your point here. The majority spoke. Maybe the anti-uniform crowd got more electoral votes.
"As someone who already pays $20,000 per year for each of my children to go to school, I’m not interested in paying more so the school can dictate my children’s wardrobe."
This makes some sense at first… until I noticed that a lot of kids are wearing sneakers that cost about the same as an entire uniform. If one can buy a custom-made zoot suit from a Songtan tailor for $150, a sharp uniform can be made for the same price.
Regardless of the wants of students and whims of parents, a majority of teachers wanting a uniform is the thing everyone should be focusing on.
If professional and experienced teachers believe a uniform is beneficial, 45% of parents should probably reconsider their position on the issue.
If these teachers have no idea what's best for the education of their students, 100% of parents should be asking why two-thirds of the teachers working there are idiots.
But I don't think they are idiots. I think they realize that fashion is a distraction while uniforms tend to promote professionalism and discipline while reducing delinquent behavior.
And, as a bonus, it makes a good impression on Koreans.
…and some of these little hoods need all the help they can get.
4:30 pm on February 3rd, 2010 5
We (the school board and parents) had two open meetings before the vote was cast, with input from both sides.
The teachers wanted the uniforms because "it would be easier than enforcing the dress code we have now" as they said at the meeting we had about it. And Guam schools, who do have a uniform, aren't scoring as well by any measure as SAMS, which doesn't have one. Perhaps you should be wondering why 66% of our educators lack the intestinal fortitude to enforce the current policy instead of focusing on my "whims" or rights.
The uniform issue was driven by one case of a high school student coming onto the middle school grounds and causing trouble and by a new vice principal who had uniforms in his last school and wanted them here.
Currently, the 51% of parents who want uniforms are free to select a uniform and send their kids to school in it every day. If the schools go to a mandatory uniform policy, those parents who *don't* want their kids to go to school in uniform will have no choice in the matter. As I stated, a number of the parents in favor of uniforms wanted them because of the "lower quality students we would get when we increase command sponsorships"? What lower quality people will be coming here – junior enlisted, who already don't make that much money? Blacks and hispanics?
Finally, I don't send my kids to school in "$150 zoot suits from Itaewon", I send them to school in clothes that they already own and that conform to the current dress codes. Given the high percentage of students who make the honor roll and the low incidence of discipline problems, the school board failed to make a case for taking away my money and my choice about how to dress my children.
7:58 pm on February 3rd, 2010 6
To bad that "lower quality students" didn't make it past the political correctness filter. It would have been interesting if Stars and Stripes had asked for more clarification on what the board member meant.
8:11 pm on February 3rd, 2010 7
It's funny a school on a Military Base educating children who's parents have a dress and appearence code vote against a dress and appearence code. I would guess 90% to 95% of the kids at the schools have parents that were or still are in the Military and they can't see the benefits of school uniforms..WOW.
10:34 pm on February 3rd, 2010 8
The safety issue makes sense.
10:38 pm on February 3rd, 2010 9
The difference is that the adults chose the military life and the kids did not.
10:39 am on February 4th, 2010 10
And would the teachers be required to wear a school uniform as well? I don't have any children in the school system currently. I do know that the military uniforms are worn by leadership as well as subordinates. It would seem only just that the teachers would be required to sport the same style uniforms as the students.
5:58 am on February 6th, 2010 11
I think a good compromise would be a dress code. I attended a private boys Catholic high school that, unlike most other Catholic high schools, did not have uniforms. Instead there was a dress code required us to wear dress slacks and a polo shirt. While it maintains the neatness that parents and administrators desire, it allows students to choose their own individual style. A student could wear red or green slacks, but they would look neat.
6:29 am on February 6th, 2010 12
More? Do the math, it will cost you less overall than if you have Jr wear his own clothes. I taught 5 years in the states in ghetto schools of El Monte Ca. Those parents with free lunches and breakfasts and on welfare could all afford the uniforms. Cuts down on bullying, gang issues and some kids feel bad who just cant afford the designer clothes some will wear to move up the peking order.
Look all over asia, uniforms are in for serious students.