Uniform in schools: Case of common identity or loss of individual identity?

All schools providing education up to pre-university level, with the exception of polytechnics, require their students to don school uniforms so as to conform with the guidelines stipulated by the Ministry of Education (MOE). With so many arguments going on about whether uniforms should be made compulsory to be worn by students, let's take a look at both sides of the debate.

Advocates of the adoption of school uniform policies say that uniforms can promote school safety, improve discipline, enhance the learning environment and most importantly, instill a sense of common identity among students.. It promotes school safety because it allows staff to identify students among the crowd in the school, and thus intruders who do not belong to the school can be easily detected. It also instills discipline among students because students are carrying the image of the school when they are outside school in uniforms, and this prompts them to put up their best behaviour under the wary eyes of the public. Uniforms enhance learning environment because all students are equal when they don the same uniforms. For example, students are not able to wear branded clothes to school to flaunt their wealth, and thus poorer students will not feel inferior and will be able to concentrate better during lessons, instead of looking on at their peers' possession with envy. Lastly, uniforms promote a common school identity. This will make them feel more attached to the school and motivates them to do their best when they represent the school.

Despite all the positive qualities brought about by uniforms, there are also people who are against uniform policies. Their one and only major concern is that uniforms make them lose their individual identity. They are unable to be recognised and acknowledged by their names, but by their institutions their uniforms are representing. They also have no say when the uniforms do not suit them, such as the colour not complementing the skin colour or the cutting and shape not suiting the body shape and size. Hence, these people are unwilling to wear uniforms.

In my opinion, the advantages brought about by uniforms outweigh the disadvantages. However, i do agree that certain uniforms can be improved such that they look better on most students. Therefore, i am in support of uniform policies only if the uniforms can be modified or re-designed to look better.