One in four English students may not worry about what to wear to class. The solution to this problem has long been a school uniform - an approved set of clothes for boys and girls in Western secondary schools.
At different times, school uniforms in different countries looked different. Until recently, pressed jackets and shirts with starched collars, fancy stockings and tailored skirts were associated with elite educational institutions for the children of wealthy parents. And it's hard to imagine that the original school uniform was intended for poor children who had nothing to go to school at Christ's Shelter. Their coats were blue, as blue dye was the cheapest in the 16th century. Since then, schools in which students wear blue coats have been called Bluecoat schools - “blue coat schools”. But even such a conservative UK tends to abandon certain traditions and styles. So, at the end of the 20th century, in many educational institutions, striped blazers were replaced by plain ones, because the “stripes” were too expensive.
And the privileged private school Eton (Eton School), where only boys from the richest families or heirs of the royal court can study, abandoned the school uniform in the late 60s. The Eton student's costume looked like this: a wide white starched collar, a waistcoat and a short black jacket. Today, this school uniform is worn in specialized boys' choir schools.
In another private school, Sevenoaks School, which is one of the three oldest schools in England, all students are required to wear a uniform. Boys aged 7 to 11 wear blazers and trousers, girls wear blazers and kilts. Going to the sixth grade, the guys put on special costumes. The form is also provided for gaming activities. A set of clothes can be bought in a special store of the school or on its website.
The American version of the school uniform is different for private and public schools. In regular high schools, girls rarely wear sundresses or plaid skirts, and boys don't wear blazers. In public schools in the United States, boys most often wear sneakers or sneakers, which is not accepted in most private schools. In many schools, boys and girls wear a t-shirt and jumper in a certain color with the school logo.
In secondary schools in Germany, school uniforms were almost never introduced. In addition, the uniform here is preferred to be called "clothes for school" (Schulkleidung). For example, at Hamburg-Sinstorf and Friesenheim schools, girls and boys wear stylish shirts and sweaters in blue or red. In addition, some German schools produce their own branded clothes, which are both fashionable and honorable to wear.
But the students of Italian schools are still forced to dress in long shirts with white collars - grembiuli, which simultaneously resemble a nightgown, tunic and artist's robe. For western high school graduates, the uniform remains forever in the memory. Someone dreams of putting on a jumper with a school badge again or proudly tying a tie, and someone, many years later, has nightmares about a terrible, restricting movement, eerie color uniform.
Perhaps the most fashionable school wardrobe today among Japanese schoolgirls. Young manga lovers are so delighted with short skirts, white golfs, and most importantly - "sailors" (sir fuku), that they are ready to wear them even outside of school.
Today, school uniforms are incredibly popular among teenagers. The heroes of the Harry Potter films have made the school uniform a symbol of being chosen, American comedies have shown rebellious schoolchildren and schoolgirls, and Japanese anime have made girls all over the world set aside a special place in the closet for skirts, golfs and ties. In comfortable and stylish clothes, the learning process becomes even more enjoyable, which is why many boys and girls are happy to put on a school uniform and go to class.
To see with your own eyes how much time the descendants of conservative English spend on dressing for physical education and how young goths or emos put up with the dress code in Western schools, you can take a tour of American or English high schools. And even better - to sit at the same desk with those who managed to give up jeans for a while for the sake of quality education and interesting pastime.
School uniform - a necessity or a relic of the past? Serious battles are going on on this topic on the eve of the Day of Knowledge. To give our readers a basis for these disputes, we will talk about how and when the form arose, how this school attribute is treated in different countries, and how a British briefcase differs from a Japanese backpack.
The history of the emergence of school uniforms, however, is itself controversial. Some believe that going to an educational institution in the same clothes began in ancient Greece. The students were asked to wear shirts or chitons, light armor and a cape called a chlamys. Other historians do not agree with this version of events, they refer to the fact that almost all Greeks wore such clothes, and they made really strict requirements for school uniforms in ancient India. No matter how hot it is, the student should come wearing a dhoti breeches and a long kurta shirt.
But as far as Europe is concerned, everything is very clear. Great Britain is considered a pioneer country in the introduction of school uniforms. For the first time since antiquity, special clothing appeared at Christ's Hospital school. Students wore dark blue tailcoats with tails, vests, bright knee-highs and leather belts. True, then - in 1552 - orphans and children from the poor studied at Christ's Hospital families, and now this school is considered elite. According to a recent survey, even modern students of Christ's Hospital speak positively about the school uniform. Although it has not changed for 450 years, schoolchildren perceive it as a tribute to traditions, and not as an obsolete attribute.
Pupils of one of the British schools, Harrow, in school uniform
Now in the UK there is no uniform form for all educational institutions. Each school has its own requirements. For example, in Harrow the boys wear not only trousers and jackets, but also straw hats, and in Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the students themselves came up with the design of the clothes - gray suits with pink stripes. In the most prestigious educational institutions, a logo or coat of arms is considered an obligatory element of school clothes.
Eton British College students
In other European cities, school uniforms are not so quoted. So, in France, a single school uniform existed only in 1927-1968, in Poland - until 1988, in Germany and Switzerland it resembles tracksuits and is accepted only in some educational institutions.
The example of Great Britain was followed by its former colonies - India, Australia, Singapore and others. School uniforms were not abolished there even after the recognition of these states as independent. So, Indian schoolchildren attend classes only in a special form: boys - in dark blue trousers and white shirts, girls - in a light blouse and dark blue skirt. In some schools, girls wear saris on holidays.
Another former British colony - Singapore - has not introduced a single uniform for all schools. In each educational institution, it differs in color, but consists of classic elements - shorts and light shirts with short sleeves for boys, a blouse and a skirt or sundress for girls. Uniforms of some schools are richly decorated with badges or even shoulder straps.
School uniforms are also worn by most Australian and New Zealand students. In its diversity, it can be compared with the British. But in schools in Australia, due to the heat, shorts are more often worn than trousers, and hats with wide or narrow brim are put on the head.
Australian school students
In another hot country - Jamaica - school uniforms are considered mandatory. Many educational institutions impose requirements not only on the suit, but also on the color of the socks or the height of the heel of the shoes. Jewelry is not welcome, extravagant hairstyles are also not welcome. Many boys wear khaki shirts and trousers, and girls wear sundresses below the knees in different colors, complemented by stripes with the name of the school.
Another connoisseur of a bright form is Africans. Here, the school uniform strikes with a variety of shades. Orange, green, purple, yellow - each school chooses its own color.
Queen Elizabeth and Jamaican Schoolgirls
Sports-style school uniforms are common not only in Germany, but also in China. So, for the cold season, schoolchildren have a dark windbreaker and trousers, for the summer - a white shirt and shorts for boys, a blouse and a blue skirt - for girls. And, often, a red tie!
The country in which the school uniform is more popular than in the UK can be considered Japan. Who among us has not seen anime cartoon characters dressed in long white stockings, pleated skirts, jackets and white blouses? Sometimes Japanese schoolchildren wear a uniform called "sailor fuku" or "sailor suit". Together with her, they put on a bright tie and, as a rule, take a massive backpack with them.
Japanese schoolchildren and schoolgirls
In many private schools in the United States and Canada, uniforms are considered mandatory, but each school has its own. Most often, these are outfits of rather restrained colors - blue, gray, dark green. In some schools girls wear plaid skirts and boys wear striped ties. Mandatory components of the form are also, as a rule, shirts with long and short sleeves, cardigans and jackets. The only form in which you will be "allowed" to any American school is an American football uniform.
New Orleans Schoolgirls
So we got to the school uniform of Russia. It was first introduced in 1834, when the law on gymnasium and student uniforms was adopted in the Russian Empire. After 62 years, it became mandatory for gymnasium students. Later, the school uniform was abolished, and only in 1949, during the Soviet era, it returned again. Tunics with a stand-up collar for boys, brown dresses and aprons for girls, a pioneer tie for everyone - the standard uniform of any Soviet schoolchild.
Now in Russia there is no single form, it has been introduced only in some educational institutions. Basically, these are clothes of soothing shades, which are allowed to be supplemented with things from everyday wardrobe. It looks more modern than in Soviet times, but Russian schoolchildren still prefer to wear white aprons and tie bows on the Last Bell, as their mothers did.
School uniforms in America are common mainly in private schools. And, as a rule, contains the emblem of the educational institution. In ordinary public schools, most often, there is no school uniform. But there are certain rules of clothing style (Dress code). Moreover, different institutions have different rules. For example, the length of a miniskirt should not be shorter than the fingertips, transparent clothing is prohibited, T-shirts should not contain any obscene inscriptions, etc. As a rule, students wear simple clothes: jeans, wide T-shirts, sneakers.
american school clothes
Freedom in American schools
Unlike other countries, children in American schools have more freedom, which is expressed not only in terms of dress code, but also in other aspects. For example, each student has his own locker, there are no regular classes when all students study together for years, there is no whole single program, the student takes those subjects that are of interest to him. There is also no strictness in manners. For example, students can sit on the floor, etc.
There are still various discussions about school uniforms in the United States. Since some believe that it is better to have a mandatory uniform, others refute this. These discussions were especially popular during the reign of President Bill Clinton, since it was he who actively supported the idea of introducing a school uniform. So in 1996, the US Department of Education issued a special guide to school uniforms, which listed the benefits of uniforms. The report told about the conduct of various experiments related to the introduction of uniforms in some schools. In particular, it was said that as a result of the introduction of the form, there were fewer crimes in schools, and the general academic discipline improved.
I propose to watch a video about school clothes (dress code) in Russian by a schoolgirl who studied at an American school.
On the other hand, compulsory school uniforms in America can prevent children from developing their own taste, style, and comfort. And it can also bring some inconvenience to parents. Therefore, in the United States, after all, they refused to introduce permanent uniforms. And they gave this issue to the discretion of the local authorities. In this regard, the leadership of each school decides for itself what rules for wearing clothes to be introduced. Of course, parents play an active role in this matter. Since due to their budget, in fact, there are schools in America.
In Russia and other post-Soviet countries, there is a very ambiguous attitude towards the American system of secondary education. Some believe that it is in many ways superior to the Russian one, while others are sure that US schools have many shortcomings, therefore they criticize the American grading system, the lack of a school uniform and other distinctive features.
In the US, there are no strict uniform standards for all educational institutions, and everything depends on the local government. A school in California may be different from a school in Virginia or Illinois. However, the general aspects are the same everywhere.
As for the Russian and American systems of education, quite a lot of differences can be noted between them.
American ratings
If in Russia a five-point scale (in fact, a four-point scale, since in practice a unit is usually not set) is adopted for assessing knowledge, where the highest result is “5”, then in the USA everything is somewhat different. Grades in American schools are the first letters of the Latin alphabet from "A" to "F".
The letter "A" is considered an excellent result, and the worst result, respectively, is "F". According to statistics, the majority of students have time for "B" and "C", that is, "above average" and "average".
Three more letters are also sometimes used: "P" - pass, "S" - satisfactory, "N" - "fail".
Lack of school uniform
Aside from American grades, another difference is the absence of school uniforms and any official dress code in most educational institutions.
In Russia, the first thing that comes to mind at the word "school" is the form: the traditional "black top, white bottom", puffy bows for girls and other attributes. In the US, this is not accepted, and even on the first day of the school year, students come in whatever they want. All that is required of schoolchildren is the observance of certain rules: not very short skirts, the absence of obscene inscriptions and prints on clothes, closed shoulders. Most students dress simply and comfortably: jeans, T-shirts, loose sweaters and athletic shoes.
Choice of items
For a Russian school, this sounds unrealistic, because every student must attend all the subjects established by the program without fail. But America has a different system. At the beginning of the year, students have the right to choose which subjects they want to study. Of course, there are also compulsory disciplines - these are mathematics, English, natural sciences. The student chooses the rest of the subjects and the level of their complexity on his own and, based on this, forms his own schedule of classes.
The school uniform is not only comfortable clothing for schoolchildren, which indicates their belonging to a particular school, but also combines certain traditions of the state at the same time. And the belonging of a student to a certain state is quite possible only by school attire.
School uniform in Japan
Schoolchildren of the Land of the Rising Sun can be safely called the most fashionable. The fact is that the school uniform often reflects the traditions of not only Japan itself, but also the school. Most often, clothing resembles a sailor suit:
… or clothes from popular anime. And, of course, a mandatory attribute for girls is knee-highs.
But for boys, the choice is not so wide. Most often, this is a classic suit in dark blue or trousers with a jumper, under which a blue shirt is worn.
School uniform in Thailand
Rumor has it that the school uniform in Thailand is the most classic - a white top and a black bottom, for both boys and girls. Absolutely all children are required to wear it, from elementary school to college.
School uniform in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a Muslim country, but the hijab or veil is not a mandatory form for girls. Schoolgirls dress in green toe-length dresses, over which a jacket can be worn. The boys wear regular black suits. And, of course, one of the attributes is a skullcap on the head.
School uniform in Indonesia
For girls, the school uniform in Indonesia includes a long skirt, leggings, a white shirt and a headscarf.
School uniform in England
Although the school uniform in England is mandatory, each educational institution has the right to set its own standard of clothing for students. Most often, this is a jacket or jumper with the emblem of the school, a white shirt, for a girl - a pleated knee-length skirt, for a boy - trousers.
School uniform in India
In India, girls usually study in separate classes from boys. The school uniform for elementary students includes a blue shirt, a lilac skirt or sundress for girls, trousers for boys, and a mandatory striped tie.
School uniform in Uganda
The outfit of schoolchildren in Uganda is also dictated by each school separately. An important rule is that clothes should be made from natural light fabrics, more often it is chintz. For girls, these are plain dresses with a white collar, and for boys, the same color shirts. Also, small men wear shorts.
School uniform in Cameroon
In this African republic, girls are dressed in long blue dresses with a white collar, and boys can go to school in whatever their heart desires.
