Starting off

Work with a partner to discuss the questions below:

1. What do you wear to school on a typical day?

2. What rules about clothing do you have to follow at school?

3. What can you decide about?

Before you read

Look at the countries below and try to predict what kind of rules they have for school uniforms:

1. Australia (almost) no uniform ☐ uniforms in some schools ☐ uniforms in all schools ☐

2. Germany (almost) no uniform ☐ uniforms in some schools ☐ uniforms in all schools ☐

3. Italy (almost) no uniform ☐ uniforms in some schools ☐ uniforms in all schools ☐

4. Japan (almost) no uniform ☐ uniforms in some schools ☐ uniforms in all schools ☐

5. Malaysia (almost) no uniform ☐ uniforms in some schools ☐ uniforms in all schools ☐

6. Turkey (almost) no uniform ☐ uniforms in some schools ☐ uniforms in all schools ☐

7. The United Kingdom (almost) no uniform ☐ uniforms in some schools ☐ uniforms in all schools ☐

8. The United States (almost) no uniform ☐ uniforms in some schools ☐ uniforms in all schools ☐

First reading

Read the text quickly to check your answers.

Second reading

Read the text again more carefully and decide if the sentences below are [T] true or [F] false:

1. Few people have moderate opinions about school uniforms. T ☐ F ☐

2. School uniforms vary greatly. T ☐ F ☐

3. School uniforms can help pupils from poorer families to fit in better. T ☐ F ☐

4. Most school uniforms are available only from particular shops. T ☐ F ☐

5. Most pupils like wearing school uniforms. T ☐ F ☐

6. It doesn't really matter whether pupils think school uniforms are comfortable or not. T ☐ F ☐

7. It has not been proven that school uniforms improve results in schools. T ☐ F ☐

8. Schools in the UK have always had school uniforms. T ☐ F ☐

Vocabulary 1

Find words or phrases to match the definitions. The numbers in brackets refer to the part of the text in which you

can find the answer (there are five parts in total).

1. not saying which side of an argument you support (1)	2. to say that an action is illegal or not allowed (2)
3. something which is considered to be morally or socially good enough (2)	4. a lot, very much (2)
5. worried and embarrassed about what you look like or what other people think of you (3)	6. a group of people who feel that they have something in common with each other (3)
7. used when you want to show (for example) the minimum and maximum points of a scale (4)	8. used when you talk about something in general (4)
9. when your idea is developed from something else (5)	10. including many different kinds of things, especially in a way that seems interesting (5)

(all definitions adapted from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

Vocabulary 2

Complete the sentences with a word or phrase from Vocabulary 1. You may need to change the form of the word.

1. A top quality sports car like a Ferrari costs ____________________ of money.

2. What do you mean `I don't know'? Stop ____________________ and tell me what you really think!

3. The musical `West Side Story' is ____________________ Shakespeare's `Romeo and Juliet'.

4. Even if there is no school uniform, wearing jeans is still not ____________________ in many schools.

5. There is a large Indian ____________________ in the UK.

6. School pupils, ____________________, do not like tests and exams.

7. In many muslim countries drinking alcohol is ____________________.

8. He likes all kinds of music - his tastes really are very ____________________.

9. The price of the laptop depends on the options you choose. It ____________________ $2000 to $4000.

10. I hate giving public talks. So many people looking at me make me feel very ____________________.

Speaking

You're going to have a debate. The motion is `We believe that school uniforms are a good idea and that all schools should have them.

Split into two groups. One group will be arguing in favour of the motion and one group will be against; prepare your arguments and your opening statements. Your teacher will organise the debate.

There are surely few topics as controversial in schools as school uniform. Love them or hate them, almost everybody, from pupils to teachers to parents to politicians, has an opinion on them - and those opinions are usually not of the `sitting on the fence' variety.

What is a school uniform?

A simple question but the answer is far from obvious. Many schools do not have uniforms as such but have instead a dress code which prohibits certain things (jean and, shorts, for example), sets rules for others (skirts must be a certain length, for example) and specifies details (especially colours) which are acceptable.

School uniforms proper also vary a great deal, from very strict uniforms which can only be bought from a certain shop, to the more common general uniforms which only describe colours and styles to be worn.

Why do people support school uniforms?

There are a number of arguments made in favour of school uniforms. One of the most important is that school uniforms, being identical for everybody, stop pupils from poorer families from being self-conscious about their clothes not being as fashionable or expensive as those of their richer classmates. A second argument is that school uniforms create a sense of community: a sense that the pupils are part of a school family which can help create a more positive atmosphere in the school.

Why are people against school uniforms?

Generally speaking, school uniforms are not popular with the people who have to wear them - the pupils. Complaints range from questions of style (`they're horrible'), to comfort (`they're so uncomfortable'). By and large, people work best when they feel positive about where they are and who they are, so these complaints are serious. There is also the argument that choosing what to wear is an important part of who we are and school uniforms stop pupils from being creative and original.

Many supporters of school uniforms claim that pupils are better behaved and more successful when their school has uniforms but studies have not confirmed this.

School uniforms around the world

Uniforms are popular in many countries. Some of the strictest uniforms are in Asian countries. For example, in Malaysia there are uniforms in all schools, including rules for hairstyle (no gel, short hair for boys and girls' hair tied back in a pony tail) and make up (not allowed in school at all). In Japan there are very traditional uniforms for all schools, sometimes based on designs almost a hundred years old.

In Europe many countries do not have compulsory school uniforms. In Germany and Italy, for example, school uniforms are rare outside of private schools. In some countries, though, uniforms are normal, such as in Turkey. In the UK uniforms are becoming more popular again, after years without them in state schools.

Further afield the picture is varied, In Australia, for example, most schools have school uniforms, whereas in the US uniforms are not popular, with dress codes more common.

So, are school uniforms a good idea? Looking around the world it seems no-one is really sure!

A Monthly Newsletter for Teachers of English

September 2008

© Pearson Education Polska 2008 PHOTOCOPIABLE

A C T I V I T I E S S H E E T

September 2008

School uniforms: good or bad?

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