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Stupid School Policies

June 19, 2007 4:24 PM

here was a lot of talk when I was in middle and high school about school uniforms. Personally, I hate the idea. There are a few basic arguments in support of school uniforms, none of which resonate to me to any degree.

First, there's the argument that, by making everyone dress the same, social stratification is reduced. Well, that's just stupid. Seeing as how I was an outcast for many reasons in addition to my cheap clothes, I can't really gauge how much of the high-school social-stratification problem (if it's a problem at all) is due to the brand of students' clothes. It seems to me that brand names might be a contibuting factor, but I'm also pretty certain that other things--like athletic ability, physical attractiveness, charisma, boobs--contribute to the whole thing. Removing just one of those elements seems unlikely to topple any sort of heirarchy that might exist.

Second, there's that whole thing about eliminating gang colors. This always seemed particularly laughable to me because, while Nogales, Arizona has its fair share of bullies and scoundrels, it did not, in the 1990s, have any significant gang presence. But, even assuming a population that is hell bent on killing each other based on whether someone's wearing red or blue or whatever, the dress code thing is unlikely to make much of a difference. Clothing is a symbol of group affiliation. If you outlaw one particular symbol, the group will persist and the symbol will change. It's not like gang members are going to think "Well, fuck. I can't wear my red bandana anymore. I guess I'd better give up my evil ways and turn to the Lord!"

So, I don't really like the idea of school uniforms. But my hatred of the policy isn't based simply in the refutation of some common arguments in support of it. Rather, I think it's important that middle- and high-school kids be able to express themselves. One of the most obvious ways to do that is to wear clothes that your parents, teachers, and maybe even classmates really, really don't like. That's just a fundamental part of childhood, as far as I'm concerned. If I hadn't been able to wear baggy jeans and paint my nails black, I would have been pissed. As it is, I spent months convincing my mom that I'm not gay (not that there's anything wrong with that).

The point is, I really hate stupid, lazy school policies. And I haven't recently heard of any policy that is stupider than Kilmer Middle School's rule against all touching. Apparently, all touching--"hugging, holding hands or even high-fiving"--is prohibited.

Now, certainly, preventing fights and unwanted sexual or physical attention is a good, decent goal. But protecting those interests by banning all touching is akin to banning all speech so that no one says anything mean. Touching is expressive, and very often in a wholesome, good-natured way. High-fiving a teammate after a victory, hugging a crying friend, holding a significant other's hand, and helping someone up after a fall are all examples of good, nonoffensive, expressive touching.

Of course there are, as Principal Deborah Hernandez notes, "shades of gray." But life is one big gray area. Yes, there are instances where it is inappropriate to hug or hold hands, and yes it's sometimes difficult to determine culpability. But the solution to that problem isn't to ban an entire activity simply because that activity is uncool some small percentage of the time. Rather, the solution is to teach children when certain kinds of touching are ok and when they're not. And, of course, to teach them that some kinds of touching--pushing, nonconsensual groping, punching--is never ok.

But, of course, that's a far-too nuanced approach to expect from our public officials. This kind of shit just makes me angry.



2 Comments


Vice said:

Wait a minute - does that "no touching" rule mean that teachers can't even beat the kids for misbehavior? I don't even think I could call that a learning environment if that's the case.

June 20, 2007 11:12 AM



TheExpat said:

Erm, people don't even touch their kids anymore. So what we have here is a whole generation of kids who have never been disciplined, consequently lacking the impulse control for involved tasks like say, wiping their ass properly. Man, we're either all fucked or sitting on a gold mine of gullibility.

June 21, 2007 7:32 AM



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