6 hours ago, uncleP said:

It's all to do with control and conformity but nothing to do with education. 

 

it's to do with a level playing field, the same in many countries, it stops the creation of division between those who have and those who have not. education is equal for all so all should follow the rules.

 

teachers being allowed to cut a student's hair is another matter.

I`ve often wondered about the scout uniform that`s being worn to school. Do the boys get taught at the school about the scouting traditions etc?  

It`s just I never see the boys going off to a hall somewhere in the evening to meet up. Are they a part of the scouting movement?

7 hours ago, CLW said:

Nonsense, the rich kids aren't in those schools, they are studying abroad

Poppycock. "Rich" and "poor" are not absolutes. Even if the uber-rich are studying abroad, there will still be vast differences in means within classes and schools.

Why should schools reflect a different picture of the realities of society?

Students defy school rules with ‘no-uniform’ protest

By THE NATION

 

After taking part in a 'no-uniform' protest, students spend their free time after school on Tuesday at a rally in front of the Education Ministry in Bangkok.

 

Students taking part in a campaign to boycott school uniforms received a mixed response when they turned up for class in their casual clothes on Tuesday.

 

The KKC Pakee Students group issued a clarion call last Thursday urging students to dress casually on Tuesday and to not be afraid of questioning the need to wear uniforms.

 

Photos of the casually dressed students at school began circulating online today, drawing praise from some internet users but fierce criticism from others.

 

Only small groups of students reportedly joined the protest. Several schools allowed them to attend classes as normal, including Bangkok’s prestigious Triam Udom Suksa and Satriwithaya schools, and Khon Kaen Wittayayon.

 

In other cases, schools banned students in casual clothes from attending class.

 

One Facebook video showed students in uniform protesting at a school with cries of “free our friends”. The poster said it was recorded at Satree Wat Mahapruttaram School in Khon Kaen province, where students dressed casually were separated from their classmates.

 

The self-mockingly titled “Bad Student” group set up a website where students can report the names of schools that punish them for not wearing uniforms.

 

As of 6.10pm on Tuesday, Saint Joseph Convent topped the ranking with 709 reports, followed by Assumption Convent (472), Sriracha School (360), and Suranaree Wittaya (315).

 

The KKC anti-uniform campaign also produced playful photos of a student in a Winnie-the-Pooh costume, and students wearing yellow shirts to mock royalists.

 

A Phetchabun student who was reportedly the only person in the province to take part in the campaign escaped punishment by his school.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30398913

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-12-02

 

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Some off topic posts have been removed. 

I hoped for schoolgirls with mini skirts and high heels. ???? 

7 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I hoped for schoolgirls with mini skirts and high heels. ???? 

 

   This is a story about real children in school.

 

5 hours ago, Eddy Ozark said:

Why should schools reflect a different picture of the realities of society?

 

Because schools try to teach good things for society. That is their purpose.

13 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

These people have literally no idea what they are talking about.  They're children and lack the knowledge/experience and the cognitive ability to make a sensible decision here.

 

A school uniform has masses to do with education.  It literally has a positive effect on education.  Lack of school uniform has a negative effect.  How can that possibly mean that it has nothing to do with education?

 

Increasing the amount of time spent wearing your casual clothes (which must surely mean they would be more expensive than the uniform) means they will wear out quicker.

 

You cannot see an ID at a glance, you can see a uniform.  If someone ran into the school they would not stick out if students did not wear uniforms.  You would need to know there was an intruder and then check every student.  Ridiculous.

 

Next?

Never had these problems of yours in the Netherlands where we don't wear school uniforms.

Next?

Another good reason for wearing a school uniform is that trouble makers can be identified a bit better, plenty of after school crime and fights.

56 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I hoped for schoolgirls with mini skirts and high heels. ???? 

the current school uniform, i agree - nothing wrong with that at all!

Shouldn't the bad student group be wearing school dresses so short it barely covers their who who and school tops 3 sizes to small ?

14 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

 

   Its about the kids being equal and the rich kids not wearing expensive designer clothes and the poor kids not wearing rags .

    

  

Exactly right. The trouble is many schools have a different uniform or outfit for every day of the week!!! That is the stupid thing!!!!????????????????

8 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

 

They should look to the U.S., where there aren't any school uniforms and schooling is completely based on education, freedom, liberty and equality for all. Leaders of the free world. 

I taught at an inner city high school in USA. Some of us promoted uniforms for many of the reasons already cited: easy to tell intruders (very important... think second amendment "freedoms". One of my students went to nearby school and shot rival dead. Maybe it wouldn't have happened if he could have been identified as not belonging there. He'd been expelled week earlier for smashing windshield of teacher's car), level better off from not so much & don't waste time picking outfit of the day (I was teaching during time when kid was killed for a pair of Air Jordans), sends message "this is not the street, this is your "job" for now".

A few public schools have uniforms, and many private. I'd say let the students do what they want regarding hair styles, but keep uniforms (not 4-5 different ones...).

Sadly, education in US isn't "equal for all": needs in poorer areas far greater than well off schools; parents at richer schools donate great sums for extra computers, etc. School funding often depend on property taxes... Santa Barbara isn't Compton.

Oh, and US education is not the envy of the world. Typically far down list regarding "education outcomes". I put lots of that on culture. Had a girl from Vietnam who came as freshman, knew very little English. Graduated head of her class. If you want to learn, no one can stop you. If you don't, no one can teach you.

 

 

14 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

A school uniform has masses to do with education.  It literally has a positive effect on education.  Lack of school uniform has a negative effect.  How can that possibly mean that it has nothing to do with education?

citation please ????

14 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

These people have literally no idea what they are talking about.  They're children and lack the knowledge/experience and the cognitive ability to make a sensible decision here.

 

A school uniform has masses to do with education.  It literally has a positive effect on education.  Lack of school uniform has a negative effect.  How can that possibly mean that it has nothing to do with education?

 

Increasing the amount of time spent wearing your casual clothes (which must surely mean they would be more expensive than the uniform) means they will wear out quicker.

 

You cannot see an ID at a glance, you can see a uniform.  If someone ran into the school they would not stick out if students did not wear uniforms.  You would need to know there was an intruder and then check every student.  Ridiculous.

 

Next?

Do you honestly believe what you have posted?? So why do local Government workers (Civil Servants) wear uniforms? So that bad guys can be easily identified if they run into a Tesabhan or Anfur. Its nothing to do with the Thai love affair with uniforms?. When was the last time you seen anyone being formally presented to any member of the Royal Family without a uniform being worn.

Agree that a school uniform has the affect of equalising children but Thailand is so feudal that is not the reason, its all about control.

15 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

 

   Its about the kids being equal and the rich kids not wearing expensive designer clothes and the poor kids not wearing rags .

    

  

True .... 

15 hours ago, uncleP said:

It's all to do with control and conformity but nothing to do with education. 

IMO nothing to do with that at all. It's about preventing those with rich parents lording it over those with poor parents by their clothing quality.

Poor students would feel humiliated having to wear their shabby clothes to school while rich students would be wearing the latest fashions. It's an extra way for bullies to operate.

15 hours ago, uncleP said:

It's all to do with control and conformity but nothing to do with education. 

I wore school uniform, and it didn't make me study less or more hard than I would had I been wearing casual clothes.

Without control, schools can't teach zip, and what is wrong with conformity?

Teenagers in the west are all about conformity with their jeans.

15 hours ago, CLW said:

Nonsense, the rich kids aren't in those schools, they are studying abroad

 

What countries would they be studying in? NZ has banned all overseas students.

 

Methinks you are talking about the super rich, not ordinary people that are wealthy enough to buy better clothes than others.

I get the uniform argument(s), at least the socio-economic one (managed costs, lack of display of status). But everyone already knows where they stand in the Thai social pyramid so that toothpaste is already out of the tube. Rich kids bust on less-rich kids every day.

 

And I understand why the PtB, minions/dinos are afraid of the youngsters, and their independent thought.

 

For now, I'd go with one day a week, casual, for M1-6. Remove all hair restrictions. Any trainer-style footwear OK 5X.

 

Give it go, and if society collapses you can always go back to uniforms. I mean how much worse can the edumacation system get here? It's barely one step removed from prison anyway.

 

Not sure about Scout Day, Soldier Day, Fitness Day, Cheering days, etc. 

 

 

13 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

I get the uniform argument(s), at least the socio-economic one (managed costs, lack of display of status). But everyone already knows where they stand in the Thai social pyramid so that toothpaste is already out of the tube. Rich kids bust on less-rich kids every day.

 

And I understand why the PtB, minions/dinos are afraid of the youngsters, and their independent thought.

 

For now, I'd go with one day a week, casual, for M1-6. Remove all hair restrictions. Any trainer-style footwear OK 5X.

 

Give it go, and if society collapses you can always go back to uniforms. I mean how much worse can the edumacation system get here? It's barely one step removed from prison anyway.

 

Not sure about Scout Day, Soldier Day, Fitness Day, Cheering days, etc. 

 

 

Far as I'm concerned, schools are just somewhere to park the kids so adults can work. My school was so disruptive that I learned nothing useful till AFTER I left school.

All I got from school was being bullied, a hatred of organised sports, and dislike of authority.

However it did make it easy to join the services as it was just more of the same.

14 hours ago, rabas said:

I've never seen daily school uniforms in Thailand. Are you thinking of Thai Colors of the Day? That's why Thai often wear red on Sundays. 

 

 
It’s ridiculous. At a Mathayom school I worked at there was white and blue uniform for Monday’s and formal occasions, our school had regular sports on Tuesday, scouts uniform on Wednesday, team colours on Thursday and back to formal white on Friday. The kids who often took part in outside competitions and events had to have “special” whiter shirts, Woe betide a kid who messed up on a formal day and wore scouts or sports.

On the other hand have experienced “no uniform days” at primary schools, and it’s a total mess, the parents go to town, and you really notice the poorer kids. They were difficult days to teach, the kids mood changed, it more of a fashion parade. So free choice doesn’t work.

 

I worked in a few village schools, where as the kids would only wear the uniform once a week, even tho a lot wore them in the evening, they would only get washed once a month, the kids stank. White shirts would become grey / brown over time, kids weren’t used to wearing socks, when they took off their shoes to enter class there was no sole / foot part to their socks.

 

Scouts uniform - get of scouts, it has nothing to do with scouting, it’s just military training. Even the scout motto has been butchered to involve the defending the nation and protecting the .. 

 

It’s ridiculous to see students in Mathayom 6, in the final year no parent buys a new uniform, they look a total mess. When kids are in the last year of school thinking about goi g to work they are wearing a 3 year old uniform that’s too small. Boys constantly tucking shirts in and wearing tight shorts with those silly caterpillar mustaches crawling on their top lip.

 

A lot of the kids down here are Muslim, at sectarian schools they wear trousers, long skirts and head dress but at regular schools there is no special dispensation for alternative uniform. 

It’s not the uniform, again it’s the system. Nothing wrong with a uniform, just modernize, a smart polo shirt that can be worn on any day, choice between pants or shorts. Educate the kids to have pride in their appearance and have presentable hair to prepare them for a working life. 
 

 

My opinion is that if schools/Education Ministry requires students to wear uniforms, then they should pay for it.

16 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

 

   Its about the kids being equal and the rich kids not wearing expensive designer clothes and the poor kids not wearing rags .

    

  

 

Kids of rich families usually do not frequent same schools as kids from poor families.

14 hours ago, djayz said:

They have to wear a scout's uniform on at least one day a week. I distinctlybremember thinking everytime I see them what they could possibly be learning about the boy/girl scouts at school. Then, there's the separate uniform for "sports day". Again, me often wonders why there's a whole school day per week dedicated to sports. Finally, there's at least one more uniform, the typical white shirt and shorts/skirt one. So, maybe I exaggerated a little when I implied that there are 5 uniforms, nevertheless, 3 different uniforms are still two too many IMHO. 

Several schools in Phuket also have a colourful shirt they wear on Fridays, making four uniforms.

School uniforms have nothing to do with education. Coming from Finland where students have always been free to to be individuals, I've always found the school uniform thing really weird. Even more odd is schools telling kids what hairstyles to have, what make up to (not) wear etc.

The age old "rich vs. poor" clothing argument is also ridiculous. Bullies will always find one reason or another to bully others. Should everyone also wear fat suits so those who are overweight blend in and won't get bullied? Or everyone wear paper bags over the heads so nobody can bully someone with unusual facial characteristics (etc.)? 

A school is not an army - let kids be kids. 

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

According to The Isaan Record webpage, students at Kaen Nakhon Wittayalai School, in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen, who were not wearing uniforms, were separated in a conference hall and barred from attending the daily playing of the national anthem.

Bonus.

16 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

 

   They are legally required to send their kids to school .

If they can afford non uniform clothes, then they can afford uniforms .

  Every Mother in Thailand can afford to pay for school uniforms , 

And those that can't can get assistance from charitable institutions.