SCHOOL UNIFORMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19879, 24 February 1928, Page 8

SCHOOL UNIFORMS.

ANSWER TO OBJECTIONS. GREAT VALUE OF SYSTEM. IA PROFITABLE INVESirMFM*. FOSTERING THE TEAM SPIRIT, BX A SECONDARY SCHOOL MASTER. "That, boy costs me a small fortune in books alone every year, and in addition, I have to rig him out in regulation shirt and shorts, to say nothing of special rnnning singlets, football boots and jerseys, cricketing flannels and a thousand other special rigs. I don't begrudge him the books—a workman must have his tools —but for the life of me I can't see why he can't work as well in a white shirt as in a grey one—and they say education is free in this country!" He was voicing the opinions of many other parents besides himself; it wasn't really that he was up in arms over the matter, but ho was feeling the pinch of keeping his sturdy fifteen-year-old son clothed, fed and educated, and he resented the extra burden of lftmng to purchase a school uniform. Inaturally he wanted to know why. Every secondary school in this country prides itself on the fact that it aims to give its scholars something more than mere book-knowledge. Each one strives to imbue its members with that indefinable something which for want of a better name we call school spirit. The existence of a good school spirit is of untold value to the school itself, and the boy who is imbued with the ideals of his school carries away to his after-life something that will stand him in good stead in his dealings with fellow members of the community. To produce good citizens is surely the aim of modern education. Experience in the Army. It is not the place of this article to dwell upon the many ways and means by which a good school builds up a healthy community spirit. Suffice it to say that by no means the least factor toward this very desirable end is the adoption of & school uniform. Any military man will as:sert that personal neatness has an immense bearing on the morale and general efficiency of his unit. And neatness for a composite body demands uniformity. The school uniform is practically unknown in America. Young America is, however, exceedingly fastidious in its personal appearance. A New Zealander who • had been invited to lecture at an 'American college was somewhat taken, aback when a number of the young ladies of the class produced mirrors and complete make-up outfits during the course of her talk, and proceeded to repair the ravages of the afternoon heat on their shop-bought complexions. The boys disport themselves in any garment that will attract attention, and the more striking their plusfours in colour and design the better they are pleased. America Lags Behind. Our American friends have yet to learn that a school uniform in an aid to school spirit. Indeed the term, "school spirit," is unknown in America. Leading the world in buildings and equipment, they yet lack this great aid to character-building. A prominent headmaster of this country, who has just returned from an overseas visit, is reported as saying:—"The widespread perjury in the law courts, increasing juvenile crime and other forms of corruption that permeate America to-day, have led many to ask if it is not the education system that is to blame. The people of America are beginning ; to realise that there must be something wrong with their system of education, and it is obvious that the trouble lies in the lack of school spirit. They are neglecting the school's chief object—the formation of character." School spirit is therefore not a mere catch-cry, and the school uniform helps. Furthermore, the compulsory wearing of a uniform frequently saves a boy from himself. While still at the primary school the question of clothes interests him little. Many a mother, on meeting a tousled and torn Tommy, consoles herself with the fact that ''Boys will be boys," but with the coming of later adolescence "Seventeen" (or should I say "Fourteen" in 1928) suddenly realises the existence of the opposite sex and begins to give very serious thought to. his plumage. It is then that he runs to such excesses as Oxford Bags. A school uniform solves the clothes question beyond all appeal at this very turbulent period of his life. Unfortunate Tastes of Parents. But if some boys need saving from themselves, many need saving from the unfortunate tastes of their parents. A certain' young gentleman was recently sent to school wearing a new hat, the gift of a fond mother. Now this hat was an excellent hat and eminently suited for school wear—in another generation. The trouble lay in the fact that among the hats worn by the youth of the district it was unique. It wasn't long before amusement turned to ridicule, and at the end of the day the unfojtunate possessor of the headgear had participated in_ no less than 10 bouts of fisticuffs with varying success. It is little wonder that- on the succeeding day he bade his family adieu as usual and then deposited the wrecking influence on the top of a convenient high hedge, retrieving it on his return from school. Unfortunately, however, the hedge solution will not apply for the lad who is sent out in corduroy knickerbockers—so for some at least the regulation shorts, shirt and cap are a salvaSome people have a marked objection to boys who are practically young men wearing "shorts." A bare expanse of leg and knee seems to shock their finer sensibilities. But surely theira is a mock modestv- The vigorous athletic life led by the modern college boy demands a serviceable and practical garb, ensuring perfect ease of movement. In the majority of schools, "longs" are worn on dress occasions. So don't begrudge him his school uniform. The writer is convinced that parents will receive more than an adequate return for their investment—a return that is more than a material one to be measured in pounds, shillings and pence.