Hassle in uniform

School uniforms have come a long way from the homely long skirt and blouse; And the school girl who wore her braids long and bound with colourful ribbons, a happy memory. She has continued to rediscover herself in trimmed and redesigned versions of school uniforms to keep pace with the ephemeral whims of fashion. Yet, the pervasive force of authority that dictates the moral codes in any age speaks loud and clear in every fold of the imposed dress code. While sartorial improvisations in boys’ uniforms have remained minimal, girls have had to tailor their fancies to match the extra pleats and additional frills on most occasions. In the sepia-tinted times of demure long skirts, the knee-length pinafores or skirts introduced in schools must have made a bold statement. “I was so embarrassed to wear the new uniform that I vowed not go to school,” remembers Leela Raman, a housewife settled in Sasthamangalam. The day she wore her pleated, just-below-the-knee skirt and shirt to school is vivid in the memory of the 35-year-old. “I was in a government school in Alappuzha until fifth standard and wore a very unfashionable uniform until then. And one day, I along with my two siblings, were brought to Thiruvananthapuram to live with our father, who was a government servant here. I was enrolled in a convent school and all on a sudden there was this ‘shirt, skirt, tie and shoes’ combo thrust upon the poor village belle that I was,” laughs Leela.Stylish uniform was one of the winning formulae of private schools that cropped up during the late 70s. While the baggy shirts in coarse cotton worn by the boys were ironed out into prim and proper gentleman clothes, the girls could flaunt their stocking-clad legs in the pleated skirts. The less-privileged wards of government schools would often steal envying glances at their dashing counterparts  tiptoeing down the roads.It was not long before colleges followed suit and introduced uniforms too. The prominence gained by professional courses like engineering, business management and hotel management coincided with a new-found consciousness about the necessity for students of these disciplines to be markedly different and superior to their social sciences-and-arts-learning fellow students. However, there have always been voices of dissent. Says Khyrunnisa A, faculty in the English Department of All Saints’ College, Chacka, “It is good to have uniforms in schools as it would help children to grow up without being aware of differences. But, college is the time when you begin to explore the world and assert your identity. It is the most happy and carefree period of life too. Youngsters should be allowed their freedom during that period.” Being a teacher in an institution that has allowed the liberty to its students with conditions, she must know the pros and cons. “If uniforms would impart some sort of discipline in the whole system, I  think it could be considered in some cases,” she muses. Of late, the trend is for uniforms to launder away gender disparities. In a world where men and women vie for chances and challenges, the days of differential dress codes at school or office is evidently passe. Christ Nagar International School, Kowdiar, one of the first schools in the city to introduce a unisex dress code for their co-ed institution, prescribes shirt, suit and pants for boys and girls. “The gender aspect of the uniform was not a criterion for us,” clarifies Principal Fr Josey Kollammalil. “We have set the bars as per international standards and we want our students to imbibe the confidence and stature to match that. It is important for them to feel special and reassured about themselves and their presence in a group. The uniform is designed to cater to these aspects,” he says. While the updates in fashion are well-received among parents on most occasions, the health implications of buttoned up coats have not escaped criticism. A medical practitioner and father of a child studying in a convent school in the city is known to have raised his voice at PTA meetings against the uniform that does not consider the climatic conditions of the city. His voice, understandably, has been drowned among those of the ‘ye’ sayers, which was probably why we could not track down his contact details, despite many attempts.