Poverty, uniforms and Christmas clothes

Last week our local Catholic School Board passed a motion to bring a standardized dress code (read: uniforms) to all elementary schools, beginning next September. The Policy wording states that their goal is to create a 'unified sense of belonging for all students' and 'equalize all students regardless of a family's socio-economic background.'

I understand the appeal, I went to a high school with uniforms and loved them. I didn't have to consider what I what to wear on any given morning, nor did I worry about whether it had the right label on it or not. Unfortunately, this only counted for tops and bottoms - shoes were still an important designation of 'coolness' as was jewellry, coats, backpacks and the like. Uniforms didn't exactly create a unified school - there were still jocks, geeks and mean girls. student council types, prefects, drama kids and the football team. Regardless of what went on your body, you were judged based on the classes you frequented, the friends you hung out with and whether or not you skipped on 'skip day.' Oh, the pressure.

Fast forward and here I am, a 30-year old parent with two lovely kiddos (and a third on the way). I very much value the Catholic school system as I love that each day my son (in afternoons JK) learns not only his ABCS, but about the role of faith in his every day life. He has made the transition to student with relative ease; making friends, learning without disrupting others and even (gasp) completing homework on occasion.

Ironically, my son is attending the same school as I did many years ago. This school is set in a small corner of a very tight-knit community, touting many blue collar workers and a large variety of families. We consider ourselves 'average', whatever that means. We are not wealthy, but we are able to put food on the table and send our children to swimming lesssons. We are not hung up on brands, however I do prefer to purchase quality children's clothing and shoes. I'll even admit I shop mostly in the USA, as the cost of orthopaedic shoes is less than half the cost as in our neck of the woods. I can easily outfit my children for $10-15 per day, and quality clothes that wash and wear well are only replaced when they no longer fit or are appropriate for the ever-changing seasons.

So why the beef with uniforms? Good question.

Part of me is concerned about the ongoing cost of regulated clothing. I appreciate that the School Board revised the policy to state that certain colours and styles are required, not one brand of embroidered top and bottom. Yet, can I seriously outfit my children at my self-imposed price point, all season long? Inevitably they grow, more often at the most inconvenient times. How often and how many of each item will be required?

I'm also worried about my son's reaction to the news that his favourite fire truck shirts and shoes are no longer welcome at school. Most parents rely on the ability to convince a child it's time to get dressed because there's a flashy (insert fun character here) shirt at hand if they listen the first time and get dressed. How do I explain that his teachers are allowed to wear whatever colour of tops and bottoms they'd like to, while he must sport navy or white tops and navy bottoms regardless of what strikes his fancy that morning. I can't even imagine what his little sister is going to do without the ability to wear pink daily.

Mostly I worry that uniforms are just an excuse, another opportunity to 'mask' the poverty that exists in our school system, in every system. I honestly don't remember the clothes my classmates wore in elementary school, however I do remember the student with elastic bands holding his shoes together, as well as the classmate who smelled so bad no-one would sit near him. This is the side of poverty that uniforms simply cannot unify.

I distinctly remember a child, in my grade three class, who ran around for weeks before Christmas shouting "Christmas clothes! Christmas clothes!" whenever we spoke about the holidays and our pending school Christmas concert. We jeered him I'm sad to say, as he seemed to sing-song it wherever he went. For YEARS this was a commonly used joke in my class, as eventually that student moved away. I'm sure I even taught my brother the sing-song at some point.

What I realize now, as an adult, is that this child only received new clothes at Christmas. But once a year. He was so excited for his 'Christmas Clothes!' because he lived in such poverty that new clothes were out of the question. My heart sinks now when I think of this child, what a life he must have led.

Would uniforms have made his life better or worse? I don't know the answer to that but I do know that if my teachers and perhaps even my parents had really listened and realized the underlying issue in this little school yard joke - we, at age 8, did not understand what poverty was - then perhaps this child would have celebrated without judgement or jeering from his peers.

Poverty exists in our own school, our community and beyond. We need to teach our children what it looks and feels like in order to support their acceptance of others less fortunate than ourselves.

Uniforms or not, my children will understand that while they cannot always change the cycle of poverty, they will be required to support their peers, regardless of whether or not they have new clothes at Christmas time.