I/May 2008 Vol.3
PAGES from ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, UNDIKSHA Headline News
WHAT’Z WRONG WITH SCHOOL UNIFORM?
I still remember when I was in primary school, I used to wear sandals, bring a plastic bag in which I put my books and pencil in it, and never iron my school uniform. Almost all of my friends did the same thing, wearing sandals, bringing a plastic bag and never ironing their school uniform. It was so simple for us. We never care with that situation. The important thing for us is we can go to school and get knowledge. Never ironing my school uniform continues until I entered junior high school, even until I entered senior high school. But now, I was very shock when realizing that our school uniform nowadays has changed significantly into ‘more trendy’ even ‘too trendy’ and seem to be less discipline.
It is clear that our school uniform now is going to be “liberal” just for trendy. The case of a trendy school uniform is less appropriate for the education environment. As is known, school is a place for students to learn to be a knowledgeable person and has a good moral. We cannot avoid that television has an important role in giving influence for students. Many students are influenced by the style of the student’s characters in series or films. It is clear that many Indonesian series or films which filming I know that now we are in globalization school’s life tends to use characters who wearing era in which all life style is influenced by up to untidy school uniform. date information. In this case, our school uniform Perhaps one might argue that the freeis influenced by up to date fashion as what we dom in choosing school uniform is on their choice called as fashionable clothes. Nowadays, our (different basic style). If wee look back to our conschool uniform has changed significantly from sensus, it is clear that style and color for the how it should be. It seems to be more “trendy” school uniform has been regulated. For shirt, we and less discipline. If we look at the girls’ school have blue and red “batik” with various designs, uniform of senior high school, you will be aston- white shirt, and “pramuka” (light brown shirt). ished knowing that many of them are dare However, as what we can see now, many school enough to wear short tight skirt and sexy tight try to make their own motif for their own school shirt. They also like to wear too many accessories uniform. It seems clear, then, that liberal school which they put in their shirt or school bag. Whereas for the boys of senior high school, they uniform is a rebellion for the school regulation. It often wear a trouser in which the lower part of the is something ironic if we look at the fact now that students who are going enter a school has been trouser is very tight. Moreover, they often wear socialized about the rule of wearing school unibig necklace made of stainless steel or wearing big bracelet made of silver and sometimes they form (...to page 3) use a small size of bracelet made of latex.