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I went to a school with a strict uniform code. The hall monitor would check for well polished shoes(white canvas shoes on mondays, black leather/faux leather re

I went to a school with a strict uniform code. The hall monitor would check for well polished shoes(white canvas shoes on mondays, black leather/faux leather rest of the days. The faux leather was a religious exemption, but they didn’t care as long as the girls wore Mary Jane type shoes. Boys had a different design), nails(no long untrimmed nails or polish). Having said that..we had free rein over hair. As long as it was not loose and plaited neatly, any style is fine. We could wear flowers in our hair and earrings as this was in India and there were social/cultural/religious reasons for girls wearing jewelery, flowers and even henna on our hands. Also: Fridays were non uniform days for grades 5 and lower. And you can wear anything you want on your birthday..all grades. We still had to march to class and up the stairs from daily outdoor morning assembly(20-30 minutes or so) everyday to the music of a band! Prayer, reading of daily news, thought of the day, school announcements, school sports team announcements and national anthem before dispersing in ‘an orderly fashion’. And by that, I mean..we had to march to class in a line(class lines were in height order) When I tell this to kids these days, they think I am pulling their legs. And I thought my school was being strict!!

ajkjk 6y ago
I wonder: how unpleasant was all of that, as a kid at the time? From an outsider's perspective it sounds tyrannical, but there's also something appealing about a codified environment that looks very different than my own life; it would be an alien adventure to get used to it. Well, for a while, until it starts to feel oppressive. I would certainly have a much greater emotional association with band music if I had been made to march to it as a child.
- jelliclesfarm 6y ago
  I loved it! I never thought of my school days as oppressive. They were the best days of my life. I had no worries. I could focus on what I wanted and study without distractions. I had adults I could trust. My friends were all like me and there were few squabbles. If anything, it was a tad protective that it was a little bit jarring when I went to college. I never realised that this wasn’t the norm for many until after my school years. I think I missed out on other people skills and didn’t know how to read cues about people who were different than me. I owe everything that I like about myself to my school teachers. They gave me space to explore..the wiggle room was monitored tho’. They gave me structure and expected discipline. Is that tyrannical? I still talk to my old teachers and am in touch with many of my school friends. It’s been almost 30 years and my math teacher still calls me. Another of my favourite teacher just told me on WhatsApp the other day that I shouldn’t waste my idle time during covid. She has given me exercises for vocal music and I have to sing for her every weekend. I will never be old. I am in California now and a healthy number of my classmates are in the Bay Area. We meet often. I am not under any illusion that my life was perfect, but I only remember the good parts. It was certainly not unpleasant. College was different. I went to a Jesuit institution run by Irish Catholic nuns that unfortunately happened to be the same one my mother went to...and the same nuns were still around and kept calling my mother who ended up being in a bad mood after one or the other would complain about me. Otoh, it amused me to see my mother so rattled because they were able to get that adult in my life so uncomfortable and squirmy with just one unblinking glance. I still laugh out loud when I think about it. My mother..on the other hand..remains unamused.

ajkjk 6y ago

I wonder: how unpleasant was all of that, as a kid at the time? From an outsider's perspective it sounds tyrannical, but there's also something appealing about a codified environment that looks very different than my own life; it would be an alien adventure to get used to it. Well, for a while, until it starts to feel oppressive. I would certainly have a much greater emotional association with band music if I had been made to march to it as a child.

jelliclesfarm 6y ago
I loved it! I never thought of my school days as oppressive. They were the best days of my life. I had no worries. I could focus on what I wanted and study without distractions. I had adults I could trust. My friends were all like me and there were few squabbles. If anything, it was a tad protective that it was a little bit jarring when I went to college. I never realised that this wasn’t the norm for many until after my school years. I think I missed out on other people skills and didn’t know how to read cues about people who were different than me. I owe everything that I like about myself to my school teachers. They gave me space to explore..the wiggle room was monitored tho’. They gave me structure and expected discipline. Is that tyrannical? I still talk to my old teachers and am in touch with many of my school friends. It’s been almost 30 years and my math teacher still calls me. Another of my favourite teacher just told me on WhatsApp the other day that I shouldn’t waste my idle time during covid. She has given me exercises for vocal music and I have to sing for her every weekend. I will never be old. I am in California now and a healthy number of my classmates are in the Bay Area. We meet often. I am not under any illusion that my life was perfect, but I only remember the good parts. It was certainly not unpleasant. College was different. I went to a Jesuit institution run by Irish Catholic nuns that unfortunately happened to be the same one my mother went to...and the same nuns were still around and kept calling my mother who ended up being in a bad mood after one or the other would complain about me. Otoh, it amused me to see my mother so rattled because they were able to get that adult in my life so uncomfortable and squirmy with just one unblinking glance. I still laugh out loud when I think about it. My mother..on the other hand..remains unamused.