Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards (e.g. submarine captain, flight lieutenant, firefighter, policemen, gendarme…), in some workplaces (for ex. nurse) and schools and also by inmates in prison.
For sure you know that across the world uniforms are worn in schools. For many people school uniforms are a normal thing but like lots of things it has advantages and disadvantages. And it is also a hot political topic right now in the wake of violence at many schools. What are the potential benefits and problems?
I think there are three main advantages of school uniforms. The first one is that it will give students a sense of order; they can learn to obey rules and the second one is that teachers can easily maintain order in their classes because their students have a sense of order, being forced to wear uniforms. Also, making students wear school uniforms could discourage them from wearing unsuitable clothes to school. And the third one - it can swab the social divergence between rich and pool families.
On the other hand, however, there are also at least three disadvantages. The first one is that it might make some students feel uncomfortable. If their uniforms do not suit them, they might feel ashamed of duty in their school days. This is not good for teenagers' mental health and could cause depression. Also, students cannot work in something that they don't like to wear. The second one is that a school uniform will remove from students the opportunities to “express themselves”. According to the studies of non-verbal communication, choosing what we wear is one of the most important aspects of non-verbal communication. The third one is that it could become one of the causes of juvenile delinquency. Some students feel frustrated because they cannot pick out what they wear to school. This frustration might make them feel violent, which could lead to juvenile crimes.
In conclusion, there are always two sides of one coin and fortunately you can always choose if to inscribe your child to a school where the uniforms are obligatory or to leave him/her study at a “normal” school, where jeans, shorts or fancy T-shirts are possible.
Zdroj: Oxford dictionary, 1999
although = ačkoliv, přestože
armed forces = ozbrojené síly, armáda
ashamed = zahanbený, stydět se
be forced to = být (při)nucený k
ceremonial = slavnostní, parádní, obřadní, ceremoniální
coin = mince
discourage = odrazovat, zastrašit, zrazovat, znechutit, vadit, ztratit odvahu
divergence = rozdíl, odlišnost
duty = povinnost, služba
emergency services = pohotovostní oddíly, pohotovostní služba
fancy = pestrý, pestrobarevný, ozdobný
flight lieutenant = kapitán válečného letectva
gendarme = četník (ve Francii)
choose = vybrat
identifiable = identifikovatelný
immediately = okamžitě
inmate = chovanec, vězeň
inscribe = zapsat
juvenile = mladistvý
lead = vést
maintain = udržovat, prosazovat
obey = poslouchat, řídit se, být poslušný
obligatory = povinný
opportunity = příležitost
pick out = vybrat, zvolit si
remove = odstranit, vyloučit, sejmout
rule = pravidlo, nařízení, řád, norma
suit = padnout
swab = stírat
themselves = sami sebe
uncomfortable = nepohodlný
unsuitable = nepadnoucí, nevhodný, nepřinměřený, neúčelný, nevyhovující
violence = násilí
violent = násilnický, prudký, násilný, mohutný
wake = probuzení, vzrůst
wear (minulý čas worn) = nosit, mít na sobě
