The debate about school uniforms has
been ongoing, with ardent supporters on
both sides of the issue. While there are
various statistics, studies, surveys and
professional opinions available, they pro-
vide no definitive answer to the question
of school uniforms.
on academics. Uniformity in dress helps
to put everyone on the same level. It re-
moves the temptation to dress inappro-
priately, to wear expensive items that
others may wish to steal or to wear gang
colors. It improves behavior and easily
identifies those who are not students and
might not belong on the school grounds.
Energy and attention once given to fash-
ion, belongings and differences can be
redirected to the learning process. A cou-
ple of peripheral pluses are decreasing
the stress on early morning family rou-
tines and freeing teachers and school
staff from the role of fashion police to
focus more on their teaching.
for errant teaching about conformity. Op-
ponents argue that school uniforms stifle
creativity and the expression of individu-
alism. This is particularly important dur-
ing adolescence, as students experiment
with and discover personal style, which
will then assist them as they transition to
life in the broader society. Some also feel
that the child's self-image may be nega-
tively affected if they don't like the way
they look in the uniform. The concern
that school authorities are not addressing
the underlying problems of each student,
and that by imposing uniformity they
may be teaching that problems can be
solved if everyone conforms.
schools for some years now, as well as the
rise in violence, Aunt Sally prefers safer
school environments with renewed focus
on academics. "YES!" to the uniform.
There are Christian alternatives to many
secular music genres. A search of the in-
ternet yields some sites that can assist
you, such as www.newsongonline.org.
alternatives really is uplifting to your
faith. God repeatedly tells us to separate
ourselves from the things
of the world. In Ro-
mans 12:2, He tells
us, "Do not con-
form any longer to
the pattern of this
world, but be
transformed by
the renewing of
your mind."
Again, in 1 John
2:15, we are in-
structed, "Do not
love the world or any-
Questions appropriate for printing in the War Cry will be answered through this column.
world, the love of the Father is not in
him." How are we separating ourselves
from the world if we are constantly
emulating aspects of it?
various aspects of the culture to engage
in countercultural combat. Corps
(churches) and youth leaders with good
intentions want to provide Christian alter-
natives to exciting worldly activities. But
is providing Christian raves and night-
clubs really helping our young people to
come out of the world and be more like
Christ? Whenever you're seeking to make
a worldly item part of your Christian walk,
check out all aspects of it first. Often, it's
the accompaniments that pull us back
into the world, such as the way one has
to dress, talk or act when participating.
As with techno-rave, it's not just about
changing the words to Christian lyrics
(if the piece even has lyrics). Techno is
primarily a dance music and the style of
dance calls to the flesh with moves that
often convey sexual acts. If you must take
something from the world, make sure
that doing so will both please and point
others to Christ.
My daughter's elementary
I love the style of the "scene kid"