NHS Students vs. School Uniforms

          In both public and private schools, school dress code and uniform requirements have become highly debated topics as the years progress. Whether or not students should be required to wear school-issued clothing has become an issue for not only school principals, but school adminstration as a whole. Students are beginning to speak up about this topic, a topic they are extremely passionate about, and are unwilling to give in to the demands of their schools without contributing their own input.

          Students at Norton High School, a public high school located in Norton, Massachusetts, are currently not required to wear a uniform of any kind. As long as students adhere to the school dress code - shoulder straps must be at least three-finger lengths wide, dresses and shorts must be down to your fingertips, no gang attire can be worn, etc. - the school staff and administration do not have a problem with what the students wear. When asked her view on the whether or not public school students should be required to wear a mandated school uniform, Olivia Karcis, an NHS senior, said "I do think it would be nice if public schools had uniforms. Although it is highly unlikely that such a drastic decision would be passed, I think it would really give the school a clean, unified look."

          Unfortunately for Olivia, her view does not represent Norton High School - or most public high schools, for the matter - as a whole. Max Marcotte, a junior at NHS, expressed an opinion extremely different to that of Olivia's: "School uniforms are only for private schools. We shouldn't have to wear that crap!" While it is clear that the student body is equally divided on the matter, the school's faculty seem vaguely indifferent to the uniform debate. When asked his opinion on what students should and should not wear, junior varsity coach and math teacher Eric Grasso stated "I think it would be nice if students all wore the same thing, but I also think they should have the freedom to decide on what they choose to wear. Really, I don't know to think. I think it all comes down to what the administation and student body can agree upon."

          Although it remains unclear whether the students of Norton High School will wear uniforms in the near (or distant) future, one thing is for sure: not everyone is agreement about sporting a purple and white polo shirt everyday and a pair of pleated khakis to match.

A group of NHS students and an example of everyday dress-code

            An interview with public school students on wearing (and not wearing) school uniforms