School uniforms as political battleground

JUST SOME THOUGHT: Given the recent issue in Pilar College, I have come to assume that a school uniform is a political signifier, an indication of ideologies that dominate a certain educational/ learning institution.

Below are the three arguments that come to mind with regards to the topic, and the values at stake for each.

1. For all, to wear or NOT to wear school uniforms – Centers on the promotion of respect for individuals regardless of social class; promotion of the Constitutionally guaranteed right of every Filipino to have access to education, regardless of social class.
2. For women, to wear or NOT to wear skirts as uniforms – Centers on the promotion of gender equality and on the protection against gender discrimination. (Please see related post. Click here.)
3. For Muslim women in Catholic Christian schools, to wear or NOT to wear veils – Centers on the balance between schools’ academic freedom and students’ religious freedom.