School Uniforms
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Marion
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Todd
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Todd: Marion, at the school you work at, do the children wear uniforms?
Marion: Yes they do.
Todd: Ah, that's terrible.
Marion: Do you think so?
Todd: Yeah.
Marion: I think it's a good thing that they wear uniforms. For them, and for their parents too.
Todd: Why?
Marion: Well, because when they wake up in the morning, they don't have to think about what they wear for that day. So, it saves time, they can have extra time in bed maybe, and for their parents it saves them a lot of money, I think.
Todd: See, I disagree. First of all, when children are young, they're starting to be creative for the first time. So, just by choosing what they're going to wear every day, they're can show their creativity, or their individuality, you know? Also, it helps students learn to make choices, to make decisions, to make decisions for themselves. I don't know, like a uniform you take that away from children.
Marion: I think they can learn how to choose in other ways, maybe, I don't know the accesories they wear, but basically that everybody is in the same clothes I think is really good, just to make everybody equal. Did you wear a uniform when you were at school?
Todd: No I didn't. And looking back, I'm glad I didn't, because you know, your clothes reflect your personality, and I think that it's important for kids to be able to show how they are as a person, through their clothes.
Marion: But maybe if you can show your personality through your personality, and you don't need your clothes to show your personality, then that's a bit better, I think.
Todd: That's a good point. I guess I just can't imagine wearing a uniform every day. Plus, I mean if you wear a uniform every day it must get really old, really repetitive, the same thing again and again and again. And I think that mentally, that can be tiring.
Marion: I think that it might be tiring, or worrying mentally if you, for example, if you see other children in your school who have nicer clothes, more expensive clothes, and your parents can't afford those kind of clothes. Then, it makes you feel left out when you're a child, and that's really, really awful if you feel that way as a child, just because of clothes and money I think.
Todd: Well, did you wear a uniform?
Marion: Yes.
Todd: Did you feel that way?
Marion: I went to school in Ireland, so almost all schools have uniforms, so for us it felt very normal, that when I was in primary school we had a uniform, and then in secondary school a different uniform, and my brother's school had a uniform, so it's normal for us. So, I thought it was OK, sometimes you do get bored, but I think overall it saved us time in the morning, which is good.
it saves time
Children don't have to think about what to wear for that
day, so it saves time.
When something 'saves time' it makes things easier or more convenient. For example, fast food saves time because you don't have to cook or sit down in a restaurant. Notice the following:
- It saves time to take alternative roads when the traffic
is bad.
- Buying salad in a bag saves time.
individuality
When kids choose what to wear, they can show their
creativity or their individuality.
Your 'individuality' is what makes you different from other people. It is something that is unique about you. Notice the following:
- Each of my friends expresses her individuality in a
different way.
- I don't like to shop in trendy stores because I can't
find things that express my individuality.
reflect your personality
Your clothes reflect your personality, so I think it's
important for kids to choose what to wear.
If something 'reflects your personality' it indicates what type of person you are. For example, if you are an artist you probably have a different style than someone interested in technology. Notice the following:
- I don't think your style of music reflects your
personality.
- The books she reads reflect her personality.
it must get really old
If you wear a uniform every day, it must get really old and
really repetitive.
When something 'gets really old' it becomes boring or frustrating. Notice the following:
- It gets really old waiting for you all the time.
- It must get really old listening to the same music at
work every day.
makes you feel left out
If you see other children wearing nicer clothes, which your
parents can't afford, that makes you feel left out.
You feel ' left out' when you are different than your peers or friends and don't want to be. You can feel left out if they can all do something or have something that you do not. You feel excluded for some reason. Notice the following:
- When he had to stay home because he was sick he felt
really left out.
- It makes her feel left out when you all speak in
Spanish.
Vocabulary Quiz
old • left out
