Uniforms voted out at Watson Chapel

School uniforms have now come and gone in both the Pine Bluff and Watson Chapel school districts.

The fact that uniform wear for students falls in and out of favor speaks to the fact that one can find enough studies and pros and cons to make a case for requiring them and also for not requiring them.

A smart cookie letter writer a while back, when the Pine Bluff district had dropped its requirement, wrote that, according to the U.S. Department of Justice report, “School uniforms may decrease violence and theft, prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at school, promote student discipline, help parents and students resist peer pressure, help students concentrate on their schoolwork, and enable school officials to recognize school intruders.”

Then there was an Ohio State study that was reported a few years ago and was introduced with the headline: School uniforms don’t improve child behavior, study finds.

Basically, you can find what you want to find with how you Google the subject: Students hate wearing them but they’re effective, stated one study. And from the National Institutes of Health, there was this introduction to a study: “Whether or not schoolchildren exhibit better behavior in the context of wearing uniforms has been a long-standing area of debate in education. Nonetheless, there has been little empirical inquiry into the benefits or drawbacks of school uniform policies.”

So take what you will and leave the rest or vice versa.

We do get the allure of picking something new off the shelf of possibilities. “Hey, look, this says wearing uniforms helps with violence.” Or “Wow, don’t we want our children to be self-actualized by being able to express who they are in their attire?” Please, anything to move the needle in a positive direction.

And so it was at Watson Chapel, although the decision, like others it seems at Watson Chapel, came abruptly. The new superintendent, Keith McGee, said that after the meeting on July 8, when he was officially hired, parents and students “hit me up” about the subject. That led to a quick powwow of the district’s leadership team and a vote to get rid of uniforms. The board then voted on July 25 to officially do away with the uniforms, giving parents not a lot of time to pivot to buying another wardrobe for sissy and junior to wear to school, which starts on Aug. 19.

Oh, and for you parents who thought ahead and already bought what the kids need for the upcoming school year, sorry about that. Do you still have the receipts?

So logistically, the matter wasn’t handled in the best way, but with so many arrows pointing in so many different directions on school uniforms, it is not surprising that, for the time being, they are out.

Our heart does go out to those who will have to take on the role of wardrobe police. Even with the uniforms, they probably stayed busy, as school board president Goldie Whitaker said there was much variation on what constituted acceptable styles for khakis and dress shirts.

Now, however, there will be limitless numbers of styles, bringing with them such questions as: “Is that shirt long enough over your leggings?” or “Is that skirt too short?” or “Is that an improper image on your T-shirt?”

We’re sure it’ll all work out, aggravations and all, and that the good teachers at Watson Chapel will find a way to inspire and teach their young charges, no matter what they’re wearing.