Magda, 17
I hate the idea of school uniforms because I hate all forms of uniformization, making people think the same, wear the same clothes, listen to the same music. I hate articles about fashion which tell mean that this spring I should wear blue and I shouldn’t wear red. For me it is all slavery. Well, for the time being I haven’t been a slave – I always wear what I want. Now if school uniforms are obligatory, I will feel very bad about it. I hope I will finish school until it really happens. Or perhaps it won’t be introduced in all schools – then I will look for one which will not limit my freedom.

Zosia, 18
I like the idea of uniforms because in my school the labels and prize of clothes you wear are too important. I hate the fact that I have to ask my parents to buy me brand jeans for example or that my mum’s shoes are cheaper than mine. You simply can’t wear no matter what because you feel worse. My parents understand and I try not to exaggerate, but I feel bad about it – about the fact that I am too weak to protest against this. If uniforms were obligatory, it wouldn’t be a problem.

Antek, 17
I don’t like this idea. I have my favourite, casual clothes: jeans, combat trousers, T-shirts. I think uniforms look stupid. I don’t want to wear some navy blue sweater and look like some posh English boy. Perhaps if uniforms would mean that we all wear Levis jeans of the same colour and black T-shirts, I wouldn’t mind. Boys do not care so much about clothes. I guess for girls uniforms will be worse, because now they are thinking only about clothes, they really are fashion victims. What are they going to talk about if they all wear the same?

Ania, 18
I don’t mind uniforms. I have always thought they are elegant and they give the whole school some feeling of, I don’t know, prestige perhaps. But what is driving me mad is that uniforms are to be used to fight violence at schools. The government thinks that it is enough that we wear the same and violence will disappear. I think the reasons for violence are much more varied and the problem is deeper than what we look like. People who are now able to judge other people on the basis of what labels they wear, will have different methods. We might still wear different shoes or jewellery. I think the problem of violence at schools should be solved with different methods and the same look will not guarantee discipline.

Mikołaj, 17
I don’t mind uniforms, but my mum hates this idea. She says uniforms will be expensive. She is also afraid that she will have to do the washing all the time, for example if we have to wear white shirts, she will have to remember about it, or simply have so many shirts that it will be enough for the whole week, but it would be too expensive, I guess. Now it is easy, I’ve got about ten T-shirts, we do the washing only at the weekend. You don’t have to iron the T-shirts or jeans, but with the uniform it might be different. My mum works a lot and I think it might be that I will have to think about my uniform, not her. I just imagine waking up in the morning, finding out there are no clean shirts, washing the shirt in the sink, drying it with the hair-dryer and ironing. It happened to me on the first day of school, I wouldn’t really like to repeat it. Of course I was late, but I guess I can’t be late everyday for school!

Improve your vocabulary!

uniform – mundurek, uniform
slavery – niewola
obligatory – obowiązkowy
limit – ograniczać
freedom – wolność
exaggerate – przesadzać
prestige – prestiż
violence – przemoc
find out – odkryć, dowiedzieć się