School Uniform Policies in University of the Philippines: A Solution to Reconsider

As a student who has worn school uniforms all her life, and then entered a university with no uniform policies, former classmates would always ask me: “Kamusta yung walang uniform? (How’s life with no uniforms?)”, “Di ka ba natatagalan magbihis sa umaga? (Doesn’t it take long to get ready in the morning?)”, or “Di ka ba nauubusan ng damit? (Don’t you run out of clothes?).”

Before entering UP, I have always known that UP didn’t have any uniform policies, that anyone could wear whatever they want, and I always wanted that. Now that I am under no uniform policies, I realized its drawbacks. But it seemed like others didn’t realize the same. It seemed like no one ever questioned why UP had no uniforms, what could happen if we had uniforms, or if uniforms could actually benefit us. Everyone just seemed to accept that we had none.

I conducted personal interviews and electronic surveys to gather the opinions, insights, and sentiments of some UP students. I got a total of 118 respondents from UP Diliman, UP Los Banos, and UP Baguio.

Most of those who disagree in implementing uniform policies use cost as the major disadvantage of having a school uniform. As Marie Mendador, a student from UP Los Banos stated, “Uniforms can be quite expensive per set and it would be more tedious to clean if you don't have a set for every day of the week” and a few stated that not all UP students can afford it and that it would pose additional problems for our “fellow Iskolars” who are financially challenged.

However, it is not uncommon to think that school uniforms are expensive. It would require parents and students to shell out cash to buy several sets of them before school starts. In an article in a scholastic magazine, Morgan Salpietro stated that uniforms should not be required as “public schools should be free to attend” and buying uniforms is “like paying for public school” (7). But, some studies have already

contested this idea and proposed that school uniforms are actually cost-effective (Lapoint 1993, West 92). Come to think of it, it really does save money in the long-term.

Here in our university, the weekly schedule of PE classes is usually a two-hour session for one day (Monday or Saturday) or an hour for two days (Tuesday-Thursday or Wednesday-Friday) and instructors usually require students to wear the official PE uniform. However, instructors only require students to wear the shirt and allow them to wear whatever they want for their bottoms, as long as it is fit and comfortable for physical activities. The official UPD PE uniform costs around P350 for the shirt and P350 for the pants or shorts, amounting to P700 per set. With that weekly schedule, at least one shirt can last a student four years or more. If we assume that a regular school uniform costs around P500-P1,000 and buying 3 sets would cost around P1,500-P3,000. That can be financially heavy, but you can wear it for four years and more. which saves you the amount you spend buying, say, even one piece of clothing every semester. And, according to a few of the interviewees, uniforms can be easily washed in-between days as compared to jeans and the like, so they won’t need a set of uniform for each day.

The financial burden could be lessened if uniforms are also subsidized. Martson Badilla, a freshman student from UP Diliman College of Education, stated that “uniforms would be well-accepted if it is compensated by the government.” This is also agreed upon by Anton Parras, a student from UP Diliman College of Architecture, who said that “if the government could give a ‘uniform allowance’ for every student, then I would be glad to have uniforms.”

According to the survey, 42% think that uniforms are effective in saving time getting ready in the morning. Ro Anne Gamboa, a student from UP Los Banos answered, “aside from it is more formal and decent, it will remove the hassle of choosing clothes and buying more clothes.” Ryan Cabrera had the same sentiments as well, saying “It will save us time to think about what we will wear for the day.”

In a separate question, 57% answered 10 minutes or more when asked how much time it takes for them to plan, pick out, and prepare their outfit every day (24% answered an average of 3 to 5 minutes, 12% for less than 3 minutes and 7% for 5 to 9 minutes). Most of them answered that uniforms are indeed effective in saving time. A few of them are those who answered none of the above and thinks that uniforms should not be implemented, even though having no uniform is costing them 10 minutes or more of their time. But that doesn’t take away the fact that a significant amount of time is wasted each morning going through the “hassle of choosing clothes”, as to how Gamboa described it. Caryl Castaneda, a student from UP Baguio, agreed with this, saying “it would be helpful if we take into consideration planning out outfits and issues on ‘nauubusan ng damit’.”

Ellaine Rabenitas, a student from UP Los Banos College of Science, has stated that the dilemma in choosing clothes in the morning mostly comes from the pressure to look nice, aside from weather conditions and events. This is proven by 52% of the respondents who think that uniforms are effective in giving less pressure to dress “nicely”. This appeared to have the most votes as a factor that makes uniforms effective.

Kizis discussed how dress codes were made in a school in Boston in an “attempt to reduce fashion competition among students” (18). This competition, apparently, puts students under pressure leading them to focus on how they look instead of focusing on their academic performance. Although Andrew Sopungco, a student from the UP Diliman College of Engineering, have stated that outer appearance and outfit should not dictate the personality of a person, a significant amount of the respondents have felt pressured to dress “nicely”, which drives them to strive hard to pick out a “desirable” outfit for the day. In line with this, Joseph Chan, a student from UP Diliman, has stated that uniforms “lowers the chance of judging others with what they wear since they all wear the same clothes”, further implying that the pressure felt by students come from the fear of being judged.

Josephson listed bullying as an effect of this pressure in her article “The Pros and Cons of School Uniforms.” Although there have been no known cases of this in the Philippines, many cases, in countries like the USA, have proved that school uniforms reduce in-campus bullying, gang fights, and violence in general (Kizis 18, Murray 108). The survey revealed that 11% believe that uniforms are effective in reducing bullying.

Marcaida, in her article titled “The Dress Code: School Uniform” has also reiterated what Josephson has discussed but implied that social class is further pronounced by not having school uniforms. Clothing shows the economic status of the student and can be easily compared among his peers. This increases the pressure felt by the students and the need to “fit in” arises – a “socioeconomic tension” that affects students who cannot fit in with these standards and trends (OSSI “Are Uniforms Good For School Security & Safety?”)

One of the prevalent factors in considering school uniforms is security and safety (Chen 3). Having school uniforms provide for better and faster identification of the students and the campus visitors. On campuses like UP Diliman, UP Los Banos, and UP Baguio, visitors can easily access and roam around the campus without identification cards, sometimes even inside the buildings when

overlooked by security guards. According to Kate Javier, a student from UP Los Banos College of Science, “uniforms are effective for the school to easily check and monitor their students.”

While no major offenses have happened regarding this issue, it is not new for UP students to be approached by strangers when sitting on bus stops or around the sunken garden. It has become a long- running inside joke (and part of UP culture, others might say) sitting on the benches around the sunken garden is an invitation for small talks with people who asks for 5 minutes of your time to share the word of God, or org members trying to invite you for orientations.

I personally have experienced these, and I did not have any problems with it until one time, a man, another one of Bible-sharers (as UP students would call it), approached me while I was waiting for my older brother, in the Peace Rock just outside Benitez Hall. I usually went with the “I am not interested. I am just waiting for a friend” excuse but he insists that it would just be very short. I was feeling uncomfortable until my brother arrived and asked if I knew the man. When the man left, my brother told me to be cautious of strangers especially when I’m out sitting alone in these areas, because you never know what they might do, and they usually approach when someone is alone or in small groups.

When we are in uniforms, it is easier to distinguish strangers and visitors from the students. Not that if the man was wearing a uniform, I would’ve trusted him more. It is more like when we know who the strangers and our fellow students were, we could be more cautious. Vincent Pataray, a freshman student from UP Diliman College of Science stated that he shares the same security concern. According to him, if no uniform policies are implemented, the university should re-assess security policies and “stricter implementation of ID policy”.

But ultimately, the very reason why UP students would disagree with uniforms is that it inhibits freedom of expression. As Angelie Buela, a freshman student from UP Diliman College of Education says it, “UP is a freedom-oriented university” and that by extinguishing the no uniform policy may “hinder our freedom to express ourselves in the academic community.” Vincent Pataray has also said that “In a sense, a lack of uniform is already an identity in UP.” Interviewees have stated that the "no uniform policy" is part of the identity of UP and its students. Mark Raterta, a transferee student from UP Diliman College of Education, viewed the no uniform policy as “part of our academic freedom.”

Academic freedom, as defined by Regents of University of Michigan, “thrives not only on the independent and uninhibited exchange of ideas among teachers and students but also, and somewhat inconsistently, on autonomous decisionmaking by the academy itself” (qtd. by Estrada “Academic freedom: For the academy, not for academicians?”). Academic freedom entitles the students to learn what they want to learn, the teachers could teach what they want to teach, and the university can impose what it wants to impose without sacrificing the needs of their students and faculty. It doesn’t, however, discount the possibility of uniforms. Marcaida has also discussed how uniforms “don’t suppress individuality, they enhance it.” Personality, individuality, and self-expression could always be expressed even with uniforms. It could be expressed in the way they style, wear and bring a simple uniform.

The debate about uniform policies has been ignored for the past years. There is no evident majority if UP students would prefer having uniforms. Everyone has their own reasons for preference. However, we cannot deny the seemingly small – but accumulating – problems that having uniform policies can solve. In educational institutions, issues such as bullying, peer pressure, financial capability, and security should be of equal importance with academic concerns. If having uniforms could lessen the frequency and prevalence of these concerns, why shouldn’t we consider it?