?_? 14 April 2003 — Girl students in the Kingdom’s public schools will soon be switching to more pleasant uniforms, replacing the existing dull clothing that has seen 15 years of dislike by children as well as parents. The Ministry of Education has agreed to the changeover from the next academic year.
The new two-piece uniform (shirt and sleeveless dress) will replace the old uniforms — long-sleeved dress — blue for elementary, pink for intermediate and yellow for secondary grade girls.
The new uniform will be in beige for elementary, navy blue for intermediate and green for secondary grade.
Arab News spoke to a cross-section of students, parents and teachers for their reaction about the new uniforms. Some consider it a major change while others do not see any difference except for the interchange of colors between the grades.
Samya, a public school teacher, said the changeover would definitely evoke a lot of positive reaction from the students. “I think the girls will feel much better in this two-piece uniform and they will look much better wearing it.”
Karima, a mother and housewife, told Arab News there was no big change. “I find the new uniform as bad as the old one, which was more of a peasant dress though not cheerful or functional. Our public school uniforms are not designed for modern girls who like to dress fashionably. I am not saying that they should dress in party clothes at school, but at the same time they should wear uniforms that make them feel good about themselves.”
Fatma, a mother and teacher, thinks the Ministry of Education should stick to the old dress code. “The style is still dull and old and the colors are much worse. Beige for elementary students is very strange. Also, green is a very unattractive color for girls. At least the old uniform had much brighter colors. I think the problem is that uniforms are decided and designed by men in the Ministry of Education.”
Khalada, an intermediate student, thinks uniforms are one of the problems of public schools. “Our uniforms make us look 100 years older and uglier than private school students. What’s wrong with wearing long skirts and shirts like private school girls? The uniform is so dull that we look like our grandmothers.”
Asked about the new uniforms, she said, “Well, the colors are worse, and we will be wearing stuff that is not stylish. It’s just another ugly uniform.”
