I recently completed my GCE O level examination for English Language. I have been consistently good in English, but I think ths time around I screwed up. It is making me very worried that I will not do well for this crucial exam. I have managed from memory to recreate the what I have written for the examination, it is not verbatim, but it should be more or less identical and I have preserved the integrity of the main ideas (and fallacies).
Could anyone (hopefully this board has a teacher) tell me whether there is a chance I might fail? I would greatly apprecate it if someone will put my mind at rest.
It is an argumantatve essay. Here goes:
Quote:
Qn 1) The School Uniform gives pupils a sense of identity and encourges good discipline do you agree?
It has been said that the school uniform gives pupils a sense of identity and encourages good discipline. However, from my perspective as a student, I must say that I extrenously disagree with this train of thought.
Before we continue on with this argument, it is necessary to put things into perspective.The school uniform is a standardized dress code in which students must adhere to. The reasons for implementing school uniforms are good ones; to give pupils a sense of identity, to allow them to feel that they have somewhere to belong and feel proud of their school. Also, it is supposed to ensure that maintain a standard of good discipline and prevent disciplinary problems. The school uniform has also been associated with good work ethic. Do not get me wrong, these are all good intentions. However, the school uniform does not accomplish any of these things.
Firstly, there is the popular notion that school uniforms make students work hard and behave well. However, there has been no empirical studies or research done to prove this. The correlation is a tenous one at best. It is almost as though schools are operating on an unfounded assumption that has yet to be proven. A related idea is that a school uniform will prevent disciplinary problems, such as bullying or fighting, from cropping up. The logic behind this is that by making every pupil wear the same clothing, pupils are unable to judge others by the clothing they wear, and thus will not form a 'social heirarchy' where pupils who are too poor afford nice clothing or pupils with poor dress sense are lower down the 'pecking order'. However, the uniform does not keep the heirarchy from forming. Social pariahs still exist. This is because the more judgemental pupils simply find some other basis to bully other pupils, such as a lisp or facial features. I have seen many teachers surprised when there is an incident of bullying or fighting. In this case, the uniform makes disciplinary problems harder to spot as the oppressors and the oppressed are indistinguishable.
Next, many schools are under the impression that wearing a school uniform will somehow make pupils feel a deep emotonal connection to the school. However, it is from my first hand viewpoint that the general feeling that pupils harbour towards the school administration is one of apathy. For pupils to truly identify with the school, there must something about the school they can truly be proud of. When pupils are simply given a school uniform to wear, the connection students feel is artificial at best and non-existant at worse.
Thus, it must be understood that simply implementing school uniforms is very much akin to adding a fresh coat of paint to a delapidated building. The roots of the matter are not being addressed. Instead, by enforcing a dress code, sameness is being promoted. Homogenity is encouraged. This stifling environment and lack of freedom of expression will have debilitating effects on the creativity of the pupils, a skill that is all too essential in the workforce. Furthermore, it creates a deep sense of dissatisfacton among pupils, which leads to further disciplinary problems.
In conclusion, I would like to offer a solution to this confounding problem: Why not use the money that is being spent on unifoms to raise ths standard of education of the pupils? The money could be used to get more electives and activities for the pupils and thus they will feel a sense of pride in their schools. At the same time, talks could be given to promote tolerance and foster hamony, as well as teach good moral values. This will ensure that good discipline is instilled in pupils.
Schools are important as they are responsible for shapng the attitudes of pupils. Thus we must provide them with the best education as possible so that they will become good and useful citizens.
08 Nov 2004, 4:14 am
