New uniforms for secondary students
(CNS): All secondary students in Grand Cayman government schools will be changing to new uniforms for September 2010, the Education Ministry has said, though colours and style has not yet been decided. Years 7 through 11 students at the John Gray and Clifton Hunter Campuses will wear similar uniforms, with distinctive colours for each of the two campuses. Year 12 students will also have a new uniform. Boys will continue to wear standard pants and shirts, and girls will now have the choice of pants or skirts to complement the uniform blouse. Black shoes will continue to be required for all students.
Ministry Chief Officer Mary Rodrigues said that students and parents will be consulted before final decisions are made about the specific colour and style choices for the uniforms. A Uniforms Committee has been meeting regularly and is preparing for formal consultation.
Chief Education Officer Shirley Wahler noted that there is a commitment being undertaken to ensure affordability and value for money.
“Uniforms is one of the topics that has been covered in recent parents meetings at John Gray and George Hicks, and parents have been very enthusiastic in their support for any efforts to ensure that uniforms are affordable.”
Category: Local News
This is just smart. No money to spend on the building of the schools but yet here’s the magic hat again, that holds money for new uniforms. Just the other day I saw the Red Bay Primary School students in thier P.E. uniform and it really made me glad to see that they still wore the same uniform from the time I was going there. Everything that Cayman had is being demolished- from the building structure and now the dress. And the part about them not deciding on the colours as yet, OH PLEASE. I can bet top dollar that that green and blue will be incorporated somewhere in there!
WHY? They say parents will be consulted but the right thing was to consult the parents befpre deciding to make these changes. Did they know that parents can hardly find money to feed their children, I wonder if Govt. has put money aside to buy for those who cant afford the new uniforms.
OH OH blue and green now, red in three years time.
Taking in to account the financial situation of the Islands and the cost concerns of many of the posters on this thread, perhaps we should just go with black and white striped jumpsuits. Buy them a couple sizes too big so they can grow in to them.
Having to buy a different uniform for yr 12 for just one year doesnt make sense!!!
More expense again along with having to purchase everything else at the end of the year for Graduation!!!
Come on Man!!!! I dont have a money tree in my yard!!!!
This is just another way to divert people’s attention from the real topic…its the EDUCATION, stupid not the uniforms!
Many schools have kept the same uniforms for decades yet have consistantly improved the education of their pupils.
A uniform is an identity that holds a sense of pride for students present and past.
More emphasis needs to be placed on instilling the values of discipline, dedication, hard work and the students taking pride in their work.
You can dress a thug in a three piece suit and that doesn’t change anything except the cost of the outfit.
Mr. Education Minister, let us see more action on the things that matter most.
Changing the uniform at this time is unnecessary, expensive and is more of a distraction than a priority.
It would be interesting to know who will get the contract to supply these new uniforms.
If your expression of individuality is to wear your pants half way down your butt, then I am seriously questioning your ability to suceed in this world, unless of course, you are Jay Z or some other diseased moron.
I was passing by the zebra crossing only a few days ago and some ignorant looking thug struts across with his pants just above his knees.
Is he yours?
Ties (for boys and girls) from age 14 – and real leather shoes. Control hairstyles.
Dear Mr. ‘Stagnating Self-expression’,
It is exactly your kind of ‘Warped thinking’ why this country (indeed the World) is the way it has become.
It is one thing to foster individuality, and another to discourage the observance of rules, regulations and guidelines.
A ‘Dress code’ teaches Pride, discipline, and cleanliness in appearance. Wearing Uniforms teaches people to look BEYOND individuality, and embrace the Values of Belonging to, and being a Part of a Community.
Children who are part of a school, linked by common ground, blinded as to outward differences amongst their peers, learn to find the common ground amongst themselves, and unite together as ‘one community’, in-spite their individuality. (Ex. At Sporting events).
The ‘Fashion’ of the uniform doesn’t have any significance to an individual if ALL are wearing the same outfit. If one is "Ugly", then all are Ugly.
This is one of the main reasons why the Military uses Uniforms within the different branches, to unite them through ‘common thread’.
Stop ‘nit-picking’ at the BS, and address the REAL issues that are affecting our students. The Lack of Discipline, Motivation, Respect for Elders, Respect for Authority, and Low Self-esteem, borne out of a lack of self-worth. Why? Because they are not being taught how to ‘Achieve’ anything through hard-work and determination.
One can easily say the Massacre at Columbine was ‘Self Expression’ as well, but how many innocent victims paid the ultimate price for that sort of ‘Individuality’?
Society has Rules for a reason. ‘Individual Expression’ MUST be within the allowance of those Rules. The place to learn this is within the School system, and at home, while we are still young and impressionable.
Thank God! The George Hicks uniforms are hideous. The Education Dept should be ashamed for making students wear those miss matched costumes. Lets see what they come up with next, I hope they choose them with their eyes open this time.
New Uniforms, New Curriculum, but NO new schools!! Finish the schools please and stop interrupting the lives of these young people, anymore. Those parents that bought new uniforms this year, keep your receipts and demand a refund from Government, they should had given you all a 2 year warning of these changes.
No doubt, government will be paying for a lot of these uniforms, as many parents will not be able to "afford" them.
It would be interesting to know who is going to benefit from providing these new uniforms. I agree they are needed but not in the middle of a recession!
but they can afford new shiny blinged up suv’s
and that was exactly my point; my reason for writing "afford" with quotations marks around it…
Its a recession – we are all struggling. Seems a pretty silly time to put parents through additional expenses. Just shows how out of touch from reality they are
We are not "all struggling". Most of us are doing just the same as we did before. If you have not lost your job or over borrowed on short term finance then nothing has changed.
I agree with Wadd! It’s of little consequence what colours they wear if the majority of boys wear pants crumpled around their dirty shoes and slung low across their butts, while their shirts are hanging out. Some girls are little better.
Some PP (personal pride) classes would be a better expenditure (investment?) than new uniform designs.
Ok, so ostentatious school buildings weren’t the right way to correct our failed education system, so let’s get new uniforms. Curriculum changes? Vocational training? What?? No, those approaches are too intelligent.
CNS: See this link for the new curriculum and New Options for 16+ students for plans for vocational studies.
Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. You look like a fool …….
My child just started GHHS this year and I spent alot of money on the uniforms he wears now and was hoping to just add a few next year. Do they realize how expensive this gets for the parents?
I agree. Very poor timing on this.
In an economic downturn why turn the screws on already burdoned parents.
Is anyone in government in touch with reality? Not every makes the mega salaries that civil servants get.
I agree. Needless extra expense for hard-pressed parents, and the complete collapse of the second-hand market.
i just wonder if some crony has been awarded the exclusive right to supply the new stuff?
Holy ****!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What now, the uniforms are going to be green and anything with RED will be banned.
The UDP complained about Government spending money on School Buildings, but I suppose now its ok to have new uniforms because it will be the Parents money this time and not Governments.
For Real, its time for UDP to leave!
You are blessed to be able to get a free education for your children. Many in Cayman have to pay $10,000 a year for it. Children are a great resposibility. If you really cannot afford to buy them a nice set of clothes every year, social services can help, but it would be better if everyone stopped expanding families they cannot already afford. It is called birth control!
Anyway, if you have it for your SUV, you have it for your kids. (oops. did I say that out loud?)
……I don’t get it..?
Let me guess. All the red has to go and all the uniforms will be UDP green.
Just like the order’s of service at the National Heroes Day Celebrations then – wonder what the cost of that reprint was?
O, I waitin’ for the day they try change the colour of John Cumber’s uniform!
Pride is one thing, conforming to rules is another, stagnating self expression and growth (development) is crippling. Stop humiliating our children. we do not live in the 1900s, 1950s or 2000. This is 2010.
Have we not learnt yet that children need to express themselves and not be made to feel bad because of who they are or what they wear.
Why not teach them self worth, respect for self and others and allow them to begin to learn about themselves.
I am all for rules but when rules hurt rather then help, change is necessary.
Stop the antiquated thinking, we must get past what we looked like when we went to school.
If a boy’s hair is long he is ridiculed, if a girl wishes to change her hair style she is ridiculed and made to pay for their sins. They put so much effort into disguising themselves people are schocked when they do finally see that child as he or wishes to appear… because they want to look different. Are we not all different. Stop wasting time on appearance give the children room to grow.
Teenage years are all about that is it not? Bodies changing, minds developing. How can we stifle them and expect positive results. Children learn best if they are comfortable and not self conscious, peer pressure is hard enough. Under this regiment of thought our children will never have a chance to become the positive productive members of society we want and need them to be.
Peer pressure is a hell of a thing. We need strong independent minded children, not molds.
So they spend time in suspension, or out of school rather than learning important subject matter. because they wanted to express themselves. This is sad.
How will we ever raise children that are positive, confident, future leaders if we dont teach them independence and give them self esteem
Express themselves???? Boys wearing their pants down below their waist so their underwears (among other things) show? Shirts untucked, pants dragging..yep they need to express themselves this way…yeah right. Again, aren’t the parents there when purchasing these uniforms? Oh, I guess the parents are "afraid" of saying NO!!!!
They need to take pride in how they look, when you look at the boys dressed like this all you can think is "Gansta, or Street Thug". That is a great way for them to "express themselves"
How about we get them to wear the Uniforms in a decent manner first?
Where is all this B.S. coming from? When I went to school, we wore what we were told to wear, NEAT and TIDY was the dress code as long as one was in uniform, even after school was over, or face disciplinary punishment.
It taught us to have PRIDE in our appearance.
Any chance also of the boy’s uniforms to look like "PROPER" uniforms. Example for those who don’t know: Pants that fit properly and hemmed properly. Example if your boy is a size 32 waist he should get a size 32 waist not a 36 waist. Come on, it is the paren’ts who purchase the uniforms isn’t it? Don’t you parents see your children dressed in the mornings?
You can blame everyone for everything but it does start at home.
I
Any chance you can ban those…. errr ummm ‘mini skirts’ (for want of a better description) that many of the girls choose to wear to school? School skirts really should be around knee-length as opposed to barely covering areas that should not be seen by the public!
Also to be banned one would hope are the male "pants showing the crack" style-pandering to a foreign (US) culture
I hope this means Primary schools get the same consideration! Why should little girls be forced to wear dresses all year? Itis such an atiquated idea anyway….Congrats on getting this far!