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Ms Cindy Guo raised a good point in her letter and it made me wonder why practicality is overlooked in the design of certain school uniforms (Give children respect, privacy, Feb 11).
Students spend a substantial part of their day in school. It is important, therefore, for uniforms to be designed with practicality and comfort in mind.
A positive example is the uniform of the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science.
Except for Mondays, when assembly is scheduled weekly, the uniform for female students consists of polo T-shirt with skorts (skirt with shorts inside). On Mondays and special occasions, a shirt is worn in place of the polo T-shirt.
The school's uniform design illustrates the thoughtfulness of its management to students' needs and its progressive views on uniform design.
The issue with the uniform of Nanyang Girls' High School (NYGH) lies not only with the colour and material of the uniform. As the blouse is sleeveless, a student's bra, regardless of its colour, may be visible through the armholes.
Even if NYGH's questionable rule on bra colour is complied with, the rule does not protect the students because the issue lies with the design of the blouse.
Instead of spending time inspecting the students' uniforms to ensure compliance with its white or beige bras rule, NYGH's resources can be better spent designing a more practical uniform for its students.
Until the problem with the blouse design and material is resolved, NYGH should consider allowing its students to wear NYGH polo T-shirts in place of the blouse.
A uniform can be comfortable, functional and presentable at the same time.
These requirements can be achieved through creativity in design. Such uniforms would reflect well on the school management's ability to understand the needs of its students.
Yong Su Lin (Ms)
https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/redesign-nanyang-girls-high-school-uniform
