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  • Benefits of School Uniforms

    The debate on school uniforms sounds unceasing. The advocators of school uniforms see many benefits of school uniforms, but on the contrary, opponents just turning blind to benefits of school uniforms, view school uniforms as symbol of submissiveness and servility. Let the debating going, but the real benefits of school uniforms just cannot be disregarded.


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    According to the exponents of school uniforms, there are a number of benefits of school uniforms. One of the major benefits of school uniforms is that school uniforms help eliminating the wearing of gang clothing, and help making school campuses safe and secure. School uniforms helps making outsiders or non-students easily recognized on campus.

    Some more benefits of school uniforms are that school uniforms help creating atmosphere of studies and climate of learning in school; school uniforms make students realize that they are in school just for learning. School uniforms make students look attractive; the attractive school uniforms help promoting school spirit, good self-image, and school unity. School uniforms give an identity and status and promote a sense of respect and security among students.

    School uniforms help bringing conformity and equality among students, removing the status that branded or designer clothes give to some pupils; this inculcates the sense of love, friendship, and fellowship among students from different social classes. School uniforms help bringing economic, psychological, and social equality among students. School uniforms help simplifying the dressing of children. This relieves parents as well as children from the tug of war that what to wear in the morning.

    School uniforms instill the sense of discipline and dignity among students. School uniforms help making students passionately attached to their schools; they start feel proud of their school and school uniforms. This passionate attachment of students with their schools can be seen at interschool sports meets or championships; this passion helps creating nationalism among pupils.

    The advocators don’t see anything submissive or servility in school uniforms rather they inculcate the sense of obedience, which is one of the important benefits of school uniforms. According to advocators, the people who argue against school uniforms are just teaching children to disobey/disrespect authority.

  • Against School Uniforms

    School uniforms have been hot topic of debate in America. Former President Clinton’s 1996 State of the Union address, “public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms,” spurred the debate further more. The debate is hot as well in UK and several other countries of the world.


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    General public and experts are divided on the issue and the advocates on the both sides of the argument have been putting their cases strongly. The exponents of school uniforms believe that school uniforms solve the school discipline problem and conformity that is essential among the students, but the other group against school uniforms thinks otherwise. Let us have a look on the cases against school uniforms.

    School Uniforms Are Expensive: The group against school uniforms feels that uniforms are expensive. They are sometimes more costlier that ordinary wears. Children are constantly growing and the manufacturers of school uniforms and accessories take good advantage of the situation; parents are left with none other option than to bear the costs of expensive school uniforms.

    Corruption Due To School Uniforms: There have been cases of school authorities having cozy relationships with school uniform manufacturers. A school authority gets into deal with a school uniform manufacturer and makes money, and the manufacturer takes full advantage of being a sole manufacturer. Thus parents get robbed of their money.

    School Uniforms Violate Freedom Of Expression:The advocators against school uniforms feel that uniforms violate the fundamental right of ‘freedom of expression.’ The advocates want free thinking and expression for children to make them thinkers of tomorrow rather than meek followers.

    School Uniforms Develop Submissive Personalities: Another argument against school uniforms is that uniforms contribute to develop submissive personalities, and uniforms do not teach children how to deal with people who are different from themselves.

    School Uniforms Fail To Bring Complete Conformity: School uniforms fail to bring complete conformity among the school students. Cliques are still formed in the children.

  • Against School Uniform

    School uniforms are one of the most debated issues associated with schools. These school wears have become the subjects of ongoing hot debates in the United States, UK, and several other countries of the world.


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    The communities of academicians, authorities, and parents are hotly debating on the issues. There are ceaseless arguments and counter arguments for and against school uniform, but neither of the sides is ready to yield on the issue. The people vocalizing for school uniform feel that school uniforms are necessary for smooth working of schools, but the people against school uniform argue that school uniforms are unnecessary burden on children and parents.

    The people supporting school uniform lauds several benefits of school uniforms, but the people against school uniform put their case strongly against school uniform. They have a number of reasons and arguments against school uniform. One of their major arguments against school uniform is that school uniforms infringe the pupils’ right to liberty and self expression, which has been constitutionally guaranteed in democratic setups.

    This point against school uniform, to some extent, sounds to be right, but the people supporting school uniforms counter argue that school uniforms are essential for creating the proper climate of learning in schools; for self expression, pupils have a number of other ways, such as painting, creative writing, orating, etc.

    The people against school uniform reckon that school uniforms hamper free development of personality of pupils. According to them, school uniforms inculcate servility and submissiveness; the schools with uniforms produce submissive citizens rather than free thinkers of tomorrow; so, school uniforms should be done away with from free and complete personality development of pupils.

    Another of their arguments against school uniform is that school uniforms are very expensive; sometimes even more expensive that general wears. The expensive costs of school uniforms certainly make parents stand against school uniforms; school uniforms put extra financial burden on parents, as their children are constantly outgrowing their school uniforms.

    The people against school uniform also argue that school uniforms promote corruption; getting kickbacks from suppliers, school authorities insist that specific suppliers be used by parents for buying uniforms. School uniforms are mere money spinning tools of schools, say the people against school uniform.

  • Advantages Of School Uniforms

    The increasing number of schools implementing strict dress codes indicates that the proponents are wining the ongoing debate on school uniforms. The proponents of school uniforms include an extensive number of educationists and legislators, who laud the advantages of school uniforms, but on the contrary, the opponents include the mob of extreme individualists, who just see the dis-advantages of school uniforms.


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    The former President Clinton advocated school uniforms in his State of the Union address, “public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms.” The proponents offer their sound arguments for school uniforms and cite a number of advantages of school uniforms. The arguments of proponents in favor of school uniforms sound more logical and just.

    According to proponents, one of the major advantages of school uniforms is that they make schools safer. School uniforms help to reduce gang influences in schools. The US Department of Education reported in 1996 that school uniforms helped to decrease – crimes in schools by 36%, school violence by 51%, and vandalism by 8%. Uniforms make it easier to identify trespassers.

    School uniforms help eliminating socio-economical barriers. They greatly help to erase the cultural & economic disparities among the students. With school uniforms, the economic advantages and disadvantages are no longer obvious. They relieve parents from the pressure of buying latest fashion wears for their children.

    Promoting the sense of responsibility and discipline, School uniforms create a strong learning atmosphere in schools. They make students realize that they are in schools just for learning. The NAESP’s (National Association of Elementary School Principals) study in 1998 revealed that the schools with active uniform policies had almost 20% better discipline rate than the schools with non-active uniform policies. The study also revealed that school uniforms helped increasing student achievements by 10%. It showed that the students wearing uniforms concentrate more in their studies, schoolworks, and work hard for great grades.

    According to expert educationists, there are numerous advantages of school uniforms; they are rather necessary for the proper and better functioning of schools; between “for” and “against” opinions, the advantages of school uniforms sound heavier than the dis-advantages of school uniforms.

  • School Uniform

    A uniform is clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a particular group as a mark of identity. It is purposely designed for undifferentiated identification.


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    The idea of school uniform has grown from the old time practice of wearing standard costumes in religious personnel and armies; the people performing religious activities and the armies of the Roman Empire or other civilizations often used to wear standard costumes.

    School uniforms are very common in elementary and secondary schools in many nations. Traditionally, school uniforms have been subdued and professional, but in recent times there have been great developed in types, forms, and styles of school uniforms. Yet the school uniforms are mainly classified as boys school uniform and girls school uniform.

    A boy school uniform may often include dark pants and light-colored shirt, tie plus a jacket in cold weather, and a girl school uniform may include a tie, a skirt, or a kilt, a dress and blouse.

    Most of the schools have gender-specific uniforms, but some schools allow female students to choose either skirt or trousers. The use of a blazer or suit-like jacket has grown pretty popular in several parts of the world.

    The public (state-sponsored) schools in the continental Europe do not require uniforms, but the private schools often have school uniforms and follow strict dress codes. However, the majority of state schools adopt a uniform for a more formal look in the United Kingdom & Ireland.

    School dress codes determine what can’t be worn by any student. Most of the school dress codes do not allow sheer or midriff-baring blouses, clothing that advertises tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs, and low-rise jeans. Generally, a school uniform policy decides what must be worn by all the students.

  • Fathers Day



    The origins of Fathers Day go back to the early 20th century when a little girl was listening to a sermon about Mothers Day and since she was raised by her father when her mother passed away she thought about a day to honor her father and show him how much she loved him. The first Father’s Day celebration was in the state of Washington and after a few years a Fathers Day committee got together in NY and after years of trying to make the day a national holiday, it finally happened when congress recognized the Day and then Nixon made Fathers Day the third Sunday in June of every year a nationally observed holiday. Calvin Coolidge had mentioned making it a national holiday years before this but it was never made official.

    Nowadays people celebrate the day by giving Fathers Day gifts to their dads and spending the day with them. This holiday means a lot to the Fathers of the world and many of them enjoy many different things. There are many great gifts that you can buy for your Father; if he is a wine drinker you could buy him a nice wine gift basket. Perhaps your father likes a good dinner and a movie, so you could take him out to celebrate the special day with him for a nice dinner and movie of his choosing. Many people make it a whole family occasion and have a nice Father’s Day dinner. There are many other great things you can do year round to show your Father how much you care about him and appreciate all he has done for you throughout your entire life.

  • Thanksgiving Day


    The happy family festival, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States, Canada and many other countries. This day observes the feast of the Pilgrim Colonists and the Wampanoag members at Plymouth in 1621. Thanksgiving Day is an annual single-day holiday for offering thanks for what one receives at the end of the harvest season.

    It is a special day of thanking God for His blessings and also thanking the loved ones for their support and love. The best part of the festival is feasting with one s family. In the US, the day falls on the Fourth Thursday of November, whereas in Canada, the celebration occurs in the second Monday of October.

    Origin of Thanksgiving in the US

    In Texas, the town El Paso is known to have the first Thanksgiving Day in the US. Back then it was not a harvest celebration. The first Thanksgiving mass took place in April 30, 1598 in North America.

    The Pilgrims expressed their gratefulness to Squanto, as without the help of this Native American, it would not be possible for them to grow corn and catch eel. Squanto was also their interpreter. However, at that time in 1621, this was not a Thanksgiving observance; it was more of a day to celebrate their first harvest.

    Thanksgiving in Canada

    The Thanksgiving is a three-day weekend in Canada. This liturgical celebration is related to the continental European and the English Harvest festival. The festivities call for adorning the Churches with corn, pumpkins, cornucopias, wheat sheaves and other harvest items. The Canadians take the Thanksgiving meal on any day of the three-day weekend. This holiday is more of a great time for outdoor activities, like fishing, hunting, hiking and family getaways, rather than a family occasion among the French Canadians.

    The Customs

    The Thanksgiving Day customs include praying to God in homes and Churches, thanking Him for His blessings. Feasting with one s family is an integral part of the festival; it can be a great experience to enjoy roasted turkey with the family.

    It is a day for sending messages to the dear ones and expressing gratitude for them through Thanksgiving cards. People also decorate their homes with fresh flowers, wreathes and dried flowers. The tables are decorated with antique silver cutlery and Chinaware.

    The Thanksgiving Food

    The US serves a traditional spread of meals on Thanksgiving Day. The predominant item on the food list is turkey and that is why this day is also referred to as the Turkey Day . The other favorite food items are sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing the mashed potatoes with gravy, pumpkin pie, the Indian corn and other harvest vegetables.

    The Thanksgiving Games

    A popular tradition of Thanksgiving Day is watching NFL football. The traditional game that took place between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions still continues.

    The Parades

    When President Lincoln declared the Thanksgiving Day to be an official holiday, the parades began. It is a way of revealing the country s discipline and military strength. Today, parades are coupled with celebrations and musical shows on the Thanksgiving Day.

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  • Santa Claus



    Christmas is a universal vibrant episode geared with the most loved eternal symbol of the event, your dear Santa Claus. Santa Clause is the traditional gift giver who lavishes gift on children on Christmas Eve.

    The Origin

    Today s Santa Clause is derived from a figure of a Dutch folk tale. This tale tells the story of the real Santa Claus, St Nicholas, a bishop from Turkey who bestowed presents on the poor people. Thus was born the legendary figure of Sinterklaas and your favorite Santa Clause is the result of its American mispronunciation.

    But the lovely pictures of Santa wearing the red coat, the fur boots having a long flowing white beard is derived from the Russian figure Ded Moroz or Grandfather Frost .

    Who Is Santa Clause?

    Santa Clause is a happy, kind-hearted and pot-bellied man who wears spectacles and lives with his wife Mrs. Clause and the elves. These elves make toys. On the Eve of Christmas, Santa Clause visits the houses of the village in his sleigh pulled by flying reindeers. He enters the houses through the chimneys and goes out through the fireplaces.

    Santa s Home

    Nobody really knows the real address of Santa Clause. Some people say that he lives in northern Canada and according to some he lives in the North Pole. Some other guesses place the residence of Santa in Dalecarlia in Sweden, in Korvatunturi in Finnish Lapland and in Greenland. L. Frank Baum thinks the real address of the snowy village of Santa Clause is The Laughing Valley of Hohaho.

    In Christmas, Santa Claus Laughs

    The laughter of Santa Clause, the booming ho ho ho is the life breath of any Christmas party. This sonorous laughter sprouts from the merry round belly of Santa, as written in the traditional Christian poem; A Visit from St. Nicholas which says that Santa has … a little round belly
    That shook when he laugh’d, like a bowl full of jelly

    The Reindeer Episode In Santa s Life

    Traditionally there are eight reindeers that pulls the sleigh of Santa Clause, namely Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donner and Blitzen. These names are derived from Clement C Moore s poem The Night Before Christmas .

    Santa s ninth reindeer known as Rudolph, the Red-nosed one was formed in 1939 for the Montgomery Ward and quickly became famous.

    Today the lovable Santa Claus, ready with bountiful gifts, has become a part and parcel of Christmas celebrations worldwide.


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  • Artificial Christmas Tree



    The artificial Christmas tree has come a long way with the passage of time, thanks to the technological advancement of manufacturing crafts. These wonderful recreations of woodland splendor are very different in a whole lot of ways than Christmas trees in the previous times. Truth be told, a company that manufactured brushes took to fabricating the very first artificial Christmas tree. Now, things have changed. There is no lack of materials that decorates a modern day Christmas tree, today.

    Artificial trees in comparison to real trees are far more suitable. Not just that they do not even punch a hole in your pocket. You will never run short of variety while fishing for your own artificial Christmas tree. They come in a wide range of colors and species and not to mention the different lights adorning them. And the best part is that once the artificial Christmas tree has played its part you can disassemble and store it for the next year.

    Finding out what your Christmas tree is made up of is vital, especially on safety issues. A Christmas tree with plastic needles is something you will want to do away with choking hazards on part of your pets or children. And what about the trees that have ornaments fixed to it? They are still better off than otherwise because children do have natural knack of pulling them off to say the least.

    How about buying advantages out of a pre-lit Christmas tree. In the late 1970’s the first pre-lit Christmas trees came to the front. They had a base that turn around, which gave the impression of light dancing by the side of the branches of the tree. You can still avail this kind of retro color wheels if you are so into it. There is altogether a different scenario with the modern pre-lit Christmas trees that are either made of fiber optics or with customary Christmas light bulbs. Both the above-mentioned lightings are simply stunning while the latter also comes at an affordable price.

    White Christmas trees are a throwback to the 70’s and they come with fiber optic lighting and not to mention pre decorations with colorful Christmas balls. Another option that lies with you is the very popular fire resistant tinsel trees. When it comes to ordering a Christmas tree, place your order as early as 6 weeks before the Christmas season.

    Artificial Christmas trees are gaining popularity everyday. These trees are not only soaked in a spectrum of colors but also come in materials like PVC, vinyl and tinsel. The younger generation prefers the slender artificial trees bathed in wild colors. Speaking of the trendy colors, the ones that come to mind are the red and white. And there is nothing like the pine scent of a fresh cut tree. With it your artificial Christmas tree will truly come alive.

    As you look into the evolution of the artificial Christmas tree you will notice a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colors, patterns, shapes and textures.


  • Christmas Eve Traditions



    The day before Christmas Day, the birth of Jesus Christ is Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve traditions on December 24th forms a part of the entire Christmas season. For setting up and adorning the Christmas tree, the day of the Christmas Eve is the traditional day, though the trees have been set up for weeks before Christmas Day.

    Nearly all countries keep Christmas Eve a shortened business day with financial markets closing by early noon. It is the formal day for adorning the homes and churches during the Christmas season.

    For the western Christian Churches, the liturgical season of Christmas virtually begins on Christmas Eve. Many Christmas Eve traditions of Catholic Churches throughout the world celebrate their midnight mass on Christmas Eve, which marks the beginning of the Christmas Day.

    Decorations

    Christmas wouldn’t be christmas without decorations! Nowadays you can find more things imaginable to show your spirit for the holiday. There are several options for lighting your tree and home. There is an unending amount of Christmas tree decorations and ornaments as well. You can find holiday wallpaper, wrapping paper and lawn ornaments in just about any store selling Christmas products. With the amount of products available it’s not hard to create your own unique look for your home.

    The Christmas Eve Food

    Turkey or ham mainly dominates the food list as part of typical Christmas Eve traditions. Roasted goose is the traditional dish in Germany during this holiday. However, the people of Poland and Lithuania serve a traditional spread of 12 meatless dishes as part of their Christmas Eve traditions before unfastening the gifts. On the other hand, in Spain it is popular to start the meal with a seafood dish and then move onto some hot homemade soup.

    The Gifts From Santa Claus

    Christmas Eve is also the night when children long for gifts from Santa Claus. They hang up stockings for Santa Claus to tuck their gifts into. They also leave mince pies as a treat for Santa Claus and carrot for the reindeers. Their stockings are supposed to be filled if they have been good children.

    The gifts are opened at different times in different countries. In the United States and United Kingdom the gifts are opened on the Christmas Day morning, whereas Germany opens its gifts on the evening of Christmas Eve. Latin America chooses to keep awake till midnight for opening their presents.

    In cases where a divorce has occurred in a family, the children usually spend the Christmas Eve with one part of the family and Christmas with another part of the family. The most important fact is that even if a family is poor, they still afford to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ through eating and merry-making.

    Carol Service

    Christians go to a carol service as part of Christmas Eve traditions. There are actually two carol services- one for the children and the other is closer to midnight allowing the people to rejoice and welcome the coming of our Lord on Christmas day.

    Wonderful Christmas Eve Traditions during the First World War

    On the midnight of Christmas Eve in 1914, there was a sudden stop to the firing from the German coaches. Christmas carols were played by a German brass band. Though the allied soldiers at first mistook it for a trick, they soon shook hands, sang carols and exchanged gifts of cigarettes and plum puddings among themselves. They even played a game of soccer together.

    Regarded for the starting of the Christmas celebrations, the day of the Christmas Eve is celebrated all over the world for ages.