Reactions to college dress code not so uniform

Panaji: The orders of the directorate of higher education (DHE) mandating uniforms for students of all govt and govt-aided colleges have evoked mixed reactions from students, parents, and teachers.
The DHE said that it wants the directives to be implemented from the next semester of the academic year 2024-25 for first-year and second-year students.
Some students support the new policy, highlighting its practical benefits such as the scope to save time while getting ready for college.However, other students are of the opinion that the uniforms will limit their self-expression.
Gaurav Dessai, a BSc student of Govt College at Sanquelim, said the policy will instil discipline. “Besides, the students who cannot afford to dress up every day will not feel left out,” he said.
Sakshi Batekar, a student of PES College, Farmagudi, also favours the initiative. “We can wear regular clothes when we have other courses to attend or on casual days at college,” Sakshi said. “We won’t have to spend too much time deciding on our attire.”
Chetna Thank, another student, is unsure about the policy’s capacity to bring about egalitarianism. “Bullying and teasing related to a student’s socioeconomic background occur even at schools where uniforms are mandatory,” Chetna said. “So I don’t see how uniforms alone will curb this problem. Enforcing uniforms can and will restrain the self-expression of young adults who are coming into their own.”
Shanbhavi Mehta, a final-year student at Goa University, lamented the loss of personal choice. “I like dressing up for college, which is supposed to be a space where I can be myself before I go out into the workforce,” she said. “I will be graduating this year, but I feel bad for my juniors. We have had enough uniforms in school anyway.”
Many parents and teachers say that the policy is sensible. Rupa Batekar, a parent, said the most evident advantage will be uniformity among students. Manisha Kulkarni, an assistant professor at Vidya Prabodhini College, Porvorim, said, “The implementation will be a challenge but it will generate the sentiment of equality. If needed, we can designate a day of the week when students can dress the way they want to.”
But Roma, a parent of a Goa university student, said she has some reservations. “I don’t know if it’s the right move because our kids are growing up and uniforms are pretty restrictive,” she said. “Maybe we should stop controlling youth.”
A teacher from Mapusa’s St Xavier’s College said, “Generally, from what I have seen, colleges don’t put students in uniforms because they are adults.” The teacher added, “I worked at a school earlier and uniforms didn’t really stop harassment of students from poor families.”