WHEN I was studying at the Nanyang Technological University, I used to frown upon students togged in skimpy tops, midriff-bearing shorts and slippers.
I would think to myself: “My mother would never let me go out of the house dressed like that”.
The issue of school dress raised its head recently when the The Management Development Institute of Singapore started cracking down on students, banning mini-skirts, tube tops, facial piercings and flip-flops among a host of other things.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not a member of the fashion police.
I don’t think my university attire, which comprised mainly of jeans and t-shirts, qualifies me to judge.
But I think sloppiness is unacceptable.
I asked my friends who stayed in residence why they turned up for classes in what looked like sleepwear. Think threadbare t-shirts, running shorts and plastic slippers.
They told me they saw no need to dress up as they had no one to impress in school.
I disagreed. As the saying goes, clothes make the man. It says a great deal about how you view yourself if you turn up everyday looking bedraggled. It shows a lack of interest in learning as well as a lack of respect for your surroundings and classmates.
However, it was not all bad. My classmates and I started to dress better after we returned from a six-month internships during our third year in university. From our interaction with our colleagues as well as meeting other adults in the work force, we learnt the importance of looking presentable.
Many of my lecturers said they look forward to seeing the annual transformation of their students from sloppily-dressed youths to polished adults.
The Management Development Institute of Singapore does seem to be coming down hard on its students. I hope school officials will lighten up a little in the time to come.
But I feel in the long-run, students will benefit from the new dress code. Learning to take care of their image will put them in good stead when they enter the workforce.
Read the full report in The Straits Times today.