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I take my hat off to whoever invented school civvies day. Not because I think they've formulated the most brilliant idea known to mankind, but because they've somehow managed to normalise one of the biggest scams: paying to wear your own clothing. I take it back, maybe that is pretty brilliant then.
Still, PAYING... TO WEAR... YOUR OWN... CLOTHING?
Here are some of the reasons I think civvies day is a bad idea:
1. Suddenly it becomes the parents' problem
Civvies day adds tons of pressure to look a certain way and wear certain clothes. Suddenly parents feel they have to fork out heaps of money so their child can potentially impress a few 9-year-olds. We've all joked about parents who buy their kids expensive name brand shoes just for civvies day.
Some parents would rather go into debt than have their young and impressionable primary school child feel left out. And so the pressure mounts on the rest of us.
2. You might injure someone or yourself inevitably throwing out everything in your wardrobe
That “I have nothing to wear” feeling after throwing out and scanning every single article of clothing in your wardrobe is way too real. I think I’m getting war flashbacks actually.
What if you accidentally throw something on your pet's head and they run into a wall and suffer lifelong head injuries? Some seriously dangerous stuff, if you ask me.
3. No one gets informed about what happens to the money
I remember civvies day being R2 at one point, then it got pushed up to R5, then R10 and in some cases, R20! I shudder to think how much civvies day could cost in this day and age.
I still wonder what the endgame of it is, which leads me to the conclusion that it was all about making a quick buck. I mean, sure, some schools really need the money for certain things but why do we never get told what it's for?
How much do you have to pay for your child's civvies day? Is the school open about how the fundraising yields would be applied? Do you have any other issues with civvies day? Send us your comments and we could publish them. Do let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.
4. Everyone suddenly starts acting differently
5. Bullying
As if school children don't have enough things on their 'reasons to pick on people' list. Kids get bullied for not wearing things that are considered "cool", and anyone who shows a sense of individuality is "weird".
Yes, primary school children are, well, childish and immature.
6. It's not inclusive
I really do think civvies day can send the message of exclusivity. If you don't pay for civvies day, you're going to be left out.
You stand out like a sore thumb when you're not in civvies and other children will look at you like you're the poster child for poverty, even if you just forgot it's civvies day.
Let's not forget that a R5 or R10 may not be a lot of money to some parents, but could be a bit steep for the next. No child should have to feel left out over something they have no control over.
Also see: OPINION: Do your kids learn 5 000 new English words every year?
7. Bunking school easily
You may have not considered this, but think about how easy it would be for kids to bunk school if they're not wearing their uniform. Plus, they get to keep that civvies money to themselves (I hope I'm not giving anyone ideas here).
Scamming in the name of the scammer.
The internet seems to agree
The people of Twitter have spoken, seems like I'm not the only one who sees through all this trickery.
