Daiana and her mandatory "guarda polvo"

Today I went to meet Daina so she could take me to her high school. When we were walking there we started talking about her "guarda polvo". Literally that means something like dust protector. It is the white smock that the children and teenagers in the public schools in Argentina have to wear. If they don't wear it, they will be punished.

Daiana said she didn't see any point in wearing it. Thus she was just carrying it until she got to school, where she would put it on. Here is the picture of her carrying it.

Then when we got on the bus she pointed out a classmate of hers who also was wearing her guarda polvo and she took a picture.

When we arrived at her school, Daiana took off her blue jean jacket, the put on her guarda polvo, then put her jacket back on over it, as these pictures show.

I asked her what would happen if she didn't wear it and she said "Me retan y me dan una nota." That means something like "They yell at me and they give me a mark.

By the way, when I was talking to a group of students and parents a few nights later, a mother told me that the guarda polvos were to make all the students appear equal. But only the public schools use guarda polvos. If you go to a private school, which obviously costs more money, you are required to wear the uniform of that school. Thus it is very obvious who goes to public or private schools, and who has money and who doesn´t. So it´s obvious to me that equality is not really a high priority in the Ministry of Education in Argentina. And I don´t want to single out Argentina, because in a country like England where almost every child and teen is required to wear a uniform, the type of uniform quickly reflects the cost of admission to the school. I was told by one former student that "the more posh the school, the more posh the uniform". What is sad to me is how many parents, and even teenagers, believe the propaganda they are indoctrinated with, and how few people question things and think for themselves.

May 14, 2007
Buenos Aires