English - Writing opinion

Today there was an article in the news about a school in Bristol, England who have aforced rule of not allowing girl pupils to wear skirts to school.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/874572-schoolgirl-spends-second-day-at-home-after-skirt-ban

We decided to use this topic for writing an essay on opinion.

Not having to wear a school uniform at all is obviously a benefit I have because I amhome-school but I strongly feel that not even being allowed to wear a skirt, is really astupid rule.

I jotted down a rough idea of what my main feelings were and then we developed itinto a full essay together. (See below for all working versions).

When you write about your opinion it is useful to learn a few phrases to make yourarguments more effective. Here are a couple of them:

I think that I feel very strongly that In my opinion Personally,... I believe that It seems to me that I disagree with To my mind Others that you can use are: firstly, secondly, finally, in conclusion, to sum up,

it is a fact, many people believe etc

Here are my first rough points:

1. I think that you should be allowed to wear whatever you choose.2. Short skirts, extra long skirts, trousers or shorts3. Its about expressing yourself.4. If you want to wear a skirt then you should wear a skirt.5. Its like saying to a boy he cant wear trousers6. Long ago women were not allowed to wear trousers....7. Its stupid.

I developed my points into this piece of opinion writing:

Skirts banned at school

Long ago women were not allowed to wear trousers but now a school in Bristol,England is saying that girls are not allowed to wear skirts, as part of their schooluniform.

My first thought on the subject of school uniforms was that pupils should be allowedto wear whatever they choose.

Although, when there are no rules, there are always pupils who will go beyond whatis acceptable. Even extremes can be ok but having no rules might mean that you getsilly cases like pupils arriving at school in bikinis or pyjamas.

I do think though, that pupils should be allowed a greater flexibility in what they areallowed to wear as their school uniform.

Personally, I feel that schools should allow short skirts, extra long skirts, trousers orshorts because pupils do need to be able to express themselves within limits. This isvery important when you are growing up.

If pupils are restricted by school colours alone, then that is enough. They should beallowed more flexibility in the styles and lengths of what they wear. School uniformsshould be more of a guide that a rigid rule. I feel that school colours alone, allow agroup identity and a school spirit.

Certainly if girls want to wear a skirt then they should be allowed to. Preventing girlsfrom wearing skirts totally, is the same as making a rule that boys are not allowed towear trousers. The majority of girls enjoy wearing skirts and its part of being a girl.

I find that this schools ruling, to be ridiculous and too restrictive.

We then worked on the essay together and introduced a range of ideas and points tomake it more effective:

NOTES: Writing an opinionated article : First make points, then decided on a strongintroduction, main body - paragraphs linking ideas, conclusion (Summing up/finalpoint).

School bans skirts for girls

Following several news articles published in the electronic media, I would like to takethis opportunity to express my opinion on the matter.

School uniforms have long been a heated topic of discussion with many strong,varying opinions on all sides.

Some feel that uniforms should be strictly enforced whilst others feel that pupilsshould be allowed to express themselves, within limits.

Personally I feel that pupils should be allowed to wear whatever they choose. In myopinion the clothes you wear have very little to do with learning, but rather withhow comfortable you feel. If you want to wear short skirts, long skirts, trousers orshorts that should be up to you.

Uniforms also help to disguise different income groups. Some parents have a lowsalary and can’t afford to buy clothing that keeps their children up with all the latestfashion trends. Uniforms mean that these children don’t stand out of the crowd andsuffer excessive bullying just because of their limited wardrobes. In schools wherethere are no uniforms, children from richer families compete. They flaunt all thelatest fashions and accessories and pick on those who have financial constraints.

On the other hand, when pupils are forced to wear stock-standard, mass producedclothing, it can often be uncomfortable as not everyone is the same shape and size.Uniforms are often made from economical material, which are rough and coarsecausing chaffing to the skin.

For many pupils it is also demotivating to be forced to wear a strict uniform. Itmakes them feel like they are in military school. Part of growing up and becoming ateenager is developing & expressing one’s own ideas. Not being allowed anyflexibility at all, in their clothing choice makes some pupils feel depressed andexcessively dominated.

How can pupils participate in subjects like creative writing, poetry and art when theyare all carbon copies of each other. It’s not inspiring at all.

Saying this I can also see that total freedom of expression can lead to excessivedisplays of individuality and can cause distractions. After all pupils do haveweekends and time after school to express their own fashion sense.

However, pupils should be given the choice of skirts or trousers depending on theseason and also personal preference.

In this case, I firmly believe that the school in question has taken the subject ofschool uniforms beyond the limits. Wearing skirts is part of being a girl. Long agowoman were not allowed to even wear trousers and now these girls are being forcedto only wear trousers.

Telling girls that they are not allowed to wear skirts at school is like telling boys theycan’t wear trousers.

The school in question has an extreme uniform policy, which is both ludicrous andmisguided.

---------------------------------------We also had a look at a selection of websites and discussed what they had to sayabout writing about opinions.

You can have a look at them here:

http://fastessay.co.uk/essay/scholarship-essay/2199-how-to-write-an-opinion-essay.htmlhttp://www.slideshare.net/aponce4/an-opinion-essay-presentationhttp://homeworktips.about.com/od/essaywriting/a/opinion.htmhttp://homeworktips.about.com/od/essaywriting/a/opinion.htmhttp://www.writefix.com/argument/http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/tools/english-hs.html