Dress Code

In case you thought that your dress code was strict back home in the states, try going to elementary, middle or high school here in NZ. I had noticed this a little bit before but when I went for my run this morning I noticed every single student walking to school in their school uniforms. I saw it in Christchurch and I'm seeing it here in Wellington as well. This isn't a dress code where you where you can't wear jeans or watch out for the length of your skirt either. I'm talking about one look for boys and one look for girls - everyday. Boys usually wear ties with sweaters and collared shirts, nice shoes, tall black socks that almost always seem to be pulled up to the knees and virtually the same for ladies besides the tie. I guess the school system here in New Zealand is almost entirely state funded, meaning most students attend for free until roughly 19 years of age (http://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/education~290.html). My room-mate Dhamendra back in Chch was only paying $5K a year to attend school there! When I told him what I paid to attend Drake he was a little more than surprised...