Turkey lifts school uniform rule

Starting next year, students in Turkey will no longer be required to wear school uniforms, the Education Ministry said Tuesday. Under the regulations published by the ministry, the new dress code will ban very short skirts and form-fitting or transparent clothes as well as any clothing with political symbols or slogans, Today's Zaman reported. Boys will no longer have to wear ties. Headscarves will be allowed in Muslim schools and in other schools during optional courses on the Koran. Students will have the option of wearing uniforms. Opponents of the change say that uniforms make income differences between students less obvious. But advocates of lifting the requirement say uniforms contribute to a militarist mindset or that allowing students to wear clothes they find comfortable will improve their performance. The new rules take effect with the start of the 2013-14 school year.