A discussion session themed “Ao dai” (traditional long gown) held by Tuoi Tre on July 6 once more reiterated that ao dai should remain female high school students’ ceremonial costumes, not daily uniforms.

According to Tran Thi Kim Thanh, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, prior to 2009, most high schools and even a number of secondary schools citywide chose white ao dai as their female students’ uniforms.

Following the circular on students’ ceremonial costumes and school uniforms issued by the Ministry of Education and Training in 2009, which stipulated that school uniforms be aesthetically and climatically appropriate, simple, cheap and facilitate girls’ learning activities, female school uniforms now come in a wider variety of styles and colors, including shirts and skirts or shirt and trousers.

Though a number of girls enjoy donning their ao dai, which accentuates Vietnamese women’s grace, feminity and tactfulness, most find wearing ao dai every day to school highly inconvenient for commuting and outdoor activities while mingling with their friends, said Duong Thu Trang, a teacher at Mac Dinh Chi High school.

“Many, particularly those who are agile and love outdoor games, really embraced the changes in school uniforms,” she added.

“I feel that if school girls wear ao dai the entire week, they tend to be less appreciative of the national costume’s beauty and significance,” Trang noted, adding that many school girls usually unbutton their high collars, roll up their sleeves or even tuck their ao dai rims into their pants for easier movement.

“But if they only wear ao dai to school on Monday, when they take part in the flag saluting ritual, or on national holidays, they tend to show much more respect and take pride in the traditional attire,” Trang further stressed.

Though some suggested dispensing with ao dai as school girls’ uniforms, Thanh urged that it should continue to be donned by school girls, but on Mondays and public holidays only.

“We encourage schools to do so, but many schools in HCMC still request their female students to wear ao dai the entire week. I’ve seen schools in remote, mountainous regions where girls still don white ao dai on Mondays. This is a really touching sight,” she elaborated.

Aesthetically speaking, famed ao dai designer Thuan Viet also showed support for Thanh’s idea.

Viet noted that school ao dai should be made with elastic, moisture-absorbing materials and need several adjustments, including not fitting tightly to the wearers’ bodies, low upright collars, and shorter and narrower pants.