Public School 42, with about 1,000 students, is one of the 200 schools in the city exempt from the new uniform curriculum.

The new uniform curriculum will be imposed on many more schools than are in the Chancellor's District, officials said.

The uniform curriculum may be especially beneficial to the many students who switch schools two or three times a year.

Education officials could not explain yesterday what New York's uniform curriculum might look like, saying it was still being developed.

P.S. 87 is a top-performing school that will be exempt from the city's uniform curriculum next year.

But he also stressed that the uniform curriculum in reading and mathematics should be seen as salvation rather than punishment.

City education officials said the results in math exams underscore the need for a uniform curriculum.

"This uniform curriculum should not be viewed as punishment," she said.

The central government attempted to act through the zemstva to establish uniform curricula for elementary schools.

Mr. Klein has said the uniform curriculum would leave room for teachers to be creative.