Essay on A Call for Uniforms at PenArgyl High School

At first glance, fashion might seem to have very little to do with learning, but as the saying goes, “The clothes make the man,” or in this case “The clothes makes the student”— mandatory uniform policy has made a distinct difference in many schools everywhere. Throughout the last decade, the implementation of such rulings has been on the rise, bringing about waves of debate among students, parents, and teachers. Today, as the number of incidents related to bullying, teen suicides, and gang violence continue to escalate, it has become necessary for educators to provide students with emotional and social support, as well as the traditional academic curriculum. In the interest of reducing these negative effects, school uniforms became a

In my opinion, regulation school uniforms hinder learning and development in students rather than provide an advantage. They have shown to increase bullying and ridicule among students rather than decrease it, as one might be led to believe. Furthermore, school uniforms violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (s. 2(b): Freedom of Expression) through restricting students from expressing themselves through clothing. Additionally, although there may appear to be many benefits to uniforms, studies have shown a surprising lack of evidence that uniforms have any positive effect to students’ learning and development whatsoever. For these reasons, uniforms are more likely detrimental, rather than encouraging, to the education of students.

Seeing students wear uniforms in school may seem either too strict or too traditional, but when one figures out, and understand, the reason why for this formality, more will see the advantage of wearing school uniforms. Some may feel that uniforms should not be required in schools because they think it’s a waste of money, students don’t want to be told what to wear, or because they don’t want to look the same like everyone else at school. However, uniforms are much less expensive than the clothing brands that students wear, so parents are saving more money. Students also need to understand that they can’t always get what they want, they need to realize that not everything is going to be their way. Students don’t want to wear the same clothing like others because they want to stand out, but this can create conflict at school because the students will begin to judge each other by what they wear, and if everyone wears uniforms we would be avoiding these types of conflicts.

In high school and middle school, however, most of the learning comes from inside the classroom. Adolescents often find out a lot about who they are in their school environments. “Ten states currently allow states to mandate school uniforms” (Boutelle, Marsha. "UNIFORMS: Are They a Good Fit?." Education Digest, vol. 73, no. 6, Feb. 2008, pp. 34-37. EBSCOhost). The advocates of school uniforms believe that they will reduce violence in schools and promote a better learning environment for students.

In addition to the apparent bullying over style trends and choices, another issue that could be eliminated through the incorporation of uniforms is the lessening of disciplinary action directed towards students for dress code violations. Almost daily, students are sent to the office for dress code checks which are most often handled by the vice principal or principal. Students are commonly sent for checks based on the following items that are considered questionable: midriff revealing tops, ripped and low-rise jeans, short skirts and shorts, exposed shoulders and necklines and spandex for the girls. Additionally, there are ill-fitting jeans and inappropriate slogans on t-shirts and sweatshirts for the boys to contend with. A uniform policy would eliminate the need for dress code checks, which would enable the vice principal and principal to concentrate on more important issues within the high school. Furthermore, uniforms would ensure that students are buying their clothing from a uniform supply

“If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms” This statement from Bill Clinton was what started a movement toward using uniforms in-state school in the United States in 1996. Since then school uniforms have become a common thing in the school system in the United States. There is no doubt that school uniforms can lead to loss of students’ rights to express themselves and that school uniforms will not generally stop bullying even though they might increase student’s safety.

School uniforms and dress codes are becoming a popular trend among schools. Most Students and some parents don’t agree with the enforcement with school uniforms, saying that uniforms are taking away self-expression in schools. But, school uniforms are not a negative thing to have. Yes, uniforms and some very strict dress codes limit what the students have to choose to wear to school every day, but it doesn’t limit them from learning which is the main reason they are in school. Some students treat school as a fashion show, so eliminating the size of wardrobe shifts the attention toward their school work. Although requiring students to wear school uniforms may violate their self-expression in some ways, a uniform is supposed to be looked

Dress codes has been apart of the educational system for many years. Administrators have struggled to find effective ways to deal with discipline problems. The creation of the dress codes has been a common solution for many educational system to help decrease the number of disciplinary issues that are dealt with on a daily basis. Things such as gang activity, bullying, increasing violence can all be traced to the way people in school’s dress. The dress code policy is considered to be a "fix all" solution in many public schools, but has failed to resolve the big issues. Dress codes should not be instituted to fix a particular problem, but should be looked at to help overall school reform. This why most private schools have a particular uniform that students must wear every single day. To try and resolve the issue. However, a school uniform policy does not carry enough weight that produces a safe learning environment or helps students achieve their goals at being successful. A student's role is to come into school everyday to learn, without having to worry about gang activities, being bullying or having someone start a fight with them because they are wearing a particular color.

It is a belief that school uniforms teach students to respect their learning environment and behave themselves, and, therefore improving discipline. However, that assumption isn’t entirely correct. Researchers have actually found that school uniforms don’t make students better behaved. According to a study of more than 4,500 students, those who wore a school uniform did not have fewer behavior problems or better attendance. Forcing students to wear uniforms lead to more problems and misbehavior instead of encouraging discipline. Students could get into trouble if they did not wear their uniforms correctly. Many kids in today’s society cannot stand the thought of someone telling them what to do, especially what to wear. Instead of encouraging respect, uniforms may cause rebellions. For example, in 2009, a group of students at John A. Ferguson Senior High School rebelled against their school uniforms. Instead of following their school uniform requirements, the students wore what they thought would be a better school uniform to school. Not only uniforms don’t earn schools the respect from its students, but it may also lead to more problems.

The next advantage of public school uniforms can be identified as the reduction of bullying behaviors. Everyone benefits by adopting the uniform policy. It helps students to unite and share a same goal – learning. Also, by adopting the

The Debate Over School Uniforms Context In some countries, e.g. Britain and many Caribbean states, it is common for school pupils to have to wear distinctive uniforms identifying them with a particular institution, especially to the end of compulsory education

Supporting a school uniform policy would help to raise the academic performance level. Students normally wear a variety of clothes that

Pants below waist, baggy shirts with sexist signs, and piercings, this is not a good view early in the morning. That’s why the school should implement a uniform policy. Uniforms should be mandatory in school. Uniforms make the school appear more professional. Also with uniforms students won’t compare themselves with each other. Moreover uniforms can help students save time. Additionally parents won’t have to waste so much money on clothes hence will have a better budget.

School Uniforms are being pushed more and more in schools, but what is commonly thought of when the words “school uniform” is said? For most people the picture of children in the same colored uniforms gathered in front of a Catholic Church or a private school is displayed in their mind. This picture is one of the many problems with school uniforms. Instead of being seen as an individual, students are seen as just another kid in a uniform attending a fancy private school. The students cannot develop the self-expression that is crucial to their development at this age. Uniforms are thought to create a more protected campus and learning environment, however, if someone wants to bully someone else, clothes are not going to stop them. The cost, which is usually seen as a pro, can actually be more than people anticipate. As one can see, in the best interest of any student, school uniforms should not be made part of the dress code.

The issue of whether or not school uniforms are a necessity in today’s society has been a long standing debate. However, it did not come onto the national scene until 1996 when then President Bill Clinton spoke of the matter in his annual State of the Union Address. Citing the Long Beach city school district in California, Clinton spoke of the positive effects of uniform implementation, including: decreased drug cases, sex offenses, violent crimes and fights.