Getting Schooled About School Uniforms
In 1987, Cherry Hill Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland, became the first public school with a school uniform protocol (Public, 2017). Since then, the number of public schools that necessitate school uniforms has increased. With this increase comes the need to weigh the different consequences of uniforms. Many studies show both sides of this argument which is still being debated today. The implications from research show that there are positive and negative aspects of school uniforms in schools.
Elements of School Uniforms
It is important to outline the difference between dress codes and school uniforms. A dress code is most commonly identified as a set of rules and limitations that a school has put in place regarding normal, everyday clothing. School uniforms are a restricted, specific type of apparel that students are required to wear. Typical parameters set by common dress codes include no tank tops or “spaghetti strap” shirts, appropriate length shorts and skirts, no hats, and no profanity or illegal content on clothing (Summers & Seidel, 2014). Conversely, school uniforms tend to be much stricter. Like typical dress codes, they may vary depending on the school district and the state. However, many school uniforms have common components. For example, in the Clayton County Public School District in Jonesboro, Georgia, students are required to wear shirts with polo-style collars or button-down collars. The shirts must be white
In 1987, a public school in Baltimore, Maryland became the first to instill a school uniform policy in the United States. This idea of all students dressing alike spread throughout the country, and by 1994 a school district in Long Beach, CA became the first to require a whole school district to wear school uniforms (Background of the Issue - School Uniforms - ProCon.org). Today, an average of 23% of public and private schools enforce a school uniform system (School Uniform Statistics). But this change in dress code policy did not come about without controversy. Although some will argue uniforms promote safety, focus, and an even playing field in schools, school uniform policies oppress student’s freedom of expression, advocate for conformity, and cause more problems than they fix.
Reports from The Journal of Educational Research reflect the belief that school uniforms have no direct effect on substance use, behavioral problems or attendance issues after analyzing data from the National Educational Longitudinal study of 1988. (Brunsma & Rockquemore, 2001, p 92) The authors of the article go on to make a bold claim that contrary to current discourse there may be a negative effect of school uniforms on student academic achievement. This research revelation was considered breaking news in its day of discovery.
Lack of parents support is the most significant reason for schools failing to implement any sort of school uniform code. Parents, teachers, and students should support the need for school uniforms in public schools so that they may be able to achieve higher educational goals. This paper will discuss many of the pros to the debate on uniforms in public schools as well as touch on some of the cons on the subject. After weighing the two sides, it will demonstrate how the pros are a more sensible alternative and why schools should require mandatory uniforms for their students.
Most commonly found in private schools, school uniforms are slowly being adopted by public schools in the US. In the 2003-2004 school year every one in eight schools required uniforms; in the 2011-2012 school year that number had increased to every one in five schools (ProCon.org). As violence increased, schools started enforcing uniforms thinking that it would solve the violence. School uniforms were created in England in the 16th century for students referred to as the “charity children” (ProCon.org). In later centuries, high-class schools were the most commonly known for requiring their students to wear uniforms. The first recorded time a public school in the US required uniforms was in 1987, a school in Maryland put out an optional uniform policy (ProCon.org). Uniforms have been being enforced by private schools for years, but now public schools are trying to enforce them. Students should not be required to wear uniforms because it refuses students the ability to express themselves, dress codes are more effective, and uniforms can cause a detrimental effect on self-image.
For quite some time now there has been an ongoing discussion about students wearing school uniforms in public schools. Is students in the public-school system play a major role on them academically? Is making the students wear uniforms unfair or does it show equality? What image does it set for the schools that do have a uniform policy? Over the last few decades, the schools, parents, and students have had a debatable issue over the uniform matter.
The idea of uniforms being required for public school students has been a widely controversial topic in the recent past. In the 2003-2004 school year, only one in eight public schools required students to wear uniforms (ProConorg Headlines). In the 2013-2014 school year, one in five public schools required students to wear uniforms (ProConorg Headlines). This essay will discuss the reasons that uniforms restrict the individuality of students, burdens families that cannot afford two sets of clothes for each of their children (Farrell), and serve little to none purpose in benefitting the education of students. Uniforms are meant for the workforce, not school children.
Currently, the student dress code in the 2015-2016 Payette High School (PHS) Handbook is completely vague. It mentions in depth dressing issues regarding hats and graphics on clothing. Now the exact wording regarding how much the body needs to be covered is, “Dress shall not disrupt or distract from the educational process.” As I discussed this issue with students that currently attended PHS, I noticed a correspondence among different stories. Due to the fact that there is not a specific dress code, different teachers have diverse interpretations of what disturbs the educational process. Another aspect of the dress policy includes, “Violations of dress code may result in removal from school until dress is appropriate.” Students, particularly female students, express
In 1994, the school district of Long Beach California was one of the first to enforce school uniforms in the grades Kindergarten through 8th, and crime rates in the district dropped 22% soon after. School attendance also improved after the uniforms were introduced. Although this one statistic shows there are positive outcomes from school uniforms, there is one question that remains: Do school uniforms help or harm the students and environment at school? The controversy among this topic is that some people believe that uniforms improve the way kids act in class, however, others believe that school uniforms make their behavior worse. Another thing that certain people don’t like about uniforms is that they are very costly. A woman in Indianapolis was interviewed and said that she has five kids that all need uniforms, and with all the costs combined she had to pay almost $700. She found it was an outrage because she has a son who was a senior at the time and she had to pay for his uniforms as well. Even though she believed that uniforms are not an advantage, other people have the belief that uniforms have a positive outcome. In fact, some people think that the students’ behavior becomes subsequently better in the classroom setting; this is proven in the Long Beach study. There is also proof that school uniforms save people lots of money. This is because parents in one
The history of school uniforms in the United States public schools begins with small underprivileged school of Cherry Hill Elementary in Maryland and the domino effect that happened soon after in the years after. The popularity of school uniforms can greatly be credited to the Long Beach, California study and President Bill Clinton’s speech on the topic. At first, school uniforms were only for the private or Catholic private schools however the school uniform trend spread to other public schools to adopt the “preppy look” and success. This has now set new standard for the United States school system. A brief history of school uniforms will give a significant insight on the growing development that is transforming American schools.
Uniforms in schools are a big debate around the world. Should we have uniforms in schools? The answer is yes because uniform help the schools. They bring to table a great deal of help because students are getting bullied, killed, and some may not have as much as other when shopping for clothes. Having uniforms bring safety to schools and what goes on after school.
In this paper you will find four main reasons why all public schools should adopt a school uniform policy, and there is a paragraph with a counter argument with school uniforms. There is a discussion on how the crime rate decreases amongst students, how uniforms save the families money, how gang related activities have decreased, and how there is less stress between students and parents. By the time you finish reading this paper, you too should agree that all public schools should adopt a school uniform policy.
A. Thesis Statement- Wearing school uniforms in public schools has numberless amounts of positive benefits both at school and at home.
A study has been done by two Notre Dame University professors, they looked at how uniforms affected “attendance, disciplinary behavior problems, substance abuse, and academic achievement.” From the study the teachers’ outlook of their students with uniforms on changed immensely, they saw them as acting more responsibly, intelligent, and more prosperous. This opinion is false, the students had the same intelligence level as before and based on the results of the study the uniforms did not show a decline in absence, drug use, attitudes toward school, or achievement in the classroom. The study found that tenth graders’ success levels were adversely affected by being compelled to wear uniforms. This shows that there are negative effects of wearing school uniforms.
Today in the US, only 19% of schools are reported to have school uniforms. A decade before that, it was 12%. The amount is increasing, but the problem is the popularity of the move is decreasing. School uniforms hinder students and parent more than they actually help.
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.