Benefits of School Uniforms for American High School Students

Uniforms have been used for centuries for things like sports, military affairs, and to help identify someone that is affiliated with a group or an organization. One place they should not be used is in public schools. In this day in age uniforms are still being argued and could still appear is school around the country causing problems. When I was in middle school I had uniforms for about four years and it made me hate school even more. None of the benefits that administration said we would get from uniforms ever materialized. They said it would put an end to bullying and we would still have some kind of freedom when it came to picking accessories. The uniforms were costly for my parents and as a student it made it hard for me to express myself. With that being said middle school students should not be required to wear school uniforms.

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.

Now a days, school-age kids feel the pressure to fit in with their friends and be successful in school. Many schools are considering the use of uniforms to avoid certain problems with student’s behavior like school violence, etc. School uniforms should be used because they are economic, they promote social equality and the school staff has more control of the dress code.

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 majority of the students from LaGrange High School who participated in this study were ninth graders. However, at this age students are going through identity crisis and are trying to find themselves. School uniforms identify students as a group or the same person because everyone wears the same style and color of clothing. Which is very good because school officials can identify outside intruders from students. But students do not want to look like each other, they want to be different. Schools often adopt the school uniform policy as a way to improve student self-esteem and cut down clothing cost to parents.

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.

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

Teachers, students, and parents today are faced with the question of if students should be allowed to wear uniforms or not. Many argumentative questions have aroused due this simple question. Many people believe student should wear uniforms making it better and easier on the students and parents. Whereas there are many people who would feel similar, but feeling as though students should not have to wear uniforms. Questions like these show you how touchy of a subject this is, and how many different factors come into play when dealing with uniforms. There are many agreeable reasons to wearing a uniforms presented by many teachers, parents, and students. While there are even more reasons people will argue against wearing them.

Some of the opponents of uniform argue that, forcing students to wear uniforms can make them unruly as they may turn to unsuitable mode of dressing. Uniforms hamper a smooth transition of students from childhood to adulthood as their socialization is practically controlled. Uniforms may also be a probable source of uneasiness for students considering that; they need to make maximum use of their time in schools. The subject of uniforms in public schools cannot be decided on a pro- and- cons approach. There is a need to evaluate some of the moral grounds before coming to a proper conclusion on this issue. The decision of whether uniforms are right for a student is solely dependent on the individual

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.

Some think that a lot of negativity goes with school uniforms, and uniforms are just not worth it. However, the truth is that school uniforms have more pros than cons. Kids should have school uniforms because they create school pride, they let kids focus on education, and they make kids feel like they belong with their peers.

However, resources channeled to public schools are not fully utilized by the students since they tend to focus so much on their attire than their studies. In schools where students do not have school uniform, for instance, students tend to disregard the core reasons of going to schools. They instead concentrate on what they put on, their appearance, and the latest fashionable clothes. To ensure sanity is restored among the students, school uniforms must be introduced in all public schools. It will help in improving students’ concentration on their studies thus improving their performance (Altheide 428). Cases like inferiority complex and low self-esteem among students will reduce by significant percentage since students will not be worried about what their classmates say about them. In fact, school uniforms will be crucial when dealing with the issues of social classes and groupings among students. Using school uniforms in public schools, students will not categorize themselves or identify with certain social classes. Moreover, governments will not have to incur many expenditures on public schools without achieving the policy objectives.

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.

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.

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.