Education and Teaching - It's Time for Uniforms in Public Schools

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.

An educational institution was not intended to be a platform for students to parade fashion, wealth or privilege. Too often, kids are preoccupied and obsessed about popularity, social standings, and how they can fit in. How children dress themselves often separates the haves from the have-nots. Households that are struggling to make ends meet are not financially able to keep up with fashion trends and can be targeted for bullying. When peers are dressed in uniforms, the social class distinction becomes much less obvious, prejudice and discrimination will lessen; which ultimately create a less hostile environment. As a result, school uniforms will compel students to spend their time expressing themselves through other channels; such as art, music, sports, and academic achievement.

The debate about public school uniforms in America is an issue that has been around for a very long time. This issue was even mentioned by President Bill Clinton in a previous State of the Union address in 1996. In his 1996 State of the Union Address, President Clinton decreed,” I challenge all of our schools to teach character education, to teach good values and good citizenship and 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 school uniforms” (Clinton 1996). Public schools requiring mandatory uniforms for their students are a major topic as it deals with moral and economic concerns about how America’s public schools are operated.

“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

“If it means that the schoolrooms will be more orderly, more disciplined,” President Clinton said, “and that our young people will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside instead of what they’re wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms.” President Clinton is referring to the outfits or sets of standardized clothes that are worn primarily for an educational institution, usually in primary and secondary schools in various countries. When used, they form the basis of a school’s dress code, which is a set of rules, usually written and posted specifying the required manner of dress at a school. It began when schools had issues with grades and behavioral problems, but they didn’t want uniforms because it infringed upon individuality. The commotion began when the uniform movement began nearly four years ago when Long Beach, California became the nation’s first public school district to require elementary and middle school students to wear uniforms. Since then, public schools from east to west have debated whether they’re beneficial or not, which has caused the controversy to heat up significantly. Even though requiring uniforms in public schools have been controversial throughout history, it continues to be an area of debate for school communities because research shows that uniform policies do provide benefits to schools, but there are also disadvantages that create unfavorable conditions

Educators and parents, alike, want safe, respectful learning-oriented schools for their children. In 1996, President Bill Clinton challenged schools “to teach character education, … And 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 school uniforms.” (Boutelle 36). As a result, the "Manual on School Uniforms" was issued by the government to provide guidelines for those considering establishing a school uniform policy. Ever since, proponents and opponents of mandated school uniforms have been at odds with both sides strongly supporting their views. Uniform requirements can differ between schools requiring specific colors, styles, and types of clothing, ranging from white shirts and ties with blazers with school logos to simple pants and shirts in school colors. According to the report, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2013." by National Center for Education Statistics, nearly twenty per cent of all public schools have adopted school uniform mandates in the school year 2011-2012. This essay supports the position that mandated school uniforms may resolve several problems facing today’s public schools.

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.

While wearing uniforms, students have to obey and follow the rules, so they will learn how to respect others. An article reports “Teachers and principals often report that discipline problems are reduces in schools that implements a standardized dress program.” (School Uniforms). In addition, wearing school uniforms is a step of preparation for professional life. When you have a job, you will have to wear uniforms. Whether you are a doctor or a nurse, you are in the same position. School uniforms also help students to realize that they are a part of a group, so they feel liked they belong and learn to take responsibility for whatever they do.

School uniforms are increasingly popular across the nation. In fact, it becomes a huge controversial argument of communities rejecting these mandated school uniforms in their schools. However, school uniforms are not a negative thing; in fact, it could be positive in many ways by: eliminating cliques, saving money for parents, and taking away the bullying from students less fortunate. Meanwhile, on the other side of the argument, people believe that school uniforms will violate students’ freedom of expression, create a financial burden on families, and uniforms will not alleviate problems. However, with a solution that would benefit both parties, the public school systems in Oklahoma City district would benefit greatly if this policy were adopted in all the schools; since, the district only has 74 public schools in uniforms, while 17 schools are not.

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.

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.

Evidence that supports the claim stated from the perspective of a teacher stated, “I don‘t see kids being judged now by their classmates for not having the ―right clothes or for wearing hand-me-downs” (Huss, 2007, pg. 34). Evidence from the claim one would presume such distractions are gangs or peer pressure with clothing competition. Uniforms help to make the learning environment safer.

School uniforms help maintain a sense of equality amongst the students. They help rid any socioeconomic barriers that may be causing certain students, or groups of students, to be alienated from the rest of the student body (Wilde). In other words, the financial status of a student’s parents no longer matters. Parents “are no longer pressured to buy the latest fashions, and they spend less on their children's clothing” (Isaacson). They no longer feel obligated to keep their children up to date with the latest fashion trends. Due to this, students are less prone to form cliques, which only lead to the alienation of students ("School Uniforms.") At the same time, students no longer feel inferior or superior to other students. No longer do students respect each other on the basis of how stylish they look. Their clothes do not gauge how popular they are in the school. Instead, uniforms force people to look at each

To begin, having a standard set of dress generally allows for improved health and overall happiness among the school community. Uniforms, as the name suggests, create unity and bring a sense of pride to many students, greatly contributing to their well-being. Being part of a greater community, whether students realize it or not, helps to satisfy man’s natural desire to belong. Belonging to and taking pride in the school community helps young adults to feel more confident, as they feel part of something greater than themselves, while also having the advantage of teaching group collaboration and communication. While being part of a school community is one thing, having positive relations with that given community is another. Bullying at all levels of schooling has become a big issue; one that can also be corrected through the use of a uniform policy. Differences in socioeconomic classes are often the most prominent in clothing, which often makes certain children the target of teasing and bullying. Furthermore, when students all wear the same clothing, these occurrences are less likely. As is the case with all things, there is a flipside to this viewpoint. Those who object school uniforms often argue that bullying in schools is inevitable, not being impacted by a constant in apparel whatsoever. Although uniforms may not prevent bullying altogether, it certainly has an impact on bullying based solely on clothing. This may seem minute, but even a little change is better than