Moving Towards Motivation. School. Once A Word Meaning

As the years pass, many students have been bullied, a bully, or they just hate school and this was affecting their lives academically. School boards tried to find a way to improve the way students feel about themselves and about school, and they came up with the idea of school uniforms. School uniforms have been associated with just the Catholic school, but are now showing up in public schools across the country. According to the National Center for Education Statistics: Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2011, twenty-one states require students to wear uniforms in the public school system (Pros and Cons of School Uniforms Statistics). This has seemed to work tremendously in the school system. In education, school uniforms assist with student success, academically, socially, and personally.

With that being said, as more research about the benefits of uniforms develops, the more common dress code policies are becoming in the United States. With the appropriate research, school officials, parents, and students are becoming more aware of the importance of enforcing dress code policies. As research has shown, uniforms can create a sense of unity and develop self-confidence in students (Caruso). Uniforms can also improve academic performance and limit violence among students (King). While opponents will argue that there is not enough evidence to back up the value of a dress code, research proves that uniforms can be beneficial to school systems. Just as Japan and South Korea have implemented dress codes in their school systems, the time has come for the United States to recognize the value of school uniforms (Yeung). The question still remains, should all schools in the United States be required to enforce a dress code policy? In order to provide optimum learning in the classroom, uniforms are needed now more than

School uniforms are beneficial to students at all grade levels and can be a contributing factor in improving test scores, attendance and the graduation rate, while decreasing school violence and behavior issues. Research has proven significant connections between school uniforms and the success of public schools. In 1996 approximately three percent of all schools in the United States had a school uniform policy (Gentile & Imberman, 2009) . In 2015 23% of schools reported a uniform policy (Statistic Brain Research Institute , 2015). Inner city schools are more likely than suburban, town, and rural areas to have a school uniform policy, because urban schools often struggle with violence, failing school districts, and attendance policies (U.S Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences) and uniform policies have been proven to benefit such schools.

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.

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.

School uniforms help create a disciplined atmosphere that is necessary for success in academics (Brookshire 01, 02). Brookshire states that in this study it was realized that, “schools implemented uniforms in an attempt to reduce clothing costs for parents and to help curb social pressures.” (Brookshire 01) Meaning that, school uniforms bring forth more than just one advantage. As the uniforms help

According to a national 2013 survey, over 62% of US school leaders believe school uniforms or formal dress code policies impact students in a beneficial way. Many people look to school uniforms as a way of enclosing students and taking away their self expression, but many people do not know the true impact of a school uniform on society. A decision to make school uniforms mandatory would be the most effective conclusion for students since school uniforms promote learning, allow students to express themself, and create a “better environment” for all students.

Though the simplicity of school uniforms limit self-expression, they increase the overall quality of a student’s education. More schools, both public and private, are adopting uniforms in order to reduce crime and decrease the amount of distractions in the learning environment. Uniforms can oftentimes be costly and eliminate the amount of leeway students have when it comes to personalizing their appearance. However, uniforms better the school experience for a majority of students who wear them.

The discussion regarding the purpose of schools uniforms among parents and school administrators have increased in the last few years. The debate on whether school uniforms affect students’ performance have challenged also. School uniforms are often seen as unstylish and unattractive due to lack of design and color scheme. The use of school uniforms are used to aid students’ behavior, performance, and attendance. It provides an opportunity of growth in a student’s physical, social, and moral development. In addition, the long term effects have a profound influence on their actions, emotions, and well

Since the 1990s, the practice of having public school students wear uniforms--like their private school peers--has been credited with some amazing results. School uniforms, proponents have said, can lead to improved discipline and classroom behavior, increased school attendance, respect for teachers, better school performance, higher student self-esteem and confidence, lower clothing costs, promotion of group spirit,

Many school administrators and parents believe that uniforms create a better learning environment at school. First and foremost, many administrators claim that students are not as distracted by how they look, and therefore, spend more time learning at school. This allows students to focus more upon their schoolwork, rather than social appearances.” (PAR 3) A parent want to feel at ease knowing that their children is in a safe and secure learning environment when their children are at school. However, being able to provide a safe learning environment will not have the same effect on all students. Some students will still act as if the school uniform never

School uniforms have been a commonly debated topic for many years. Some schools feel as though having uniforms is requisite for better school programs. In fifth grade, I attended a school that required students to wear uniforms. I did not like the idea of uniforms initially, simply because I wanted to wear the clothes that I chose, but as time progressed, I realized that all that time I had been reaping the benefits of having school uniforms. Uniforms are advantageous for a school because they help improve the behavioral issues found in students, level the playing field among social classes, and provide a safer environment for students and staff.

In “Public School Uniforms: The Pros and Cons For Your Child”, Grace Chen states that 20% of all public schools have adopted uniform mandates. Public schools didn’t have school uniforms till 1994. Schools wanted to have school uniforms to address safety issues. According to school district data, within a year, the fights and muggings at school decreased by 50%, while sexual offenses were reduced by 74%. More schools across the country are requiring uniforms at their schools, which are naming school safety as their primary motivation. Other statistics argue that uniforms are not as beneficial as school administrators and parents are encouraged to believe. Some opponents say that the lack of individualism and comfort among students are decreasing their learning and success. The real question would be: are public school uniforms good for the children. School uniforms aren’t good for the children.

In America, there are about 49 million students enrolled into public schools of kindergarten through twelfth grade. Plus, six million students attend private schools. In that 55 million of students that attend school 47% to 57% wear school uniforms. Schools believe that it helps with discipline and attendance. But they don’t realize the negative effects to students wearing the uniforms. Schools shouldn’t enforce kids to wear the uniforms.

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.