School Uniforms Make a Better Learning Environment Essay

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.

On February 24 of 1996 when President Bill Clinton made a speech at the Jackie Robinson Academy in Long Beach California he stated “This remarkable progress that you have shown in your school as a result of your school uniform policy, making it safe, more disciplined and orderly, creates teachers who focus on teaching and students who focus on their job of learning” (Bily, 2014 p.5). The school dress code debate is not new and the belief that it makes schools safer and improves learning and test scores has been in the forefront as one of the many ways to improve and promote education in our country. The school classrooms in this country are nothing like they were in the past.

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.

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.

As a society we value the individual choices that we are able to decide upon in our everyday life. School uniforms have a negative effect on students, due to the lack of individuality and self-image that they are able to express. Therefore passing student policies requiring school uniforms is misleading as it creates more issues than it solves. Students should feel they are different from everyone else and have to freedom to act the way they want and wear what they want. Enforcing school uniforms does not affect academic situations in any way for uniforms to be mandatory. Schools need to re-think their decision on school uniform policies for the mental and physical well-being of their students.

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.

“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

School uniforms are becoming a popular trend amongst schools worldwide. Students and even most parents don’t agree with the implementation with school uniforms; declaring that uniforms take away the right of self-expression. This topic has both pros and cons that can impact youth in both a good and bad way. School uniforms can be beneficial to learning. The most common argument against school uniforms is that they take away the students right to self- expression. Requiring school uniforms eliminate the debate over whether to require uniforms or not is controversial, undeniably complex, and, from the analyses and arguments that are unquestionably rooted in multifaceted social, political, legal, cultural, racial material, and educational structures. The topic has both pros and cons that can be impact youth in both a good and bad way. One factor can be Academic outcomes; uniforms can reflect a student’s work ethnic as well as grades. Another factor can be behavioral outcomes; wearing uniforms may change a student’s attitude to being more professional since they look more

Some schools that have implemented a uniform policy have seen a decrease in disciplinary actions needed and the amount of bad behavior from students. In the article, “Schools Say Uniforms Lead to Better Academics and Behavior, “Principal Lauri Heward states, ‘Since uniforms were implemented, disciplinary issues have dropped more than 75 percent... It is amazing the difference that it makes.” This shows that uniforms are affecting student behavior by dropping the number of disciplinary issues in students. After researching three middle schools with newly implemented uniform policies, the students at the University of Nevada, Reno College of Education stated that ¨discipline referrals were reduced by about 10 percent the first year the uniform policy was implemented. Additionally, school police data showed a 63 percent reduction in police log reports during the first year of implementation.” After arranging to have a uniform policy, schools saw a decrease in problems with the police and minor problems within the school. Both pieces of evidence show that having students wear uniforms around school helped to minimize some of the behavioral problems.

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.

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.

“Clothing is also a popular means of expressing support for various social causes and compulsory uniforms largely remove that option.” By not allowing children to embrace their different clothing styles, it takes away their rights to have opinions on various matters. Some would say that the lack of support on various social causes in school lessens distraction in the learning community however students still find ways to express their opinions through other avenues. Therefore, requiring school uniforms is not the solution for controlling opinions.

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.

Wearing uniform to school have increased of the years, although some schools have not adopted the school uniform policy. Administrators and staff believe that wearing uniform have made schools safer for students, have improved school attendance and increased student achievement, and have reduced the changes of students being bullied. However, others have argued that wearing uniforms have not improve student behavior and wearing the uniform have infringed on student’s freedom of individuality. This essay will explain the importance of adopting a school uniform policy, why all public schools should have a uniform dress code, and how wearing uniform will provide a unified school environment. Therefore, all public schools should adopt a school uniform policy because, it uses will help to reduce bullying, provide a safer learning environment, and help to recognize gang affiliated members.