Bullying is a problem that affects every student in America and recently this problem has increased among American students. According to the National Education Association (2016), an "estimated 160,000 students missed school every day due to a fear of violence and harassment from their peers." Students at many schools, including my own, have become more divided. This division has resulted in bullying especially towards students that stand out from the crowd with the way they look and dress. Along with continuing the anti-bullying programs already in place, public schools should implement a school uniform in order to reduce divisions among students, which should, in turn, reduce bullying and violence among students. A first step to …show more content…
Draa (2006) stated that "uniforms can be beneficial by blurring class lines within a student body (para. 13). Uniforms can also benefit these students ' self-esteem as they won 't have to feel self-conscience about wearing old or worn out clothes. Not only would uniforms reduce students standing out because of their parent 's financial status, they have also been proven to be cheaper over time. Uniforms are more cost-effective because parents would only have to buy several days ' worth of the same items of clothing, rather than buying lots of clothes for different outfits every day. School uniforms also reduce competition among students to dress better than the other students and instead allows them to focus more on their studies. Not only do school uniforms create an even playing field for students, they also unify students as a part of one community. Having all the students wear the same uniforms in their school colors allows the student body to feel like one, united community. Instead of feeling like their fellow students are single individuals who only want what 's best for themselves, students can feel as though they are all united for one purpose. A 2006 study of Texas public middle school students found that the students had significantly more perceptions of belong in their school community (Brunsma, 2006). This study shows that when students share a common uniform with their fellow students they feel much more involved in the school
This saves money for the parent and in turn, helps the child stay focused on school. Students will try to wear things that might not be necessary, or even a waste of money. They might try to wear hats and jewelry, which they do not need to perform in school. Excess jewelry and accessories are just another distraction for students. Sure, uniforms may be expensive for parents to buy at first, but think about all the money that they will save throughout the school year, not buying new clothes for their kids every month. Schools will be able to sell the uniforms directly to the kids and be able to make money that will in turn help benefit other programs in the school.
Uniforms are globally used at schools around the world, especially schools in Asia. In Asia, the policy of wearing uniform enforces strongly during school hours and whenever at schools. The policy is enforced because schools want to teach discipline to their students and prevent unanticipated troubles at school. The policy of school uniforms is not completely implemented in the United States, especially public schools. According to the US Department of Education, only about 23 percent private and public schools in the United States have a uniform policy (School Uniform Statistics 1). In Asia, almost all of public and private schools strictly enforce the policy. In my country, Indonesia, all of students have
Take a moment to put yourself in the position of an adolescent who has felt like an outsider from their own school. Weather it be because they don't have name brand clothes or don't have the latest on trend shoes. In a school where everyone wears the same thing will be a much safer and easier place for everyone in general. This is where school uniforms come in and give multiple solutions to both teens and their parents.
There are a ton of upsides of school uniforms that most people usually overlook. For example, “[u]niforms can be reused and recycled” (“Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms?”).Families with more than one student in different grades can even use the “hand me down” system. By reusing and handing down uniforms it would save parents money instead of buying a new uniform each year. Another way parents could save money from school uniforms is by not having to buy new school clothes for each school year. Money saved on uniforms can also go towards more educational things like schools supplies or books since it’s “less expensive than buying a whole wardrobe” (Spencer).
Along with easy purchase, uniforms also help cut down bullying. Implementing uniforms gives kids a better sense of school pride, in which they care more about the school and each other. For example when Long Beach introduced uniforms in 1995 they received data that showed the in school fights decreased by 38%, suspension rates dropped by 90% and furthermore the overall crime rates dropped by 91%. School uniforms would work in the same way an athletic team uniform would; it would give them a sense of pride and belonging. Like athletic teams, when a team member or student would wear their jersey, or in this case uniform, they would cloak themselves in their school color they would feel obligated to make sure they represent the best for their school to show that they care and they are going to prove how exceptional their school is. A uniform can improve the overall school and also move beyond the school halls and out to the community. Most bullies make fun of a kid by how he or she looks, so by schools implementing uniforms they “level the playing fields”
As stated in the Morning Call on January 11, 2013, “Uniforms will reduce bullying, teasing and disruption while also being a cheaper alternative for poor parents who struggle every year to afford new school clothes for their children”(Esack). Much like the Allentown Area School District, incorporating uniforms needs to be a priority for Pen Argyl High School. Not only will students have better attendance once uniforms are required, but one can also expect school achievement to increase. The enacting of a uniform rule by the Pen Argyl School District geared towards the high school would halt bullying in our school, eliminate questionable dress code violations, and make all students and personnel easily identifiable when present in the high
According to Marian Wilde, who writes for GreatSchools¸ uniforms prevent gangs from forming on campus and encourage discipline (Wilde). Even Virginia Ann Bendel Draa, who wrote School Uniforms in Urban Public High Schools, said that school uniforms reduced the amount of suspensions in the school she did the study with (Draa). School Uniforms will create a safer school environment for kids because the students are less likely to get into trouble when at school while wearing school uniforms. Safer schools equals safer children. While having security guards at schools help prevent violence, they do not get rid of violence completely. Schools uniforms also decrease the amount of bullying because bullying can be triggered by many things like not having fashionable clothes (Armerding). School uniforms take away the
Some critics say that school uniforms increase the amount of clothing that parents have to buy for their children, meaning that they would have to spend more money. Students wouldn’t wear their uniforms outside of school, so parents would have to buy casual clothing for their child to wear outside of school.
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
The next advantage of public school uniforms can be identified as the reduction of bullying behaviors. Everyone benefits by adopting the uniform policy. It helps students to unite and share a same goal – learning. Also, by adopting the
Students believe that the way they are dressed is more important than the grades they make. The students with less money, that can’t buy all the newest clothes, tend to not go to school as much, because they won’t fit in. There for students in schools with uniform will have more time to focus on more important things, like school work. With uniforms students don’t have to go to the mall every week looking for new clothes to wear. Also if a school has no uniforms students will feel that they need to have a certain look to fit in, and many will be ridiculed if they don’t achieve this “look.”
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.
In The Arguments Against School Uniforms by Michelle Kouzmine it states that some people believe school uniforms lower distraction, improve focus, and make the environment more serious. This is especially true when uniforms are strict and require every student to follow a school’s uniform policy otherwise punishments are issued. Uniforms also prevent social arguments and statuses. Some schools that don’t issue
The use of school uniforms, while controversial, can create an overall sense of unity that contributes to the learning environment. As of now, uniforms have been gotten rid of in most schools in favor of clothing that embodies freedom of speech and expression. However, the use of school uniforms can be beneficial to learning. School uniforms were created to promote a sense of unity and provide benefits beyond just looking pretty. According to a study by the University of Houston, schools “found improvements in academics, attendance, and behavior” after they adopted uniforms (qtd. In “School Uniforms”). While correlation does not always imply causation, in this case there is a valid reason. The nature of school uniforms can be
Wearing uniforms provides equality among students by “eliminating class distinctions and placing the poor on equal footing with the rich” (Bodine 3). There is less teasing and students are apt to be more acceptable of fellow classmates. When students are less distracted by unimportant issues they are more focused in the classroom.