The Effects of Uniforms in Schools
When it comes to the debate on whether schools should enforce a uniform in school or not, there are two obvious sides: pro-uniform and against uniform. Both sides have their own facts to back up their stance on this topic, but ultimately schools are the ones to decide what type of clothes they will allow their students to wear. The purpose of school uniforms is simple: a way for all students of a particular school to be united under one similar dress. While there are disadvantages to school uniforms, there are also many benefits. Three effects of the implementation of uniforms in schools include an increased level of self-esteem and confidence among students, a decrease in clothing costs, and an increased level of academic performance. One effect of implementing school uniforms is the increased level of confidence and self-esteem among students. In schools around the world, the issue of bullying still exists, wherein students are sometimes picked on due to the clothes they wear. One effect of school uniforms is the fact that all students are wearing the same clothing or same type of clothing, which can reduce bullying among students. It becomes much harder to bully a student based on their clothes when they themselves are wearing the same clothes (Spencer). Spencer also states that roughly 160,000 students miss school every day due to a fear of being intimidated or attacked by their fellow students; these fears may be fueled by some
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
Firstly, we will be talking about why students wearing school uniforms is an policy for schools to inform. In addition, school uniforms deter crime and increase student safety. Correspondly, many schools have had students sneak weapons and drugs into the school which have been hidden in their clothing items. School uniforms make it easier to keep track of students on field trips, and make intruders on campus more visible. As a matter of fact, Sparks Middle School in Nevada instituted a uniform policy, school police data showed a 63% drop in police log reports, and decreases were also noted in gang activity, student fights, graffiti, property damage, and other of the kind. In like manner, a bulletin published by the National Association of Secondary School Principals stated that, "When all students are wearing the same outfit, they are less concerned about how they look and how they fit in with their peers; thus, they can concentrate on their schoolwork. Many students in school are bullied for their looks and their clothing style causing them to focus less on school and more on looks. Furthermore, when all students are dressed alike, competition between students over clothing choices and the teasing of those who are dressed in less expensive or less fashionable outfits, can be eliminated. The fact that many people care so much about their appearance, people often end up waking up earlier in the morning to fit in the time needed. However, with school uniforms, it would almost be effortless to plan an
School uniforms do nothing to prevent bullying. Linne Hoofnagle’s article goes on to say that, “If we convince ourselves that placing limits on clothing choices will eliminate school bullying, we are kidding ourselves” (Hoofnagle). The idea that all the harassment that takes place in school is centered around student’s wardrobes is preposterous. If you make students all dress alike the center of the bullying may move to if they have money, the presence or absence of glasses, condition of their skin, height, and weight. School faculty and administration are just looking at the superficial causes of bullying and not looking at the root of the problem. As a result, they are not only punishing the bully by
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.
Never once was there a time that I walked down the hallways at school without hearing at least one kid get picked on about their clothes. Everyone knew the popular kids from the weird kids, the rich from the poor, and the nerds from the jocks based on their clothing alone. Our school was divided into social groups because of clothing types. Then we got school uniforms. Once we got them, the school became more peaceful. No one got picked on because of their clothes; that was because we all dressed the same. The amount of bullying went down and the sense of kindness soon began to fill the school. The utilization of school uniforms in public schools creates many benefits for students.
In the article “Do uniforms make schools better”, Marian Wilde states that in the past decade, school, parents and students had clashed over the issue of regulating student attire. In the 1980s, public schools were often compared to Catholic schools for no reason. So some of the public school decided to adopt the school uniform policy. In 1996, President Clinton provided momentum to the school uniform movement in his 1996 State of the Union Speech. President Clinton said “ If it means teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms.” There is some pros and cons for having school uniforms. Some pros for school uniforms would be to help identify intruders easily, prevent gangs from forming on campus, and increase a sense of belonging and school pride. Some cons for school uniforms would be violating a student’s right to freedom of expression, making a student a target for bullies from other school, and it’s an unfair additional expense for parents. School uniforms shouldn’t be required at schools, especially at Kailua High School.
Education in the United States from Kindergarten all the way to 12th grade is known for its free education system. That’s right, students all over the country are given the opportunity to retrieve a high school diploma for free. Education in this country is so important that schools around the country are pushing their board of education to propose the policy of school uniforms nationwide, as they believe school uniforms have a very beneficial and positive effect on a student’s learning abilities, behavior, and lifestyle. School uniforms are increasingly becoming more popular throughout the United States, therefore schools across the country are aware of how the uniforms help students make higher grades,
Uniforms in schools are a big debate around the world. Should we have uniforms in schools? The answer is yes because uniform help the schools. They bring to table a great deal of help because students are getting bullied, killed, and some may not have as much as other when shopping for clothes. Having uniforms bring safety to schools and what goes on after school.
What people choose to put on their backs and how they present themselves is a choice that people decide every single day of their lives. Sometimes, it allows people to express themselves and show the outside world who they genuinely are but other times it allows people to become a completely different person if it is used as a costume for an event or to act on stage in a play or musical. Clothing has a larger impact on people and their behavior than most people would like to consider. What students choose to wear to school every single day impacts their lives more than most realize for example, in school. What students choose to wear to school can affect how well they are able to participate and focus on their studies. The clothing that students choose to put on their backs affects their self-esteem, what class level their classmates perceive them as, and their behavior. Implementing a school uniforms in public school can benefit the school and the students academically in their grades and their behavior in their classrooms and interacting with their peers.
I had never thoroughly taken into consideration the benefits and disadvantages that school uniforms presented until my family and I vacationed in England in early spring of 2015. While traveling we met up with a woman that my mother had known in High school. The woman had moved to the UK, and since had gotten married and had three children. One of the many conversations we had was about the British school environment and how it differed from American school standards. The mother had explained that the school her children attended required a school uniform, as most schools do in the UK. Those conversations sparked a curiosity in me that I had to quench. What are the benefits and disadvantages of school uniforms, and should we implement them more so in American schools? Although the questions I had were fairly straight forward, the answers proved to be more in-depth. Through my research I discovered several new ideas and values. As I read various different articles on the subject I began to develop an opinion of my own. Combined with my own personal experience, all though it be brief, and with the documented experiences and statistics, I can only pronounce that all the evidence leads to the idea that uniforms indeed are a treasured asset to our schools.
School uniforms have been introduced to US school more and more. In 2013, a research claimed that one out of five students who attended public schools were required to wear uniforms in school. Is this a positive thing? Uniforms shouldn’t be required in school. Firstly, it costs lots of money. Secondly, it refrains students from expressing creativity and individuality. Finally, school uniforms can harbour more bullying than lessen it.
Wearing uniform can add problems into a student’s life. Students would be more often picked on and bullied. A study conducted by experts from Texas Southern University showed that bullying incidents increased by as much as 12%, after the implementation of mandatory uniform wearing. Bullying mostly occurs because of what you wear, but now bullies find out other ways to show that they are better. Schools would think that if they implement uniforms, bullying would stop, but instead, it doesn’t stop, and it increases bullying. Uniforms could make the student have negative thoughts about themselves. Professor Dave Anderson stated “Students have different weights, body types, and heights. Whenever one looks at himself in the mirror, he depreciates his self-image because he feels like he doesn’t look his best” If the student doesn’t like their appearance, their attitude could reflect off it, for example if they are overweight, they might not like their appearance, so then, that causes them to think negatively about themselves, which wouldn’t be good for their health. These problems could disrupt the students learning process, and it could also have negative impacts on the student.
School uniform is one of the subjects that its effects on student still not clear. Each state, in the United States, has its own policy about the school uniform. In 1996, Former president Clinton and the Department of Education induced schools to approve uniforms (Mitchell, 1996). After several years, many public schools start to ask their students to wear the uniform. In the past, the uniform polices was only for the private schools. There were several arguments about the benefit of uniforms. For example, one of argument is the students’ safety. It said that the uniform decreases the fights and it can help in differentiate the stranger who coming to school from the student. Another argument is about the students’ achievements. This argument said that the uniform increases the achievement of the student by increasing the attendance rate. However, some point of views was opposite the school uniforms. The reasons of opposition are about the financing situation and the actual effects of the uniform on the students. It suggests that uniform will affect by increasing the payment on the low-income people. Also, it suggests that there is no evidence that the uniform can improve the achievement of the students. (Brunsma, 1998)
Most schools in America have a school uniform or school dress code. These dress codes usually consist of blue, green, white, red, or black collared shirts and khaki pants or shorts with close toed shoes. As it stands today schools have no true reasoning to force their students to wear uniforms. However, at the high school level most schools don’t have dress code anymore. Well if that is the case then why does McKeel force students to wear uniforms despite other schools actions?