Why Do School Uniforms Increase Self-Expression?

New Orleans has the highest amount of schools with a school uniform policy in the US. Some schools nowadays have their kids wear school uniforms, there are some positive to this. As most kids are bullied, having them in a uniform can help them not get bullied. Even though there can be positives, there are more negatives to having kids wear school uniforms. Schools shouldn’t require their students to wear a school uniform because kids have individual tastes and different body types, it takes away their freedom to express themselves, and uniforms can be costly.

School uniforms have been a topical debate amongst educators, parents and children for quite some time now. Many folks feel that requiring uniforms in school has had a major influence and impact on the students and on the school environment as a whole. Opponents, on the other hand, think that the obligation of uniforms violates the right of freedom of expression for students and can be a financial burden on lower class families. These are some of the main points from people who are against enforcing school uniforms. So, should students truly be forced to wear uniforms to school daily? On the surface, it seems that the uniform debate should not be as hotly debated as it truly is. It’s just clothing. But, in reality the uniform controversy has spear headed a large deliberation and there has been much research done that has proven that schools that enforce uniform dress codes have improved on many levels. Uniforms have been shown to improve attendance and graduation rates, help prevent gang activity on campuses, alleviate peer pressure, and much more. Requiring school uniforms, even at a basic level is something that should be enforced in all schools. (https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/school-uniforms/)

Many people have different views on whether or not students should have to wear school uniforms. There are many different reasons why students should and shouldn’t have to wear them. Whether it be in favor them due to less bullying, less pressure on what to wear in the morning, lower cost, less violence, the ability to recycle the uniforms, or the ability to prepare students for the real world. The people against them feel that they take away from the ability to freely express yourself, uniforms cost more upfront, there will be bullies from other schools, it will lower comfort zones, and enforcing the rules will be difficult. But in my opinion school uniform will provide many different things like cost efficiency, safety for the students, increased mental focus, and the ability to prepare students for the real world.

According to Statistic Brain, twenty-three percent of the United States have the school uniform policy (research conducted in 2017). This means that one-fifth of the country’s students who are in school are not allowed to wear their own clothes. The statistics indicate that a majority of the United States disapprove of school uniforms since the percentage remains low. The topic about school uniforms has created two sides of the issue. Some believe that students should wear school uniforms to provide an equal learning environment. Those who oppose school uniforms believe that they do not give students the ability to feel safe in their own clothes and the right of self-expression. This topic has been a controversial debate and continues to

What’s the whole point of school uniforms? Do we really need to spend billions of dollars on them? Let’s express our style with the clothes and the colors we wear by getting rid of school uniforms! School uniforms make the school plain and we need to express our own style, make it colorful! School uniforms don’t change the way people act, and you can still bully others. Proponents say that school uniforms are an advantage on how to judge an intruder, but opponents say that school uniforms are a disadvantage on how to express your style. We should get rid of these uniforms.

School dress code has been an issue in public schools for a number of years. Many schools around our country are starting school dress codes to deal with many different issues in our schools. When trying to find research on the topic of school dress codes impact on student achievement, it was very limited. The research that we will be looking at will discuss the history of school dress codes and legal issues that arose from it. We will also look at other studies that discuss the main reasons for implementing a school dress code. We will discuss the steps, based on others findings, of researching the impact of dress code on student learning. The end of this paper will discuss how to install a dress code at your school successfully.

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.

People say that school uniforms are a good thing. They prevent bullying, they are easier for parents to dress younger students, and they help students focus on studying, not what they are wearing. Are school administrators or "boomers" of the American school systems causing students to become Wendy's Berry's version of "stickers"? Having students wear school uniforms have several pros and cons to them, including the cost of uniforms, student’s self-image, bullying of students, and student’s academic behavior, but the stickers view (cons) outweigh the boomer's point of views.

School uniforms have been around for a long time in k-12th grades along with even some colleges, while most private schools have uniforms, now some public schools are trending toward uniforms as well. There are two sides to this argument, with pros and cons to both. I have interviewed Dale Patnode, Kelly Patnode and Patricia Patnode, they bring a first hand experience with what uniform show and what they do for students.

Before one considers how implementation of school uniforms will help, one needs to realize that clothing-related behavioral problems and violence does exist and is becoming a major problem, especially in schools where there are no school uniform policies, and threatening students’ success in school. As Keith A. King mentions in

It all started in England. In 1222, the first uniform ever was recorded. It was similar to a robe and was called a “cappa clausa”. However, modern school uniforms began in the 1500’s when a boarding school in England required a blue cloak and yellow stockings. More schools picked up the trend until private and preparatory schools were practically known for them. Today, most of England’s elementary and secondary schools wear uniforms to unite the children regardless of their financial situation. The controversy with school uniforms is mainly in the US, however, and began in Washington DC and Maryland. The schools gave the option to wear school uniforms and noticed a decrease in behavioral issues, so more schools switched over. In1994, a California school district released the first statistical information on the benefits of school uniforms (Meleen). That is where the debate starts today. Many people disagree about whether or not uniforms are good for children’s development and if a notable impact can be seen by schools who make the switch. People also think that because public schools are funded by the government and there were no laws on uniforms that they should not be legal.

What if America could cut down the number of school shootings by changing one thing? Would they be willing to change it? What they could have a little more piece of mind when their children go on a school trip by changing one thing? Would they be willing to change it? What if someone knew that their child would not be sent home from school because of what they are wearing by changing a single thing? Would they change it? School uniforms are the change we need. A school shooter would stand out in a second. A child would be easily spotted in a crowd of people on that school trip. A girl would not get sent home from school because everyone could see her shoulder. School uniforms could save so many lives, from school shootings to a child getting lost on a school felid trip and much in between.

The opposing side argues that school uniforms should not be legalized in public school because there are no ways to express the inner being of one's true self. The major factors sur-rounding the oppositions’ stance are not affordable, the students losing confidence, and it cannot be proven on academic achievements. The struggle in families is mainly about not having enough money. Many of the families do not come from a rich-family-background. In Highland-Gaffe's Falls Elementary School, NH, principal James Paul wanted to conduct an experiment on having mandatory uniforms. Seven out of four hundred and fifty-four parents refuse. "Those sev-en children never wore uniforms, which, from my point-of-view, kind of derailing us" (S4). The reason for those parents to reject the mandatory uniforms are unknown, however, the board soon rejected the proposition. Another reason why the opposing side does not agree is because of the students' feelings. No child had a saying in this matter because all the grown-ups were thinking what is the best for their school instead of the children that makes up the school. A seventh grad-er named Aaron Morton said, "Uniforms are uncomfortable. They make you feel all stiff like ro-bots or something" (Viadero4)(S4)" Another seventh grader, Alexis Richardson also said," Peo-ple can't be who they are if they have to wear the same thing every day" (Viadero4)(S4). These two precious, little kids believe in what they believe.

The First Amendment in the United States constitution states that everyone has entitlement to freedom of speech and his or her right to express artistic, religious, and their political viewpoints. The topic of dress code policies in schools regarding uniforms has been up for debate ever since the idea originated from England. In the beginning, the uniforms were designed for upper class and used only in private schools. In the 1800’s the United States adopted the idea of using mandatory dress code in private education, but the idea did not flourish in public schools until 1987. Disruption is used to define the use of students expressing themselves in schools without the lesson being uninterrupted. Clothing is what allows students to express themselves without making a distraction to peers. Therefore, public education benefits when there is no set uniform requirement these reasons being the emphasizing of socioeconomic divisions, promotion of conformity rather than individuality, and the use of uniforms can cause an increase in bullying.

Public school systems across the country are now requiring students to wear uniforms. Can uniforms really make a difference in a child's academic performance? Wouldn't uniforms infringe the child's creativity and self expression? The "clothes don't make the child" right (Hempill A15)? Wrong. School uniforms can drastically reduce school violence and help a student to focus on school work. In 1996, President Clinton endorsed public school uniforms in his State of the Union Address(Atkins 42). This created a rage among some education critics across the country. Critics complain that uniforms will lessen children's individualism and creativity, infringing students' rights and hint of racism. While proponents believe, uniforms will put the students emphasis on schoolwork instead of dressing coolly, and they will help to lower school violence. The idea comes from a Californian elementary school in Long Beach. "In 1994, Long Beach became the country's first public school district to institute a mandatory uniform policy"(Atkins 42). The results were so promising that they lead to the President's endorsement. The school saw a fifty-one percent drop in physical fights, a thirty-four percent drop in assaults and batteries, a fifty percent drop in weapons offenses, and a thirty-two percent drop in school suspensions(Mancini 65). All this in a time span of only one year. Proving that a child's clothes does make a difference in school violence. In a time when school children are getting