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Mandatory uniforms for schools
Mandatory uniforms for schools
School uniforms
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The first standardized dress code is believed to have been recorded in England during the early 1200’s. Their uniforms consisted of very distinctive scarves, handkerchiefs, waist coats, and heeled shoes. School uniforms in England were used as a representation of social status. It was later adopted by many schooling systems in other countries, such as Japan and Africa. Japan is now known for having almost all schools in the country enforcing dress code policies. The United States later followed suit in the late 1900’s, limiting dress code policies to mainly private and parochial schools. School dress code is rarely seen in public schools in Europe and Canada, though you may see one enforced in many private schools in the area. A uniform is …show more content…
The topics of her articles focus mainly on education and school environments. Throughout her article ‘Do uniforms make schools better?’, she speaks on the impact dress code policy has made in certain schools around the United States and how it reduces the amount of gang-related violence on campus. In her article, Wilde states, “... when the researchers looked into school discipline and local police records and compared them to the prior year’s data, discipline referrals were down 10 percent, there were 63 percent fewer police log reports, and graffiti, fights, and gang-related activity were all down.”(Wilde 20) In other words, enforcing uniform code contributed to the reduction of violence and vandalism on school grounds, making it a safer place for students working to gain an education and allow them to focus more without having fear. She also gave a quote from President Clinton expressing his approval for the uniform policies being enforced throughout the nation. The quote stated, “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” (Wilde 4). Over time, officials of district schools around the country have seen large amounts of improvement after dress code policies were enforced into public schools, including higher academic achievements and attendance rates. Marian Wilde’s credibility as a source is …show more content…
In his article, Constitution Check: Do school uniform policies violate the First Amendment?, he speaks on the issue of school uniforms violating students’ rights of free speech. In the piece, Denniston states,”...it not the business is of the government to decide which views are acceptable, and which are not, and the right to speak one’s own views is matched by protection against having to utter someone else’s views – especially, views favored by the government.”(Denniston 3) The first amendment protects students from having to be restricted from expressing themselves instead of following after others opinion, such as the government. School uniforms are a violation of the rights entitled to students because it limits their freedom of expression and comfortability through clothing. Though some countries do not have freedom of speech, such as North Korea and Cuba, most do. Later in the piece, he talks about different Supreme Court cases concerning uniform policies and the violation of the first amendment. Denniston’s credibility is increased as source throughout the article as he states that he has reported on the Supreme Court and constitutional issues for over 55 years, basically imply that he has a decent amount of experience to support his argument. The source appears to not have any
Issues involving the apparel enforcements, including sexism, repressed self- identity, and punishment issues will be discussed within this paper. Literature Review The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the creation of laws offensive to religious groups and ensures their ability to freely practice, grants the freedom of speech, comply the freedom of the press, and allows the right to assemble peacefully. Adopted on December 15, 1791, it has served the United States of America for over one hundred years. Freedom of expression is a controversial topic when applied to the school dress code.
Dress codes have become a typical affair for public schools. The weight of this matter only gets heavier with time, as fashion trends evolve with haste. Accordingly, the debate for and against dress codes still stands. This essay will summarize, make an argument, and analyze Krystal Miller 's article "School Dress Codes."
Dress codes are essentials for all schools across America. Dress codes will set the tone for students to be safe because they will help reduce violence, increase student safety, and provide a positive learning environment.
or formal dress code stipulating what students can and cannot wear to school, a required school uniform is not as common. Customarily only seen in private and parochial schools, a growing numbers of US public schools are now adopting strict school uniform policies. One in five US public schools required students to wear uniforms during the 2013-2014 school year, up from one in eight in 2003-2004 ("School Uniforms," n.d, p. 1). In today’s world, it is not uncommon to see media stories about crime in schools and our educators are constantly looking for ways to improve safety within this school. Some of these educators feel that school uniforms are one way to protect the safety and welfare of students and school personnel. Many kids find
Ever wonder what it would look like to have all students wearing the same white polo shirt, black pants, and a district sweater walking in the hallway? Nowadays, public school and many districts are discussing the possibilities of enforcing the uniform policy. In most places, many private schools already require students to have their mandatory uniforms; however, there are only a few public schools adopting this mandatory school-uniform polices as one of their enrollment requirements. The reason why not all public schools participated was because people believe that they are violating the freedom of choice when enforcing this mandatory uniform policy; yet problems such as bullying and segregation, emerged in these schools. Some people still think uniforms have no benefits at all. However, all public school students should be required to wear uniforms because it would improve the academic performance, reduce the violent behaviors based on appearance judgment, and provide less stress for both parents and students.
"’School uniforms are one step that may help break the cycle of violence, truancy and disorder by helping young students understand what really counts is what kind of people they are,’ President Clinton said. It didn 't take much more than this presidential nod of approval to get the uniform ball rolling in many school districts across the country” (Bowen). Are school uniforms really the answer to the public schools’ problems? Although having a school uniform policy is mostly beneficial to schools, there are some drawbacks to having one. While uniforms provide less cost to the parent and less chance of bullying in schools, they also limit a student’s freedom of expression and can decrease the student’s comfort level.
The debate over the use of school uniforms in public schools is one that has raged on for decades, and still hasn’t come to a conclusion. School uniforms are increasingly being enforced in public schools throughout the country, amidst a slew of opposition. Some people believe that school uniforms do not help our schools and their students, but hurt the schools and smother the student’s freedom. More specifically, some schools in the Greeley/Evans School District 6 have adopted school uniforms to try and improve the respective schools problems while some schools haven’t adopted uniforms. This leads people to question, should the Greeley-Evans School District adopt a school uniform policy?
According to greatschools.org, “Enforcing a strict dress code can place the focus of school on clothing and rules, rather than on education.” Most schools have specific uniforms that a child must wear in order to attend. Many children that go to school, have single parents and / or more than one ...
It has been observed that the adoption of school uniform policies can promote school safety, improve discipline, and enhance the learning environment. The potential benefits of school uniforms include decreasing violence and theft. Some instances involving designer clothing and expensive sneakers have even led to life-threatening situations among students. Uniforms would also prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at school. Uniforms would also teach students discipline and help them resist peer pressure. Uniforms would also help students concentrate on their schoolwork and would help school officials detect intruders who come unwelcome into the school.
Ensuing President Bill Clinton's State of the Union address in January of 1996, more and more public schools are implementing dress codes and uniform policies in their schools. As a result, there has been an increase in legal controversies dealing with the issue. The reason that dress codes are not conclusively enforced is due to the application of the First Amendment to juveniles in the public school setting. The First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Should children in public schools be able to wear whatever they want because of the freedoms classified in the First Amendment? I feel that the answer is no. Institutionalizing dress codes in public schools would do a great good for students and the entire academic community. I base my opinion on the fact that the pros of imposing dress codes outweigh the cons of the argument. By imposing dress codes or uniforms for students, it would eliminate opportunities for the ridicule of less popular or less fortunate students based on their attire, help prevent gang violence and gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia in schools, and generate an overall better academic concentration and discipline in the educational community.
Proponents of school uniforms agree that students’ school uniforms are not a violation of their First Amendment of the U.S. constitution right. In the case of Canady v. Bossier Parish School Board, the Fifth Circuit upheld that “students remain free to wear what they want after school hours. Students may still express their views through other mediums during the school day” (Canady v. Bossier Parish School Board). Advocates for school uniforms argue that school is for learning, and that self-expression is for after-school hours. Some people will say that there is room for self-expression such that students’ can use hairstyles and accessories to start forming their individuality. However, proponents of school uniforms need to
In America, “The World’s Melting Pot”, we are all unique and should be seen as individuals. Wearing a uniform does not allow for students to demonstrate their individuality; they have to dress conforming to the school’s uniform policy. According to Akerlof and Kranton, “...with attempting to establish a sense of community might be the loss of student’s sense of identification with the school, which could in turn yield lowered outcomes in effort and skills”. These policies leave the students questioning themselves and wondering, “Who am I?”. A survey, of 100 random students, conducted at Zapata High School showed that 72% of students reviewed felt that wearing a uniform suppresses their ability to express themselves as individuals. Forcing students to wear a uniform is also going against the first amendment, which clearly prohibits Congress from making laws that violate freedom of speech; it includes freed...
The first argument of the critics against school uniforms is that they believe these infringe on the liberties guaranteed by the First Amendment. An editorial in the Northwest Florida Daily News argues how school uniforms can’t ensure better behavior as well as how anti-individualistic they can be. If uniforms can guarantee better behaviors, how can there still be soldiers who go AWOL and prisoners getting into fights? The anonymous editor speculates that uniforms take away students’ identities which only the “a...
Pickerington School District should require students to have a uniform dress code. The current dress code policy is very minimal and is not adhered to by the students. Faculty overlook the students who don’t abide by the current dress code as it would take away from their teaching time. One of the main concerns that is brought up when the topic of school uniforms is discussed is freedom of expression. Many people worry that not allowing children to wear certain clothing will “stifle their creativity” (p. ) or restrict their First Amendment rights (Nevada, 2008). There are many reasons for having uniforms in public schools. School uniforms have been shown to improve test scores, raise school pride, increase attendance, reduce violence, and teaches students to dress professionally. School uniforms can also avert the wearing of gang colors (Wilson, 1998).
Dress codes and uniforms have been deemed legal by the United States Supreme Court. As long as the dress code or uniform regulations pass a four-pronged test. Opposition for school uniforms holds fast to preserving the sanctity of freedom of speech. The supreme court ultimately has decided that dress codes and uniforms do not violate the freedom of speech. In Harold W. Mitchell and John C. Knechtle’s study of the first amendment rights and dress code, they note that in 1968 in Ginsberg v. New York the supreme court ruled that “[t]he state has power to control the conduct of children that reaches beyond its scope of authority over adults (491).” Mitchell and Knechtle go further into explaining the 4 pronged rule the supreme court uses to judge if a rule is against the freedom of