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School uniform policy debate
The impact of wearing a school uniform
School uniform policy debate
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Since school uniforms have become more and more common in the United States, there has been one issue that many, of the parents and students are worried about. Many believe the children will not have the ability to express themselves freely. The First Amendment guarantees our right to free expression. This means that students do not leave their First Amendment rights outside the schoolhouse door, but their opinions can be limited to prevent major disruptions to classes and outside activities. To make this statement more clear, in 2003, a high school senior was suspended from school for wearing a tee-shirt of President George W. Bush with the statement “International Terrorist.” (ACLU , 1997-2009) The student’s suspension was later reversed because of the First Amendment. If the school had a uniform policy, then the student would not have been able to express his political view-point. Note that, even if there is a uniform policy, election pins or buttons can still be worn, but these types of pins might be prohibited if they are related to gang signs or such. Piercings, however, are not protected under the First Amendment; like the political tee-shirt. Piercings are non-verbal communication and do not convey a specific message and, therefore, are not protected as speech. They can be seen as a possible disruption or health risk. (ACLU , 1997-2009) Although piercings are not usually a part of the dress code policy, they can easily be enforced if piercing become a problem at school. This includes all body piercings and more than one ear-piercing. Many would be upset because most girl’s have more than one earring in their ears.
Since the first school began using uniforms, there has been a large increase in the number of...
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Education Bug. (2010). Retrieved July 9, 2010, from Public School Uniform Statistics: http://www.educationbug.org/a/public-school-uniform-statistics.html
ehow.com. (1999). Retrieved June 21, 2010, from http://www.ehow.com/about_5462433_school-uniforms.html
Kelly, M. (1998, February 13). School Uniforms: Supreme Court Rulings and Effectiveness. Retrieved July 10, 2010, from About.com: http://712educators.about.com/cs/schoolviolence/a/uniforms_2.htm
Leyba, R. b. (1996, Feb 29). Manual On School Uniforms. Retrieved July 5, 2010, from http://www2.ed.gov/updates/uniforms.html
Polacheck, K. (n.d.). Uniforms help solve many school problems. Retrieved July 14, 2010, from Uniforms: http://www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/uniforms/article_9.cfm
Wikipedia. (2010, June 15). Retrieved June 18, 2010, from Wikipedia.com: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_uniform
It is a great idea for schools to implement a policy on school uniforms because statistics show that students who wear uniforms make better grades. Additionally, male students are not distracted by what female students are (or aren't) wearing. Moreover, students feel a sense of fairness with one another as they are all wearing the same things. When students are at one with one another, their confidence soars, which leads to better academic performance. Student uniforms help reduce the amount of bullying, and students who would normally be bullied now have a much better disposition while at school.
Students are becoming more concerned with what they are wearing and they are being distracted from the learning process. Although many students are not happy with the strictness some of the school’s new uniform policies, the policies should stay in place in order to increase school safety, devote student’s attention to learning and reduce bullying and peer pressure.
School Uniforms." Phi Delta Kappan 92.6 (2011): 63-66. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Kizis, S. (2000, 09). School uniforms and dress codes: The pros and cons. Writing, 23, 18-19. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196496131?accountid=32521
"School Uniforms Pros And Cons." Buzzle. Buzzle, 16 May 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. .
United States Dept. of Education. “Manual on School Uniforms”. Feb. 1996. Web. 1 Nov. 2009
School uniforms reduce the stress children feel when trying to fit in with their peers. Without them, some children may be alienated because their economic background reflects the clothes they wear. Children tend to break off into “cliques” and uniforms could possibly help unite students. Finding creative ways to express their individuality through other outlets other than fashion can help children forge friendships based on their common interests.
A major reason that schools should have uniforms is because students will get along better. They wouldn’t compare each other based on whose wearing what. This is opposed to a school with no uniform some students will feel inferior to the one’s wearing brand name clothes. Also uniforms lower the chances of jealousy between the students. The students would feel more unified with each other. Further more school uniforms can alleviate school violence, because it will help kids with less money escape the teasing they would get if the school had no uniforms. Also uniforms will help differentiate students from gan...
"School Uniforms? Yes and No?" How We. TypePad, 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.(School)
At the beginning of the 20th century almost no parent or faculty had any concerns with how students dressed to attend school. Nowadays, though, this is a giant concern among students, parents, and school board officials. Many arguments have been made over the matter saying uniforms should be required and enforced in schools. But, uniforms should not be required as they ultimately eliminate freedom of expression, promote conformity over individuality, may have a detrimental effect on students self image, emphasize the socioeconomic divisions they are supposed to eliminate, and lastly, school uniforms in public schools undermine the promise of a free education by adding an extra expense for families.
Boutelle, Marsha. “Uniforms: Are They A Good Fit?” The Education Digest Feb. 2008: 37. Print.
Uniforms in our Public Schools. School Uniforms are a logical choice for the public school venue. Uniforms prevent students from a lower income background from being singled out for poorly made or cheap clothing, prevents use of gang colors, allows for certain safety measures, and allows teachers to form impressions of students based on actions and work rather than dress code choices. Since the 1990s schools have reported amazing results by mandating a school uniform policy. Konheim-Kalkstein, Y. L (2006): “School uniforms, proponents have said, can lead to improved discipline and classroom behavior, increased school attendance, respect for teachers, better school performance, higher student self-esteem and confidence, lower clothing costs, promotion of group spirit, reduction in social stratification, and lower rates of violence and crime.
(“Quotes about Uniform Policy” 1). Theodore R. Mitchell, UCLA School of Education says, "I think its great news for all of us who have advocated school uniforms as a way of building community.” A pressing issue, bullying has become a big problem in many school, and to eliminate this problem, school policies should require students to wear uniforms. Many people believe that school uniforms build the community into a safer, more positive environment. School uniforms improve school academics, prevent gang violence, and assist families, who can not afford expensive clothing.
Wharton, Claudene. “School Uniform Study.” UNR.edu. University of Nevada, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
Students become upset when judged by how they dress, so why not make things simpler and provide uniforms? Worrying about how they dress is a huge distraction during school for students. Making the importance of their appearance brings stress to one’s body, and that is not the right way to go for a student who is trying to succeed in school. There is a slightly high percentage of how many schools require uniforms, and it brings a sense unity within the students. We should take charge in this situation and make school a safer environment for students. You can never argue with the fact that schools need to advise their students that it is a safe place, and providing uniforms is an excellent way to start. Take the challenge, the uniform challenge.