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uniform in schools debate
the negative effects of school uniforms
the negative effects of school uniforms
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Imagine that you pick your seven-year-old child up from school. He is crying and wearing a different outfit than the one he wore to school. This is naturally upsetting but not as upsetting as your next discovery. His shirt, one you have never seen before, has a large "L" written on the sleeve in permanent marker; his shorts, also not his, are too large, stained and faded. Upon questioning your child, you discover that, despite your best efforts at compliance, your child’s clothing has violated the school’s uniform policy. Neither you nor your husband was called to bring your child a "compliant" change of clothing; rather a loaner uniform was forced upon your child. He was made to change into these alien clothes (McBride "Student" 1-2). The debate over mandatory uniforms in the public school system is raging across the country and in our own backyards. Proponents claim uniforms improve many areas in the educational arena while opponents vigorously challenge these claims. Opponents also cite potential civil rights violations while uniform supporters counter that the potential benefits greatly outweigh any loss of freedoms. The issue of mandatory uniforms in the public schools gained the spotlight of national attention following President Clinton’s 1996 State of the Union address. During that speech the President stated, "If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms" (Clinton 4). The President later visited Long Beach, California, where the first, district wide, mandatory school uniform policy in the country was enjoying seemingly remarkable success. He told those attending his speech that he had signed an order instructing the Secretary of Education to send to all school districts across the nation the newly generated Manual on School Uniforms ("Clinton" 1). The manual outlines specific steps for school districts wishing to implement uniform policies. It also gives examples of a few model policies from across the nation (United 1-7). The President went on to thank and praise Long Beach for their glowingly successful uniform policy ("Clinton" 3). Thus, the Long Beach Unified School District’s uniform policy became the national standard for school districts across the country. Despite the apparent success of some uniform policies, these ... ... middle of paper ... ...il Liberties Union Freedom Network. 1 Mar. 1996. American Civil Liberties Union. 5 Apr. 2000 . "STAR 1998-1999 Score Level Comparisons of Total Scores for All Students: California Stanford Nine Scores." 30 Sept. 1999. California Dept. Of Edu. 15 Apr. 2000 . "STAR 1998-1999 Score Level Comparisons for All Students: Long Beach, California Stanford Nine Scores." 30 Sept. 1999. California Dept. Of Edu.Apr.2000 . "Student Prevails in North Carolina School Uniform Dispute." American Civil Liberties Union Freedom Network. 11 Jan. 2000. American Civil Liberties Union. 15 Apr. 2000 . Tillman, Tim. “Polk County School Uniform Compliance Data March 1999.” Polk County School Uniform Page. The Parental Action Committee of Polk County, FL. 19 Apr. 2000 . "Uniform Incidents." Polk County School Uniform Page. Aug. 1999. The Parental Action Committee of Polk County, Florida. 5 Apr. 2000 . United States. Department of Education. Manual on School Uniforms. 29 Feb. 1996. 6 Apr. 2000 . Van Der Laan, Dick. Telephone interview. Apr. 1996. Walters, Sabrina. "Dade Study: School Uniforms Haven’t Led to Better Conduct." Miami Herald 17 Sept. 1998: 1A. News Library. 8 Mar. 2000 .
During the early 1990’s, American political and educational leaders saw that the US education system was experiencing low academic standards, rising violence, and disenchanted teachers. In 1996, President Bill Clinton discussed the increase in school uniform requirements during his State of the Union Address. Clinton called upon school leaders to make uniforms an important part of their efforts to improve school safety and discipline. In late February of the same year, he issued a memorandum to the U.S. Secretary of Education, directing that the government 's Manual on School Uniforms be distributed to each of the country 's 16,000 school districts. And in his 1997 State of
School Uniforms." Phi Delta Kappan 92.6 (2011): 63-66. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Simpson, Susan. "School Policy Offers Uniform Clothing Choices." Daily Oklahoman, The (OK) 31 July 2008:Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 13 Jan. 2014
"School Uniforms: The Good, the Bad and the Plaid." NOLA.com. Web. 21 May 2014. .
middle of paper ... ... Retrieved 11 20, 2010, from First Amendment Center: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/studentexpression/topic.aspx?topic=pledge. Jr., D. L. (2010, 11 19). Student Expression. Retrieved 11 23, 2010, from First Amendment Center: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/studentexpression/topic.aspx?topic=clothing_dress_codes_uniforms.
Many opposing views feel that uniforms are a “Band-Aid Approach” to more serious problems throughout the school community says Bárbara C. Cruz. (43) These are problems like violence, bullying and poor academic behavior. Said by a high school junior “Uniforms would not transform anyone into a good student, just dress up a bad one”. (Cruz 44) It is true that uniforms are not the solution to all educational problems, but they are a good place to start. Although, when schools begin to enforce a uniform policy it shows that the community is acknowledging there are problems to be solved and working together to try something new. Quoting two school safety experts, “Instituting a dress code alone will not solve the problem of violence in the schoo...
United States Dept. of Education. “Manual on School Uniforms”. Feb. 1996. Web. 1 Nov. 2009
In society today, school-age children are under tremendous pressure to fit in with their peers and still perform well academically. I believe that school uniforms at pre-K through high school levels are an excellent way to help children succeed not only in school, but to prepare them for college and the “real world.” Three reasons why I believe school uniforms should be used in all schools is first, they are economic, next, they reduce distractions and finally, they help with social equality. To begin, school uniforms are economic. When schools have a uniform policy, it makes it easier on the children and parents.
"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.
School uniforms are a boiling conversation point these days. There are so many well-built points of view about what route parents, students, and superintendents wish to go in. It has been disputed that school uniforms have the potential to make a school safer, that uniforms reduce harassment or self-esteem issues, and that uniforms return the focus to the students' learning. I disagree. I, in fact think that school uniforms do not help make our schools a more secure place, I think that they do not revisit the center of attention to student's education - they just shifted where the attention was previous, and that they won’t help cut down on harassment or self- esteem issues in school.
as determined by the board of trustees, states a bona fide religious or philosophical objection to the requirement. This law is what many parents in Texas who oppose the school uniform requirement use to fight against the decision of the schools to impose uniforms.
Wharton, Claudene. “School Uniform Study.” UNR.edu. University of Nevada, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
“A district wide proposal emerged in 2009 but was never enacted, and protests led by the group Clifton Asserting Parental Rights managed to stop a second try in 2012. The group, headed by parents Ann and Kurt Schnakenberg, gained momentum in the anti-uniform movement six years ago. The group cites studies by a Virginia Tech sociologist, David Brunsma, whose research found that school uniforms fail to improve student behavior, self-esteem or academics, as proponents