Schools’ Uniforms and Students’ performance Many students might experience the conflict between the enforcement of uniforms from schools and the willingness to wear their own clothes. What is the difference of them plays a key role to make a decision. Schools always claim that the disciplines, convenience of management and better study environment of wearing uniforms, students are more like to be stand out among their peer by dress themselves. While parents’ viewpoints are varied from the financial situation and the behaviors of their kids.
“In 1993 the Will Rogers Middle School in Long Beach, California, instituted a uniform dress code. The school had been plagued with graffiti and students in gang style clothing. Test scores were down
As the policy was implemented the teachers noticed a different attitude in the school; the students were calmer and more polite. Students admitted their lives were easier as they were not occupied with what they would wear to school.” (W. Mitchell). This is the data that uniforms supporters want people to draw attentions. There are many data show that how uniforms benefit schools and student from all walks of life, but how can people make sure that wearing schools uniform is the only reason that gives right to all the benefits? “But Long Beach 's glowing statistics have been met with skepticism. Some education experts say that no school can prove that uniforms alone cause such dramatic reductions in crime. Other detractors see uniform policies as a violation of students ' rights to free expression, and nothing more than a Band-Aid that fails to address the real causes of youth violence” (Svensen). One
“Student uniforms were correlated slightly (0.5) with standardized achievement scores, indicating a possible relationship; …the correlation was much smaller than indicated in the debate (Brunsma, Rockquemore, 56). In the study from Brunsma and Rockquemore, it is clear that with the help of uniforms, the profit is truly existing but not very remarkable. Likewise, things that uniforms proponents and parents care about, such as attendance, performance or the use of drugs, do have not relevant relationship between uniforms wearing, even the academic performance, attitudes. “Brunsma reviewed past studies on the effect of uniforms on academic performance. He also conducted his own analysis of two enormous databases, the 1988 National Educational Longitudinal Study and the 1998 Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. Brunsma concluded that there is no positive correlation between uniforms and school safety or academic achievement.” (Brunsma). In Brunsma’ book, he confirm the result with more thorough study. “Catholic school students who wore uniforms were absent more often (p < .05) and, on average, scored 3 points less (p < .01) on an achievement test than did Catholic school students who did not wear uniforms”(Brunsma 57). Another example says that “Contrary to what we expected, the 10th-grade students who were required by school policy to wear uniforms had almost a
As unnecessary, to most students, as it may seem, school uniforms can actually carry a lot of potent. According to a bulletin produced by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, it stated that “When all students are wearing the same outfit, they are less concerned about how they look and how they fit in; thus, they can concentrate on their schoolwork.” Students do not have to emphasize on what to wear to school each day; they tend to focus more on their education rather than to learn who is wearing the latest fashion trend. Students may start to digress to a point where they are even clueless about what they had learned during their entire school year. It is saddening to realize that these students would prioritize their clothing over their education instead. Providing uniforms to the students would have a tremendous effect over these students and the school systems. Students would not have to spend great amounts of money on clothing in order to receive the praise or attention of their friends and/or family; vice-versa, students who don’t have the money to afford the latest clothing will not have to suffer the gossips of their poor taste of
The issue of wearing school uniforms has been subject to debate over a number of years. It is important to note that initially, the concept of students wearing school uniforms was not widely embraced. Initially, the concept of wearing school uniforms was mainly practiced in private schools and public schools begun to apply the concept as recently as 1994 (Chen, “Public School Uniforms: The Pros and Cons for Your Child”). This move was mainly implemented to address safety issues that have been affecting academic institutions. However, there are still different schools of thought that have reservations when it comes to the issue of wearing school uniforms. This boils down to the question of whether school uniforms are beneficial or they have
Every year parents, students and teachers argue about the issue of applying school uniform, and if it is going to be put into effect or not. Each year, school dress code is being pushed away. Year after year, to help stop violent behavior and encourage order in schools, dress codes are applied. Does the fact of students having to wear a certain dress code reduce the violent behavior and encourage order in schools? (“The Controversial School Uniforms and School Dress Code Debate”, 2008). Research shows, that dress code policies may increase the chance of a child safety in school by a very low percentage, but that still affects the child in a positive way (“Do uniforms make schools better?”, 2004).
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.
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...
Proponents of uniforms argue that the widespread violence in schools is due largely to gangs. They believe that the distinctive gang colors and symbols are used it intimidate non-gang members and reinforce gang allegiance. Gang members are often found wearing clothing with professional sports team logos on them. Children who wear this type of clothing do so only because they like it or because everyone else is wearing it. Jim Steinberg of the San Diego Examiner believes that, “They have become a fashion statement and sometimes a gang statement”(Sauewein 1). This is why so many parents want the schools to go to a mandatory uniform policy. Many parents believe that if children wear uniforms, the violence in schools would drop significantly. Long Beach Unified School District was the first large school district in the United States to implement a mandatory uniform policy. “In 1994, the Long Beach Unified School District in California became the nation’s first, large urban district to require all it’s elementary and middle school students to wear uniforms. School crime has plunged 76 percent since, says spokesman Dick Van Der Laan. Attendance is the highest it’s been since 1980. Can the uniform policy take this credit? “Very definitely,” Van Der Laan says.
Until President Clinton called attention to the issue in his State of the Union address, mandatory public school uniform policies were sporadic local occurences. A few school districts had been quietly experimenting with uniforms for years, but the issue caught President Clinton's eye after the Long Beach, California school district released some numbers suggesting that after only one year, its mandatory uniform policy had not only brought about significant decreases in vandalism and fighting, but had also led to higher test scores. Now that the President's endorsement has elevated school uniforms into the realm of federal education policy, a question needs to be answered: Are uniforms a good idea?
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.
Jessica Portner, a writer for Education Week, agreed with President Clinton in her February 14, 1996 article entitled “Uniforms Get Credit for Decrease in Discipline Problems.” Using statistical evidence from the aforementioned Long Beach school system grades K-8, Portner creates a compelling argument pro school uniforms. In a study of the 83,000 K-8 students, the rates of assault and battery decreased 34%, fights 51% and there were 32% fewer suspensions.
There is something comforting about school children and teenagers dressed in pleats and plaid. Maybe it is a reminder of past times, or conjures up thoughts of order and safety. Whatever the reason, school uniforms are getting a lot of ?wear? these days, yet remain an unproven deterrent to school violence. No long-term, formal studies have been done with regards to the effectiveness of school uniforms, but many schools have kept their own informal statistics, such as the Long Beach School District. These statistics offered by Long Beach are often most cited as a proven deterrent to school violence, after adopting a mandatory uniform policy in 1994. According to Richard Van Der Laan, school crime has dropped over seventy-five percent, while attendance has reached an all-time high. One question we must ask ourselves is this, ?Is it the uniforms, or the induction of them that is solving the problem?? Maybe it is the school and parents showing some ?back-bone? which is affecting the students, not the clothing.
When students are not wearing uniforms, students are tending to act the way they are dressed for school. Uniforms are to help students to focus and do better in school and outside of school. School outfits are one of several demands factors that influence learning. It allows students to look more formal on their personality and not how they are dress. Students are allowed determined what is expected at school and the freedom they have outside of school in fashion. It also helps learners to be more discipline in their education and keep them from distractions as clothe design competition to each other. The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and Asia-Pacific Economics Blog (APECSEC) statistics have shown that uniforms impacted in classroom discipline of 85 percent and 44 percent of attendance ( School Uniforms Pros and Cons 5) and (National Assoclation of Elementary School Principle 1-2). When school system is not demand for students to wear uniforms and represent the school, sometime students are not willing to attend classes. Professor Scott
By requiring school uniforms in public schools, education will be improved. A dress code will enforce discipline toward learning. Uniforms improve a person’s outlook toward success. Students generally act the way they are dressed. With fewer distractions, students see the school as a workplace for teaching and learning. Students also have less stress in their lives because they are not in a fashion competition. Dress codes also lead to a change in grades. Mainly this happens because the student’s attendance comes up. There is also a change in grades because it is easier to focus when everyone looks alike.
School uniforms are just as comfortable as student’s that dress in the baggy and tight fitted clothing. Students can wear nice relaxed pants, and a polo shirt is a basic comfortable outfit for these uniforms. Also, school uniforms show a strong sense of discipline from student’s that attend those schools. School uniforms are often portrayed as looking professional. For instance, when students graduate High School, most of them will work in a job that has uniforms; therefore, they cannot complain of their uniforms are uncomfortable and
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.
“We cannot forget that reinforcing economic differences drives students further apart when schools should be drawing them closer together.” There are many problems in public schools with no uniforms. The use of school uniforms could eliminate some of these problems. Although school uniforms may take away a child’s individuality, there are more benefits than disadvantages to having school uniforms in public schools because school uniforms lessen the money spent on the latest fashion trends and school uniforms provide a positive school climate.