Uniforms Effective In Middle Schools

Franz Kafka, a major figure of twentieth-century literature, when talking of uniforms once said “As far as I have seen at school...they aimed at blotting out one’s individuality.” To a teacher, uniforms are the perfect way to control the unpredictability of young students, but to a student, these pieces of cloth serve a larger purpose of attempting to suppress unique traits. Though uniforms attempt to limit these differemnces, their presence does not entirely eliminate these distinctions. Uniforms are not effective in United States middle schools because of the essence of the distinctiveness of each individual student that allows their differences to be exposed no matter what. The use of uniforms to eliminate the strong differences in children’s clothes due to their contrasting socioeconomic levels does not work; the financial status of students is still determinable even with uniforms. This is because that, even with the implementation of uniforms, students and their families will still be able to afford varying ranges and amounts of

For example, “name brand” clothing is still prominent in schools with uniforms, but it shifts to other brands that carry uniform items or trendy accessories. New “name brand” and must-have items for students with uniforms often become bags, shoes, socks, or jewelry, because the competitive nature of children to have the best items is present, and the implementation of uniforms does not change that. Since students are no longer allowed to express themselves through the shirts or pants they wear to school, they turn to other accessories, like the aforementioned shoes, in attempts to distance themselves from the likeness of others. Therefore, uniforms do not effectively provide equal opportunities for students or make them all the same; the differences of students force their way out into the