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Effects of uniforms in schools
Effects of uniforms in schools
School uniforms limit students freedom to choose what to wear
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In the middle of the school year, two new students walk through the doors of their new high school. The first student walks into the school with a worn out book bag, tarnished shoes, and noticeably older clothing, and is automatically judged by his peers on his wardrobe. The next student walks into the school wearing all of the latest name brands, expensive jewelry, and immediately she is judged as well. The student with the visibly “higher maintenance” wardrobe is instantly approached by another student who is dressed in the same type of apparel. The student with the visibly older clothing is never approached by another student and is forced to bear the challenge of a new school on his own. Too many times in public school systems, this pre-judgment is a reality for students. School uniforms have been enforced to restrict certain types of apparel that can be worn during the school day. School uniforms are often said to restrict a student’s ability to creatively express himself through his wardrobe, but uniforms should be required in all public schools because they are an effective way in enhancing a student’s learning ability and overall school environment, by taking away the ability for students to pre-judge others based on their wardrobe. Across the nation feelings are bruised, hearts are broken, and reputations are tarnished, as a result of the need to be accepted through the clothing that one wears. Clothing and apparel are designers’ ways of making consumers believe that they need a certain product to reach a level or sophistication, or have a certain sense of pride, or even belong in a certain group of people. Fashion is a growing industry that people use to present their characteristics and emotions through the... ... middle of paper ... ...rms 10 December 2006: 01 . Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. DISCUS. 3 March 2010. . EJ3010509219. Marchant, Valerie. “Families: Dress for Success.” TIME, 13 September 1999. Web. 3 March 2010 . Portner, Jessica. “The Return of School Uniforms.” Uniforms Get Credit for Decrease in Discipline Problem 14 February 1996: 21 . Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. DISCUS. 3 March 2010. . EJ3010398217. “School Uniforms: Where They Are and Why They Work.” Manual on School Uniforms. 29 February 1996. Web. 9 March 2010 . Wilde, Marian. “Do Uniforms Make Schools Better?.” Greatschools.org. Web. 3 March 2010 .
In the morning before school, picking out an outfit can be difficult. There are many questions to consider like; “Do I want to be different?”, “What will people think of this outfit?”, “Does this show who I am?” This can be very stressful, and cause complications when it comes to identifying yourself and making difficult decisions. Problems that come with individuality can easily be avoided and refocused with conformity. School uniforms positively impact of the learning environment by ensuring student safety, psychological growth, and academic performance.
In society today, the clothing that someone wears is basically a billboard for his or her personal, or family's financial situation. For children in public schools, fitting in with the popular, or most fashionable people is probably the most important thing to them. When children are preoccupied wi...
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
“Uniforms sets a message of ‘You are in the business of learning” (Merchant 3). “In the first year following implication, overall school crime decreased by 36%, sex offenses by 74%, physical flight to point students by 51%,...
According to Kathleen C. and Carl A. Cohn’s “School Improvement Initiatives in Long Beach, California: The Quest for Higher Student Achievement, Behavior, and Dress Standards” in Education magazine, which was published on December 22, 1998, Long Beach Unified School District initiated mandatory uniforms for all K-8 students in the fall of 1994. Within the first year, all incidents of school crime, including assaults and weapons violations, declined by 76 percent.
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.
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 have become an essential part of schooling in many parts of the world. According to the article “Uniforms for Learning” it mentions that “In Britain, for example, 98% of parents of primary and secondary school students surveyed in 2007 by the Department of Education said that their schools required them.” While in other countries the idea of school uniforms is being adapted, the United States is slowly trailing behind. Many schools that regulate the dress code of school uniforms say that it helps with the feeling of safety for the students and it creates a learning environment that allows students to focus on their studies. In the United States there has been research and studies that contributes to the analysis that shows the benefits of school uniforms. In one article it stated that “In 1996, only 3% of public schools in the country required students to wear them. By 2000, this figure had risen to 12% and by 2010 to 19%” (“Uniforms”). These results show that every year the United States is slowly adapting to the idea of school uniforms into our education system. Although many researches have positive results, there are still some short-comings (Viardero). With school uniforms, students lose the freedom to express their individuality (“Student”). Studies show both the benefits and no change effects of school uniforms, and this can be inconsistent to say that school uniforms have helped entirely. Even though the studies vary with this issue, teachers and school faculty, who experience the effect of school uniforms, see the positive movement of it (Viadero). Students are still growing, especially in grade school, so the struggles and stress are at a great amount among the students and school uniform can ...
"Will School Uniforms Crube Student Violence." Inspire. Johnson Publishing, 1 Apr. 1996. Web. 11 Jan. 2014. (Will 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 public schools system have reduced social barriers between students. Uniforms promote equality for all students regardless of income or status. There would be absolutely no controversy created over who has the most fashionable clothes in schoo...
Wharton, Claudene. “School Uniform Study.” UNR.edu. University of Nevada, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
Some regard that school uniforms influence the way students analyze problems, understand work, and dedicate themselves to situations. However, a simple alteration in clothing does not determine or change the frame of mind, but rather it is the character of that individual that helps to produce the
“Although 90 percent of the students surveyed indicated they did not like wearing uniforms, various benefits to wearing uniforms were reported, including decreases in discipline, gang involvement and bullying, and increases in safety, ease of going to school, confidence and self-esteem.” During the first year that school uniforms were put into action, discipline referrals declined by approximately ten percent at Sparks Middle School. Issues such as gang affiliation, fights, and vandalism also dwindled. At Sparks Middle School it has been reported that gang involvement has declined by forty-one percent since requiring uniforms for all the students. Police reports also went down sixty-three percent since the school uniform policy was p...