School Uniforms in Public Schools Should public schools require students to wear uniforms? Interestingly enough, many people say no. The first school district in the United States to require all K through eight, students to wear uniforms was Long Beach, CA, in Jan. 1994 (Angerame 1). In their first year, the district recorded a fifty percent decline in fights and the number of cases of students bringing weapons to school (Angerame 1). As of 2008, twenty-two US states specifically authorized schools to institute dress codes or uniform policies. Public school students should be required to wear uniforms (Angerame 2).
First, public school students should be required to wear uniforms because not everyone has the money to go out and buy their
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Too often kids of all ages are bullied because of what they are wearing or what they can not afford to wear, requiring uniforms reduces this issue, tremendously. Dr. Reginald Wilson, senior scholar at the American Council of Education in Washington, D.C., told Jet that, “Uniforms would help discourage violence because students will not have a need to fight over who looks better or want to cause harm in an attempt to take another student 's trendy clothes” (1). No matter how much money a student has or how little money one has, everyone would be wearing the same thing. If everyone wore uniforms and no one was put to a higher standard, then no child would get jealous of the other and want to fight/steal something from another. School uniforms keep kids focused on what the teacher is saying or, more importantly, what the have to do to graduate rather than what cute shirt Susie has on today. Although uniforms reduce crime and bullying in school it does not eliminate it all together. An opponent of the Philadelphia Plan said, “The social and economic factors that contribute to gang activity need to be addressed directly, and that failing students need extra tutoring--not a change of clothes” (Kizis 2). Changing a student’s appearance is not going to change their habits. Bullying, crime, and failure rates may go down, but they are not going to go away just …show more content…
Having all students wearing the same thing makes it quicker and easier for teachers to do dress code checks. They know exactly what they should see and what they are looking for wrong. Gail Connelly, NAESP’s executive director, said, “We know that a school uniform policy can help reduce instances of classroom discipline and bullying, as well as improve student safety and attendance. The use of school uniforms, whether in public or private schools, has a powerful influence on school culture in ways that contribute to greater levels of student achievement” (naesp.org). Many say that school uniforms are just a waste of time and money, but a recent study shows that after switching to uniforms surveyed schools’ leaders believe that it has made a positive impact. The study shows that peer pressure has gone down by eighty-six percent and bullying has gone down by sixty-four percent. School uniforms also show school pride and make kids want to attend their school’s activities. Studies show that after transitioning from regular clothes to school uniforms students’ school pride has increased by seventy-seven percent! Some schools have even found that if they let the students take a poll on what color they want their school uniforms to be, the kids feel more apart of the decision and transition to uniforms and begin to love the idea of
Mark Twain once said, “Clothes make the man”. This quote applies to the issue on school uniforms. Are they making the students of America’s public schools more responsible and orderly? The statistics seem to say yes. There is no doubt that schools across the nation are seeing the improvements are adopting the policy themselves. The benefits of school uniforms include decreasing violence, helping students reduce peer pressure, greater concentration on schoolwork, and school officials are able to recognize intruders. What a student wears may sound trivial however it is worth the investigation because it is changing the American public education system.
Students should not be enforced to wear school uniforms at public schools. Some people may believe they make a child behavior better, but that is false. Children are not better behaved. The kind of clothes students wear does not make students a better or different person.
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.
Schools all over the United States argue and debate over if school uniforms should be required or not. Most schools that do require these school uniforms don’t have very happy students. Some people say making students wear these uniforms will stop a lot of problems. Kids won’t get bullied as much and won’t be judged on the clothing they like to wear. Other people say this wont change anything. Requiring students to wear uniforms isn’t going to stop bullying. Bullies will be bullies, if they can’t make fun of other childrens clothes anymore, they’ll move onto other things to judge them for.
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.
Public school K-12 must implement school uniforms across the nation to bring the benefits of a decent education system. There will be less bulling, which will enable students to feel safe. There will be no gang related issues. Parents will not have to pay lots of money for their kids’ clothes. Also parents will not have to worry about what the kids are wearing to school. There will be less stolen valuables from the students. Students will be disciplined causing them to focus more on school, preparing them for a bright future. Females will not be sexually harassed and not bring unwanted attention. There will be less peer pressure to wear clothes that is in style or brand name. School uniforms must be implemented by public schools, K-12, because of the benefits it that come along.
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...
Bill Clinton once said, “People will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside, instead of what they’re wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require students to wear school uniforms.” Public schools across America are searching to improve safety, school belonging and also help parents save money & students save time getting ready. One way to improve these issues would be to implement a uniform policy. The adoption of school uniforms policies will reach what public schools across America are searching for.
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.
Read on Additionally, it’s unfair to assume that students can’t make friends with people who are dressed differently than they are. Students are already capable of crossing boundaries without required identical clothing, and schools can encourage this with leadership activities and group discussions. So in conclusion I do not think students should have to wear school uniforms, but I digress we all disagree on something right?
School uniforms in public schools are becoming increasingly popular across the nation. The public school system would benefit greatly if this policy were to be adopted. Opposition is always a factor when trying to make changes. Taking all things into consideration, the positive effects would be far greater than the negative effects. School uniforms should be required in public schools because their use would lead to higher education, less violence, and lower cost to parents.
Having a mandated uniform policy in place assists in easing the burden of school clothing costs by allowing parents to shop for more reasonable prices, because the clothes will look the same regardless of the brand. School bullying can be reduced by not easily being able to determine the more expensive garments versus the less expensive, eliminating the ease with which individuals profile based on income status. Students who regularly bully other students based on clothing choices will be eliminated, improving student behavior. This policy also allows students to concentrate more on their studies than on the next new clothing fad, resulting in more academic progress. Reducing distractions stemmed from students clothing choices enables students to concentrate on what they are in school to do, which is learn. (“The Pros and cons of kids wearing uniforms in schools”, 2013). Giving our lesser advantaged students the opportunity to wear administrator mandated uniforms allows these children to feel more included and less segregated from those that are from a more advantageous background. Allowing these students to get to know each other based on actions rather than background and status could result in friendships that are more diverse and sophisticated. This could promote more tolerance in our society resulting in more a peaceful
(“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.
Finally, Joyce will summarise our arguments, convincing you, without a doubt, that school uniforms MUST be enforced in all schools. Point 1 (Brian): Having school uniforms will greatly lift the feeling of teamwork and sense of school spirit and belonging, and is a benefit for students. According to SafeSchools.edublogs.org, school uniform programs make it easier for students to develop a sense of belonging at school because greater attention is given to who they are instead of what they wear. School uniforms will make students feel that they are part of school and not whatever new trend they are wearing, which is beneficial to them. Another example is from an article on www.rjmccarthy.com, which tells us that logos on school uniforms enhance spirit and pride, and creates a more “community” feel among students.
Imagine being a student again in middle or high school, now imagine some of the challenges that you faced every day. Some of those challenges may have included struggling with grades, fear of bullies and self-expression. These are common problems faced by every day students but there is a simple solution. Changing public and private school policies to make school uniforms mandatory. Uniforms create a positive effect not only on the school’s environment but also on the lives of the individual students.