Media has influenced a lot of today’s trends and ideologies. Adolescents, being on the psychological level of self-identification, bring this deceptive notion of fashion and social classes to school. The problem comes when this trend affects the performance of students and their personal lives. We all remember our days back when the talk was “Who are the jocks, the cheerleaders, the rick kids, the geeks, the losers, etcetera?” Believe it or not, the status quo in schools is always composed of them. These cliques have identities exclusive for each. Students who do not look, act, or dress the same as one group are, more often than not, left out. They could be hurt physically and or psychologically with cruel teasing and rumors. Bullying and social discrimination are both so evident in children especially in the secondary-education (“School Uniforms” 2). These are not the media’s wrongdoing. These are done by the students themselves, and administrators are not helping enough to relieve it. Counselors may help with the students’ emotional stress, but there is no other tangible solution in removing the segregation like school uniforms.
Boring, plain, vapid - These are how students opposing school uniforms perceive the matter.
The first argument of the critics against school uniforms is that they believe these infringe on the liberties guaranteed by the First Amendment. An editorial in the Northwest Florida Daily News argues how school uniforms can’t ensure better behavior as well as how anti-individualistic they can be. If uniforms can guarantee better behaviors, how can there still be soldiers who go AWOL and prisoners getting into fights? The anonymous editor speculates that uniforms take away students’ identities which only the “a...
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...e essence of individuality.
Works Cited
Boutelle, Marsha. “Uniforms: Are They A Good Fit?” The Education Digest Feb. 2008: 37. Print.
Brog, Linda. “Students, Parents Finding School Uniforms A Good Fit.” Rhode Island News, 31 August 2007. Web. 11 January 2011.
Motsinger, Carol. “Ironing Out Policies In School Uniforms.” USA Today, 7 August 2007. Web. 11 January 2011.
“School Uniforms.” Current Issues: Macmilian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 9 January 2011.
"School Uniforms Stifle Freedom of Expression." School Policies. Ed. Jamuna Carroll.
Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In
Context. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
Stockton, C., & Gullatt, D.E. “School Uniforms: Policies and Procedures.” Research in Middle Level Education Online, 25.1 (2002)11 January 2011.
Konheim-Kalkstein, Yasmine L. "A Uniform Look." American School Board Journal 193.8 (2006): 25-27. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 May 2014.
School Uniforms." Phi Delta Kappan 92.6 (2011): 63-66. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
This paper could be targeted at a couple of audiences. Firstly this paper could appeal to the general public, or anyone interested in school uniforms in general. More specifically, the papers audience could be the Greeley-Evans School Districts employees and board members.
The argument whether uniforms should be implemented in school has been debated over the last few decades. By implementing a uniform policy within schools would help reduce the rise of violent crimes. In today’s high schools, too many innocent youths become fatalities due to gang warfare that has spread into the school system. Many parents feel that if a uniform policy was implemented , the spread of gang warfare and the idea that children have to have name brand clothing would decrease drastically. However others are worried that this policy would infringe on students First Amendment Rights with expressing themselves. Many parents are worried that the uniforms will cost too much and they will only burden their economic status. Uniforms will either give the school strength or separate the students and parents from the administration.
In America, “The World’s Melting Pot”, we are all unique and should be seen as individuals. Wearing a uniform does not allow for students to demonstrate their individuality; they have to dress conforming to the school’s uniform policy. According to Akerlof and Kranton, “...with attempting to establish a sense of community might be the loss of student’s sense of identification with the school, which could in turn yield lowered outcomes in effort and skills”. These policies leave the students questioning themselves and wondering, “Who am I?”. A survey, of 100 random students, conducted at Zapata High School showed that 72% of students reviewed felt that wearing a uniform suppresses their ability to express themselves as individuals. Forcing students to wear a uniform is also going against the first amendment, which clearly prohibits Congress from making laws that violate freedom of speech; it includes freed...
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? 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.
Despite all the positive attributes a school uniform policy may bring to a public school, there are also those who believe that these policies take away from a child’s self-expression which is vital to a child’s development. Those that are opposed to school uniforms also believe that uniforms are a “band-aid” (Kizis, 2000) for all the problems a school may be faced with. Nonetheless, in order to better public schools, fixing the problems they are faced with, should be the goals of administration, teachers, parents, and students alike.
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.
Wharton, Claudene. “School Uniform Study.” UNR.edu. University of Nevada, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
Introduction: The motion brought before the house today is “All schools should enforce the wearing of school uniforms from primary 1 to secondary 4.” This is a topic that is hot on the lips of educators, students and parents. School uniforms are a specific set or group of school-standardised clothing. If we look at America, only private and non-government run schools that institute the wearing of school uniforms. In Hong Kong, most schools require their students to wear school uniforms. My team is definitely in favour of schools having their students wear school uniforms. My teammates and I will demonstrate to you that the benefits brought by the wearing of school uniforms far outweigh any perceived disadvantages. Our first main argument, which will be explained by Brian, is that enforcing school uniforms in all schools will lift school spirit greatly. Justine will discuss our second argument, being that school uniforms reduce the amount of bullying. The fourth speaker, Ray, will debate about casual clothing distracting students. Finally, Joyce will summarise our arguments, convincing you,without a doubt, that school uniforms MUST be enforced in all schools.
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