Should Public Schools Require Uniforms?
Imagine having to wake up and put on the same thing you wore the day before and the day before that! Schools uniforms are becoming more common in today’s society. I think that school uniforms have more negative effects than positive. Even if you push a child to wear something that they are not comfortable in they will begin to act out. I believe that public school should not require uniforms. Uniforms take away our ability to self-express. School uniforms should not be required in public schools because of the student’s self-image, their safety, and high cost of uniforms that parents have to purchase every year.
Uniform limits an ability of self-expression; when wearing uniforms, it is a struggle to be an individual. Parents and Teachers are always saying how important it is to just be ourselves and not to worry about what others may think. Having a uniform takes that away from us, and this may lead students to stand out against their peers to be different. Teenagers have low self-esteem about themselves when wearing uniforms. For example, the school is violating my first amendment. I have a right to have a personality and to express myself. They treat us like we are in the military or jail we aren’t. We are minors. Uniforms makes us one person; it is even
…show more content…
Wearing school uniforms does not stop students from teasing and bullying. School uniforms cannot lessen the chances of bullying; In fact, this increases the problem of bullying. Although a student is wearing the same clothes their distinct personality will still stand out. Clothing serve as a primary source for violence and bullying. For example, a student name Dylan says, “School dress codes and uniforms sucks . I get bullied for it and my family is having huge problems paying for the clothes. This is the worst thing ever.” I However, strangers off the streets could buy uniforms to wear on campus to harm
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.
With many of the schools that do not use school uniforms, they are having trouble with their students, and the school environment is collapsing. Two very educated people that work on keeping schools safe; Linda Lumsden and Gabriel Miller’s, in their article “School Uniforms and Dress Codes”, they have informed people the biggest reasons school crime exists. Some kids come in dressed promoting drugs and alcohol, others come in dressed in “swag in gang related clothes”, and other students come to school with sexually provocative clothing (Lumsden, Miller). This is getting out of hand because so many students are wearing cloths, which is provocative, and no one is taking serious control to stop them from being a distraction to other students. Also one of the biggest issues with schools these days, are the school shootings. Sherry Bowen, a professional in the education system has informed people about how easy it is to sneak in weapons to school. By using schools uniforms it will be hard to sneak in a gun, or other harmful weapon (Bowen). With schoo...
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...
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...
High school is typically a time when kids begin to distinguish themselves from one another. Students begin to develop their own sense of personal style, desperately trying to both fit in and stand out simultaneously. Being self-conscious and often lacking the confidence needed to assert themselves, teens are forced to use clothing and outward appearance as the means to manifest this individuality. Thus, students should not be forced to wear uniforms to school. Standard uniforms are unproven deterrents to student violence; are a "Band-Aid" to cover up the real problems faced by children and teens; and they violate students' right of self-expression, depriving them of their search for identity.
A huge negative effect of school uniforms is that they infringe ones’ individuality. High school is a time when students begin to develop their own sense of personal style, desperately trying to both stand out and fit in simultaneously. By being self-conscious and often lacking the confidence needed to assert themselves, teens are forced to use clothing and their outward appearance to manifest their individuality. By not being able to express teenagers act out in other ways. School uniforms also reduce ones ability to choose clothing that fits individual comfort needs. Above all, school uniforms even go against the 1st Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which is about establishment of religion and free speech.
Do you remember what your wardrobe was like during high school? Maybe you wore the latest in brand name clothing, anything that wasn’t associated with gang signs, or whatever hand me downs you could get. The reality is physical violence is common between children because of the name brand on a jacket or a pair of jeans. Children are being ridiculed because their families simply can't afford to provide them with the latest in fashion. In our larger cities where gang involvement is prevalent, children are killed because they choose to wear the wrong color to school. This concern is not about civil liberties or freedom of expression, it's about improving the educational environment within our public school systems nationwide. If this is a possible solution to the issues faced in public schools, is expressing one’s self with brand name clothing not worth giving up? and I went to private school where I was required to wear uniforms. I saw a strong correlation between wearing uniforms and prevention of school violence. I’m here today to talk about why uniforms prevent school violence. I will speak about how it prevents students from ridicule, theft and gang violence.
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 in pre-K through high school levels is 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.
Overall, enforcing the policy of school uniforms would have and has negative effects on students and their families. School uniforms should not be required or enforced in school and the extra expenses should be cut from the bills of the students being forced to wear them
The most common argument against school uniforms is that they take away the students right to self-expression. Yes, school uniforms limit what the students have to wear, but students can still have their own ways of self-expression. Students can still express their style of choice with their hair and what accessories they wear. Their shoe choice is also a form of self-expression. Students can make the uniforms their own style without breaking the dress code. School is a place to learn. Outside of school, self- expression is limitless. Some parents also believe that it could interfere with students' natural behavior to experiment with different identities. Having uniforms in schools helps erase the defined line of the social classes. Typically, popular kids in the higher social classes wear the trendiest clothing...
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. A school uniform should be a simple outfit.
I don’t think children or teens should have to wear school uniforms. It deprives them of their freedom of speech. They should have the right to wear what they want when they want. The uniforms are degrading and appalling. Everything would be dull and boring if everyone looked the same and wore the same stuff! Whatever happened to our U.S. Constitution? Some kids become stressed out and could get depressed because they cannot choose what they can wear, In Our own country? The land of the free and the home of the brave and we can’t even choose what we wear? The effect would be: students becoming angry and violent, and worst case scenario, suicide.
There is an unending discussion in schools across the country about school uniforms and whether or not they make for a better experience in school for the students or just the teachers. Those who are pro-uniforms insist that uniforms will allow families to save money and time on clothing. This is so because these days children often get ready by themselves, because their parents are usually off to work before they wake up for school (Linder-Altman). Uniforms give the parents of these children confidence that their child is going to school looking halfway decent. There are also claims that uniforms will decrease the amount of bullying in school because all of the students will look alike. On the other hand, those protesting uniforms believe although everyone is pretty much dressed the same, cliques will still form and bullying will still exist (Dress code and Uniforms). I wore uniforms throughout primary school and I didn’t like them because I always felt uncomfortable in them. In hindsight, it could have been because I felt my personality was bottled up every time I put on my school uniform. There are claims that uniforms are not inclusive and won’t allow children to accept each other because of their differences (Linder-Altman). When everyone in the school is dressed alike, students may feel as if they aren’t able to express his/herself. Those unfamiliar with this topic may be interested to know the
All individuals struggle with discovering who they are and who they may want to be in the future. School environment, either negatively or positively, impacts the result of this greatly. Uniforms in the learning environment have become a highly debated subject all across the country. Although some individuals believe school uniforms have a positive affect, those people should understand the negatives because uniforms promote appearance over character, lower student’s self-esteem, and conflict with the right of expression.