Essay On The Pros And Cons Of School Uniforms

The issue of wearing school uniforms has been subject to debate over a number of years. It is important to note that initially, the concept of students wearing school uniforms was not widely embraced. Initially, the concept of wearing school uniforms was mainly practiced in private schools and public schools begun to apply the concept as recently as 1994 (Chen, “Public School Uniforms: The Pros and Cons for Your Child”). This move was mainly implemented to address safety issues that have been affecting academic institutions. However, there are still different schools of thought that have reservations when it comes to the issue of wearing school uniforms. This boils down to the question of whether school uniforms are beneficial or they have

exerted more harm and the benefits are basically perceived.
The debate over school attire has included students, parents and school administration. In 2007, the debate incorporated the issue of freedom of speech as some students wore clothes that expressed anti-gay and anti-Bush messages, cases that were later addressed in court (Wilde, “Do Uniforms Make Schools Better”). Such issues bring up the notion that the debate concerning school uniforms will never be resolved. Even researchers and education experts are divided when it comes to pinpointing the level of impact school uniforms have created either on the positive or the negative side. A book published in 2004 posited that the practice of wearing school uniforms did not improve academic performance neither did it improve the level of school safety. Interestingly, a survey conducted one year later presented evidence that the practice of wearing school uniforms has improved attendance and graduation rates (Wilde, “Do Uniforms Make Schools Better”). The main reason that public schools adopted the school uniform policy was based on the continuous comparison that was often made on public schools against Catholic schools during the 1980s. It was perceived that there were several benefits that accrued to Catholic schools simply because they applied the policy of managing school attire. Former President Bill Clinton accentuated the initiatives drive by stating, “If it means teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms” (Wilde, “Do Uniforms Makes Schools Better). Therefore, in order to have a deeper understanding of the debate, it is significant to analyse the pros and cons that have been presented in regard to the subject.
Some of the advantages of wearing school uniforms that have been extended by proposers of the practice include encouraging discipline, help students resist peer pressure, avoid the formation of gangs in academic institutions, improve the level of attendance and also help in identifying intruders in schools.

On the other hand, some of the cons that have been presented regarding the same issue include the notion that school uniforms are viewed to violate students’ freedom of expression, they make poor families to become financially strained, it has developed to become a very difficult ideology to implement in public schools and it is also not an effective technique to curb school violence (Wilde, “Do Uniforms Make Schools Better?”). From this perspective, the main focus of this essay will not only to present these pros and cons on a generalized platform. It becomes instrumental to discuss the subject based on a number of fronts. The approaches used in this analysis include evaluating the concept of school uniforms through different educational levels, comparing the effects of having school uniforms and the effects experienced when students do not wear school uniforms, an evaluation of data and surveys done in reference to the subject and recommendations that should be adhered to as a measure to settle the

debate.
School Uniforms through Educational Levels
The American educational system is divided into a number of stages that the students are required to go through. These educational levels include pre-school, elementary school, high school and college. The concept of managing school attires was introduced in different times and they also apply different designs. However, it is vital to acknowledge that the general objective of applying the practice of wearing school uniforms is similar through each educational level. In Kindergarten, the school uniforms are viewed to be designed to appeal to the children of a younger age. It can also be noted that the kinds of uniforms worn by middle school and high school students are different in design but the difference is slight. In college, the uniforms that the students are required to wear establish a professional feel, an aspect that can be argued to be as a move to prepare the students for the professional world. Uniform patterns and design also vary from one school to another. In almost all cases, schools choose the design of uniforms to represent their ideologies and representations. In addition, the difference in school uniform from one educational level to another can be used to signify the transition that the student goes through in the education system.
The introduction of uniforms in schools took place in different times in history. Washington DC and Maryland are viewed documented to be the first public schools to incorporate uniform policies in 1987 (“Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms?” school-uniforms.procon.org). However, Cherry Hill Elementary school gained the most publicity by its move to embrace the policy. As far as these uniform policies were voluntary during the time, it was noted that all parents in the aforementioned institutions supported the policy and almost all the students attending the schools wore the uniforms. As a result, these schools recorded a reduction of disciplinarian cases and a change in the students’ frame of mind. In Baltimore, the concept of implementing the uniform policy was as a result of a 1986 shooting where one student was injured due to a confrontation regarding a pair of sunglasses (“Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms?” school-uniforms.procon.org).