School Uniforms As the years go by numerous public schools are starting to drift into more of a private school concept. From the way that they run programs at public schools, to the way that have their students wear school uniforms. Many will argue that having students wear uniforms take away some of their rights and restrict students from freedom of expression; But when it comes down to it, is their freedom of expression really being taken away? Or are parents and students just over reacting because they aren’t getting what they want? I believe that everyone is entitled to have their own opinion on every subject; but I also believe that there are some subjects that everyone needs to look at from different perspectives. There are so many different …show more content…
In fact, one in five public schools throughout the US are required to wear them. It has been said that on average, high-poverty areas with public schools are more common to have school uniforms mandatory. The first school district in the US to acquire the school uniforms was in Long Beach, California roughly a decade and a half ago. As of 2008, 22 states have enforced the utilization of school uniforms. Studies show that US schools with a minority student population of 50% are four times as likely to require uniforms than schools with a minority population of 20-49%, and 24 times more likely than schools with minority populations of 5%-19%. Studies also show that the cities with the highest use of uniforms in public schools are New Orleans with 95%, Cleveland with 85%, Chicago with 80%, and Boston with 65%. Those studies were based off teachers and parents. 23% of all public and private schools are required to wear school uniforms and have a dress code. The annual cost of school uniforms sales runs about 1.3 billion around the world, and roughly 249 dollars per parent. With that being said, school uniforms could reduce the stress that comes along with school shopping. That is one less item that parents have to worry about. Just having to buy school uniforms instead of a whole new wardrobe after every new yea could help several families save money. It is said that having uniforms could potentially help …show more content…
These studies were also answered by teachers and parents by marking either agree or strongly agree. When asked if school uniforms have promoted positive student behavior; 37% parents, and 95% of teachers agreed. When asked if school uniforms decreased the amount of peer pressure and bullying because students no longer had to fit in with the crowd; 47% of parents and 90% of teachers agreed. There was only one question that no teachers agreed upon but some parents agreed with. That question had to do with school uniforms taking away students personal liberty. 36% of parents agreed to this question, and 0% of teachers agreed. Teachers believe that uniforms help improve student’s punctuality and that it could also help improve professionalism and helps enhance a student’s image. They also believe that it could help their maturity level as they
School is something we all know and understand. Regardless of whether we wanted it or not, we have all passed through school. School is, first and foremost, a place designed for people to go and learn. It is a place to better yourself, to learn facts, discipline, to learn social and economic skills. But for all that school is intended for, people go for different reasons. Some are hardworking and academically minded, they go to learn, to set a good foundation for their future, with an aim of becoming successful and accomplished in their career. Others are carefree, going for the social side, to be popular, have lots of friends, and in the end just to have a good time. For others it can even be a place of safety, a place where they can get
Image, sitting in the back of the class, silent as a rock, wearing yesterday 's clothes, greasy hair from not taking a shower in a few days, the smell lingering around the class. Sitting there, blocking out the sound, everyone laughing, still sitting there, then the student takes their eyes off the board as someone pokes them in the arm, the student looks over their shoulder, the student realizes everyone was looking and laughing at him. The teacher walks in, says good morning, and tells the class he has a special announcement, the school will now be required to wear school uniforms, the student looks up, sits up and smiles a little, he experiences this kind of happiness because, his parents do not have enough money to buy him actual new clothes,
Parents and their children are constantly arguing about the way students dress in school. This debate has become a national conversation which has been going on for more than a decade. However, there still hasn’t been a final resolution. The questions “Why do I have to wear the uniform today?” or “Can I wear this t-shirt because the color matches with my school t-shirt?” have become part of our everyday lives. Before we go any further, we have to understand the difference between uniforms and dress codes. A uniform is simply a garment worn that is the same in all cases and at all times. Whereas, a dress code is a set of rules regarding the required manner of clothing in a certain context. For instance, a school might not allow students to wear
It is a great idea for schools to implement a policy on school uniforms because statistics show that students who wear uniforms make better grades. Additionally, male students are not distracted by what female students are (or aren't) wearing. Moreover, students feel a sense of fairness with one another as they are all wearing the same things. When students are at one with one another, their confidence soars, which leads to better academic performance. Student uniforms help reduce the amount of bullying, and students who would normally be bullied now have a much better disposition while at school.
Do people really have freedom? Freedom of speech? Freedom to wear what they want? When people go to certain jobs they have to wear a uniform or a suit. This is also true in school. Some schools make students wear uniforms. Although some people may say that school uniforms help prevent kids from spending time picking out their clothes in the morning, they are wrong because kids will just have fits and not want to put on their uniform because it is not comfortable. There should not be school uniforms because there is evidence that it lowers academic scores, restricts students ' freedom of expression, causes a higher percent of violence at school, and promotes conformity over individuality.
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
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.
Prior to this period, they were only implemented in Catholic and private schools as they were thought to be more strict, furthermore were also more respected as elite educational institutions (School Uniforms). Since this time the rest of the country has slowly started to follow the trend as 20% of all public schools require uniforms in 2011, also many large cities have gone and fully implemented uniforms such as Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, and Seattle (Bowen). There is also a trend that uniforms tend to be implemented in higher poverty populations around the country in an effort to close the socioeconomic barrier or how it is perceived in the public school system which unproportionately benefits those of a higher economic status (School Uniforms). The United States isn’t the only country that has noticed the statistics and decreasing crime rates due to the uniforms, in England all schools are required to have uniforms (Bowen). With the rise of uniforms around the world will bring greater prosperity for future
Students claim that requiring them to wear mandated uniforms deprives them of their ability to freely express themselves through their choice of dress. However, freedom of expression does consist of the rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and to petition the government, but the first amendment does not grant people the right to act any way they want without actions taken. Numerous schools have a straightforward dress code policy enforced. If these policies are violated, then the students could face consequences for their
As stated, in the article “The Pros and Cons of Uniforms in School” by Holly Charlonne, “some schools will look to uniforms as a possible way to bring together students from various backgrounds as a unit” (Charlonne). When the students are dressed alike, it takes away the social segregation that sometimes a child may feel if they do not have the same style of clothing as another child. Charlonne, also suggests, another proof of this advantage can be seen in the “cutting down the number of cliques that are formed in school due to economic or social status seems to have had a positive outcome in past from having students wear designated uniforms in public schools” (Charlonne). Wearing the uniform reduces the competition for who has the best clothes and who doesn’t, and allows the student to focus their attention on more productive matters. When the students all wear the exact same thing, they feel as though they belong to the group. The unity created by all students in uniform gives them an elevated sense of pride toward their school. Recent surveys have shown that “despite the fact that they (students) aren’t exactly thrilled about wearing uniforms, some students do recognize the benefits they offer”, in fact “54% of the students” included in this survey, report “having to wear a uniform didn’t compromise their identity” (Lake). It is for this reason that I firmly agree with the notion of public 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.
Any teenage girl I 've talked to about school uniforms is quick to say "Ew I 'd hate having school uniforms!" Often, a teenage girl imagines a school uniforms being ugly, maybe society or media has put that concept into their heads. Although, school uniforms are often not as ugly as the typical teenage girl would think. Cakey jeans, plaid skirts, and collard shirts are most schools uniform criteria. Which may not be every teenage girl 's favorite fashion. A girl wearing her own clothing of choice can give others a better perception of who she is, what she likes, how she wants to be preserved by others. What if those reasons were used against her? What if saving money was a factor to having school uniforms? How can competition come to
When you think about the word uniform, what’s the first thing that comes to you? You might think of a police officer, nurse, doctor or maybe even someone in the military, but what about uniforms for school? Today, there are more schools that are now considering switching to uniforms to keep things professional and equal to all students, but, is it really fair to make restrictions to students on wanting to be able to express themselves personally? Students might feel that they are being restricted on the freedom to be able to express who they are but schools believe that the safety and security of the student’s body should be more important than just expressing their own styles. Now, the school systems are struggling more each day to try to
Parents are also impacted when schools require uniforms. Some argue that this policy is too expensive; uniforms are actually more affordable. For example, an average parent of a teen that attends a public school spends over $500.00 a year on clothes alone, while a parent of a teen with a uniform policy spends less then $200.00 a year. There are fewer clothes to purchase, therefore less money to spend.
One of the most popular questions in educational system in recent years is whether students of public schools wear uniforms or not. I come across this debate, at least twice a year either on television or on a radio. As more people are involved in these debates every year, it is still unclear where our Government is standing in this issue.