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School uniform policy essays
Impacts of school uniform
School uniform policy essays
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Proposal for a Uniform Dress Code
Pickerington School District should require students to have a uniform dress code. The current dress code policy is very minimal and is not adhered to by the students. Faculty overlook the students who don’t abide by the current dress code as it would take away from their teaching time. One of the main concerns that is brought up when the topic of school uniforms is discussed is freedom of expression. Many people worry that not allowing children to wear certain clothing will “stifle their creativity” (p. ) or restrict their First Amendment rights (Nevada, 2008). There are many reasons for having uniforms in public schools. School uniforms have been shown to improve test scores, raise school pride, increase attendance, reduce violence, and teaches students to dress professionally. School uniforms can also avert the wearing of gang colors (Wilson, 1998).
Self-Expression vs. Safety
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...
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...h the cost of a year's worth of school uniforms. The cost of a year's worth (Five tops and five bottoms) of school uniforms or standardized dress code clothing is $150. The savings add up plus students who don’t have to focus on what to wear to school are going to focus more on academics, which leads to improved grades.
States Laws on Uniform Dress Codes
The State of Ohio has a law that permits school districts to implement uniform dress codes. The school district must advise parents and students 6 months prior to any such implementation. This law also allows for any feedback from administrators, faculty and parents. A uniform dress code policy must fall under the guidelines of a districts discipline policy. The law requires that religious garb like yarmulkes and head scarves cannot be prohibited. The actual dress code is at the discretion of the school board.
Society has taught people that they should be themselves and express their individuality. There are many people out there who think everyone should act and be the same because people get judged if they act or dress differently. Everyone is their own person and no one should have to conform to everyone else in society. The debate over whether or not uniforms should be required has been going on for years. Many schools have decided it is best to have uniforms when, in all honesty, uniforms make no difference in academic success or behavior of students. Just because someone wears a uniform does not make them any smarter of behave in a better manner. School uniforms should not be required, not only because they do not let students express themselves, but also they cost families more money and do not affect what goes on at school.
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.
While some people think that school uniforms are a bad thing some people will disagree. When kids were their clothes into school this is when they start to judge each other. Some kids will be more mature than some, some will have a better dress sense, and some will have more money to deal with. What some people don’t want some children coming to school wearing fashionable new clothes and making fun of the ones that were hand me downs and will be embarrassed as a out coming result. With school uniforms every body is equal to each other (Lamouse, Mack).
School uniforms are not new to society. The use of uniforms in schools dates back to the fall of the Roman Empire in the 400s A.D. School uniforms were first widely used by students who went to “song schools.” Private schools and religious schools have also been requiring school uniforms for a long time, and most still require them today. In more recent history school uniform policies first started to find their way into schools in the United States in the 1950’s. Dress codes, which are lesser versions of uniform policies, were established to make sure students wore clothes that were more appropriate to a learning setting. Prohibiting girls from showing too much skin, and boys from wearing blue jeans, black leather jackets, and other such clothing were widely viewed as a good thing. Then as time went on the occurrence of gang violence also began to increase in schools, so schools began to ban students from wearing gang colors, numbers, or drug related clothing (McVeigh).
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.
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
Many parents believe that uniforms will only stifle the students creativity. They will not be allowed to freely express themselves with the colors that they wear as well as the clothing itself. If a child is feeling particularly happy that day, he or she may want to wear their favorite outfit to express themselves and the way that they feel. If all students wear uniforms, the entire school will all look exactly the same, which takes away all creativity and suppresses individuality.
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...
Children tend to break off into “cliques” and uniforms could possibly help unite students. Finding creative ways to express their individuality through other outlets other than fashion can help children forge friendships based on their common interests. In conclusion, I feel that school uniforms are something all schools should really consider implementing in their policy. All of these points show that they can be budget-friendly, help children focus and lower the barriers children can build up because of merely what they are wearing.
First, school uniforms eliminate opportunities for the ridicule of less popular or less fortunate students based on attire. Uniforms take the competition out of dressing. Students have been known to express themselves in flamboyant clothing. Price tags are in. Do you really want to be paying for a status symbol? A complaint by students is that uniforms reduce the freedom of expression. However, are we expressing ourselves through labeled clothing? Are we not just expressing a capitalist society in which everyone wears the same clothing that is priced higher due to its popularity and brand name? Is it righteous that the kid that cant afford these mainstream clothing is subject to ridicule? Uniforms just promote the peer pressure to perform and conform. Many students take after-school jobs to maintain their own style. Often these paychecks go to getting the “right” clothing instead of more important things such as saving for the future. The issue is not a part time job, but the reason behind the job is our concern. Is it not wrong that a student must waste his/her time working in order to get the right clothing and fit into society.
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.
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 the establishment of religion and free speech. School uniforms are affecting the amount of money spent on clothing in a negative way. Many people think parents/guardians are saving money, but really, they are just spending more money. If one were to think about it, school uniforms can’t be worn outside of school.
Individuality is an important reason why having school uniforms is a disadvantage. According to the ACLU, school uniforms took its toll on children’s creativity, independence, and individual behavior. During school, the only way a child can portray their individualism is through their clothing. Students cannot freely express themselves in any other form without going through school officials first (ACLU).
School Uniforms School uniforms are increasingly popular across the nation. In fact, it is a huge controversial argument of communities rejecting these mandated school uniforms in their schools. However, school uniforms are not meant to be a negative thing; in fact, they can be positive in many ways by: eliminating cliques, saving money for parents, and taking away the bullying from students less fortunate. Meanwhile, on the other side of the argument, people believe that school uniforms will violate students’ freedom of expression, create a financial burden on families, and uniforms will not alleviate problems. However, with a solution that would benefit both parties, the public school systems in Oklahoma City district would benefit greatly if this policy were adopted in all the schools; since, the district only has 74 public schools in uniforms, while 17 schools are not.
In conclusion, students should not have to wear uniforms because of certain reasons. First of all, uniforms limit kids ability to express their personality and second, they cost too much money to only wear to one location. Schools who require uniforms should rethink them and change their dress code