Boring. Plain. Static. These are how students opposing in school uniforms perceive the matter. While their reason could be about individuality or just hate changes, a research by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychologist and a professor at the University of California, showed how a simple change in self-control can really be a positive influence not just for the moment but on long-term effects. Although Dr. Lyubomirsky focused on Happiness [that a simple smile, fake or genuine, can exhibit true happiness], her point rooted in the subject of Psychology; The psychology of change and its positive benefits.
The issue for the antagonist of school uniforms lie on the overrated topic about the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
This Right about liberty, supposed to be celebrated and not questioned, had actually brought thousands of confusions to many. A slight misunderstanding can differ one view from another. Arguments revolve around the question of knowing how much freedom is too much. And an implementation of school uniforms will surely be a headline for the issue of Civil Rights, which is an expected event in the Land of the Free. Too much talk about freedom of self-expression leaves another major issue unattended – Social Discrimination – so evident in children especially in the secondary-education (Gale Group 2).
Who's the rich kid, the geek, the cheerleader, the jock, the loser, etcetera. Without school uniform, the different social classes of students are easily identifie...
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...10. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 9 January 2011.
United States. Department of Justice. National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Nonfamily Abducted Children: National Estimates and Characteristics. National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children, 17 Sept. 2010. Web. 11 January 2011.
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.
Stockton, C., & Gullatt, D.E. “School Uniforms: Policies and Procedures.” Research in Middle Level Education Online, 25.1 (2002)11 January 2011.
National School Safety and Security Services. School Uniforms, Dress Codes, & Book Bags. National School Safety Consulting Firm. Web. 11 January 2011.
Jahn, Karon L. “School Dress Codes v. The First Amendment: Ganging up on Student Attire.”
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
One of the most controversial topics revolving around schooling is the weather students should or should not wear uniforms to improve academic and social behavior. Many sources say that school uniforms improve discipline, attendance, lower criminal activity, and increase academic achievement in students; Furthermore, this is due to less distraction and conforming to the idea that uniforms makes you smarter. This false ideology that is expected from school uniforms has not been proven in any way to work and is more of a waste of the tax-payers money than an improvement. There are more outlying factors that contribute to success or failure than just uniforms and pro-advocates do not get this big picture. The most outspoken reasons why to use
For one, students dressing in school uniforms should feel a sense of equality and unity with classmates. Wearing school uniforms should make it difficult to pinpoint the cliques, including the jocks, the Goths, the nerds. Making
Kelly, Mike. “School Dress codes Limit Students’ Freedom of Expression.” School Policies. 2008. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29. Apr. 2014. http://ic.galegroup.com
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...
middle of paper ... ... Retrieved 11 20, 2010, from First Amendment Center: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/studentexpression/topic.aspx?topic=pledge. Jr., D. L. (2010, 11 19). Student Expression. Retrieved 11 23, 2010, from First Amendment Center: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/studentexpression/topic.aspx?topic=clothing_dress_codes_uniforms.
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.
School uniforms reduce the stress children feel when trying to fit in with their peers. Without them, some children may be alienated because their economic background reflects the clothes they wear. 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.
Worrying more about others, rather than themselves, students pay more attention to the appearance of their peers instead of their academics. To begin, if school uniforms became apart of the school policy, students’ academics would improve phenomenally. Hanley noted that “The reason for the policy [was] to further improve ascending test scores and provide a safe, comfortable learning environment” (A1+). Clearly, school administrators wanted to improve test scores, and they figured if students dressed the same, then they would have no other choice but to focus on their school work. If the students can concentrate on their school work, then they will have high self- esteem. Furthermore, Valdez believes that school uniforms, positively, will change student academics: “… [they] decrease self consciousness and increase self esteem...” (14). Reasonable and realistic, students who feel better about themselves will succeed in school rather than those who have poor self-esteem. Not only do school uniforms encourage students to have a better attitude about themselves, but they also change the environment in which students learn....
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
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...
In his article, Constitution Check: Do school uniform policies violate the First Amendment?, he speaks on the issue of school uniforms violating students’ rights of free speech. In the piece, Denniston states,”... it not the business is of the government to decide which views are acceptable, and which are not, and the right to speak one’s own views is matched by protection against having to utter someone else’s views – especially, views favored by the government. ”(Denniston 3) The first amendment protects students from having to be restricted from expressing themselves instead of following after others opinion, such as the government.
Imagine your identity being stripped from you. All of your personality shown through your clothes, gone. This is how many students world wide feel about their school uniforms. You can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, If they’re rocking neon jeans and a printed button up, they are probably going to appeal to artistic people. If someone is wearing athletic shorts and tennis shoes, they’re going to be more into sports, but when everyone is dressed in the same, blan clothes, you won’t be able to pick up things about their personality than if they were dressed as themselves.
Several high school students, including Tinker were suspended for coming to school wearing black armbands protesting the Vietnam War. The Supreme Court held that students have a First Amendment right to express themselves as long as that expression is not disruptive to the school environment. The First Amendment encourages and protects individual expressions, and in this case the students though and expression was favored. The source is effective because court cases like this one have shaped history and have an impact on parents and students that are against school uniforms. This source is important because even though the decision is from 1968 this court case is still used when talking about school uniforms. The source is informational because it is relevant and unbiased. The judges decided on the matter of the case by looking at both sides of the argument and deciding what is best for the