We have heard kids cribbing about school uniforms. Uniforms bring a sense of responsibility as well as a feeling of belonging towards community. When it comes to society and human rights, individualism and the right to express plays a vital role in the society in many countries of the world. The right to express is in a way the right to freedom where you are free to express whatever you think and feel without worrying about its consequences(might be a punishment). But when it comes to government schools or in other words public schools, uniform has always been a debate – whether the schools should implement the uniform policy or not. It is true that its is against almost each student’s will to wear a uniform, as they would like to wear different clothes everyday instead of uniform which is commonly termed as “a boring uniform”. I believe uniform should be a part of schools’ policies, some of the reasons are as explained further.
Firstly, the most common reason I feel uniforms to be advantageous is that the kids don’t have to wake up to every morning with a face which explains selecting a dress for themselves to be the world’s most tedious job. Having a school uniform cuts down the early morning stress of deciding upon an outfit. As a result, it saves the children’s time too that might have consumed for selecting a dress for themselves.
Secondly, uniforms gives a feeling of being equal among the group of children, regardless of all the differentiating parameters, likely, religion, financial status, place of origin, gender and many more. The right to equality is as important as the right to express and the right to freedom. If not uniform, an educational institute might turn out to be a fashion parade rather than promoting education. Implementing uniforms would help to promote pride among the students which might in turn would also help in increasing their self-esteem among the students who cannot afford expensive and fashionable clothes.
And lastly, uniform brings a sense of responsibility individually as well as while in a group. Uniform makes them act reasonably and maturely. While wearing a uniform, it gives students a special feeling towards the place, the school – a feeling of learning, a special vibe of the school which differentiates school from many other public places in the world. Also, the uniforms bring in the feeling of unity among the students. There are many instances that can help me support this statement. For example, all the students attending a seminar in a big presentation hall who are wearing the same uniform brings in the feeling of unity and the feeling of belonging towards that small community. The same applies when the students dine in in the school cafeteria, they do not feel out of place, regardless of what they are eating or how expensive or fancy their breakfast is. The best example of uniform’s influence over children’s mentality and behavior can be one of the surveys carried out in 2014-2015, in a large school district in Florida.
According to this survey, the schools implementing uniform policy has found a huge difference in the behavior among the students. The level of absence without permission has dramatically cut down to half after bringing in the uniform policy. Also, further according to the same survey, it was seen that the students’ violence among themselves has notably decreased by just changing their outfits to standard uniforms, hence bringing in unity, more joy and peace. As a result of this positive change, the grades geared up and the rate of suspension of the students decreased.
In conclusion, it is beneficial for students’ growth along with the schools growth to have uniforms in schools. This does not mean to offend the people in favor of the right to express as the students can wear uniforms in order to give more importance to educational development over a fashion show off whereas they can still practice their individuality as a part of the right to express outside the school. There are numerous studies on this important argument, according to which students learn better and act more maturely, responsibly and reasonably. According to me, the public schools must implement the uniforms for the growth and development of students, school as well as society at the end.