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The Advantages and Disadvantages of School Uniforms

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As the former 42nd United States President Bill Clinton stated in his 1966 state of the union address, “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.” The history of school uniforms has a somewhat checkered past. The tradition originated in the 16th century with charity schools, supporting children who were orphans, living in poverty, or had nowhere else to go. Although uniforms have moved from pom-poms and starched aprons to polos and jumpers, the reasons why uniforms are either supported or criticized have remained relatively the same for over 400 years(Ayres). I think school uniforms can be a great thing. I think that there are many different reasons as to why.

Most people tend to believe that school uniforms are a bad idea because they are costly and have the least bit of comfort in them. In my eyes education is more important than how someone dresses while in school. Everybody is there for the same reason: to get an education. Nobody wants to be looking the same as everyone else. That just takes away their individuality. Most children do not want to be uncomfortable for seven hours straight. Depending on what kind of uniform the school gets, it could cost a fortune.

School uniforms make consistency between financial class inside a school district. If students somehow managed to wear similar things, there would be a lesser degree of financial qualification between the students. They additionally increase attendance. Schools in the South have had their attendance go up by 20% in a range of five years in the wake of sanctioning school outfits. Uniforms could enable students to concentrate on their school work than what they wear. When you take out the need to discover prominence through style or embellishments, it ends up achievable for students to concentrate on different parts of the school. At the end of the day that implies a student can remain concentrated on their classes, holding the data learned, and that can prompt better in getting better grades.

When you make students wear school uniforms it violates their right to freedom of expression. School uniforms, by design, limit diversity within the educational systems. In the world we have today, we have several cultures, ethnicities, and class backgrounds. Instead of pretending to be equal by creating a simple-minded alternative, it would be more effective to emphasize true equality within the society at large. If diversity is established in the classroom, students can learn how to interact with other groups and then initiate ways to establish future policies that can lead to real equality.

Bullying still occurs with school uniforms. Students who attend schools with uniform rules may find themselves being bullied by others who don’t go to schools with a uniform rule. People bully others mostly based on how they look; their skin color, hair color, cultural background, etc. Having a school uniform would not make a difference. An intruder could easily blend in. All they have to do is know what kind of uniform it is and get it themselves. It enables them to move around the school as they please to do so.

A woman named Virginia Draa, assistant professor at Youngstown State University reviewed attendance, graduation, and proficiency pass rates at 64 public high schools in Ohio. Her final analysis surprised her: “I really went into this thinking uniforms don’t make a difference, but I came away seeing that they do. At least at these schools, they do. I was absolutely floored. (Wilde 2018)”

Another good thing about wearing a school uniform is that it gives the student a great sense of belonging and school pride. They are a great way of saving money in a big family. School uniforms can be handed down to the younger siblings or family members each year. For a family of four, it is possible to get by with only purchasing one set of uniforms because each previous uniform set can be handed down to the next child. Americans spend around $1 billion per year on school uniforms (ProCon.org). It saves you time in the morning. Instead of standing in front of your closet, trying to decide which outfit to wear that day, the uniform can be put on and the morning routine can be done in five minutes. Some students may save up to 30 minutes each morning simply because the expectations of how they should look have already been laid out for them in advance. School uniforms also encourage discipline. Meeting a school uniform code requires a certain level of discipline and responsibility from a student.

The advantages and disadvantages of school uniforms show us that there is the potential in such a policy to improve grades, attendance, and graduation rates by focusing on discipline and equality(Ayres). When discipline and responsibility is practiced, it can be applied to other things in life. Children in school uniforms may find it easier to stay focused on their workload, complete homework after school, have time to build friendships, or prepare themselves for a better life. When you wear a school uniform it has tradition and meaning to the schools and to the students. Plus the more they wear it the more they start to feel attached to the uniform.

Back to the matter of cost, If you truly consider school uniforms don’t cost so much as regular clothing does. With school uniforms, there is no strain to purchase costly name brands. You would need to purchase somewhere around 5-8 uniforms if that, contrasted with the entire closet you would the requirement for each season each year. Uniforms can presumably be worn the whole year. It is less cash you would need to spend. Studies have appeared in certain government-funded schools 80% of young ladies and 62% of young men really like the uniform. When I was growing up I lived in Texas. I went to a school that had a dress code of school uniforms. I used to live with my grandmother and my older sister. We often had to share clothes because the income was low. Having school uniforms make it easier to save money and reuse clothes.

In conclusion, wearing school uniforms is better than letting the students wear what they want. It is not only convenient but also very important to the school and students.

Uniforms show the culture of the school. Students should feel proud to wear the symbol of their school. With the discipline and responsibility you learn and get from wearing a school uniform, it can help shape you into the person you aspire to be and maybe even better.

References

Cite this paper

The Advantages and Disadvantages of School Uniforms. (2020, Sep 14). Retrieved from https://samploon.com/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-school-uniforms/

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