The Debated Issue of School Uniforms
The Debated Issue of School Uniforms The use of school uniforms has been a controversial issue for decades. There are many positive elements brought into schools that enforce uniforms, however there are also negative components as well. Safety, unity, cost, violence and education are the main positive factors that come from using uniforms in school. Although all do not agree, school uniforms are becoming more common throughout schools in the United States. Safety is the most vital improvement made by the use of uniforms in schools. While students are all dressed alike, intruders are easily spotted and eliminated quickly.
Also the issue of gangs is addressed. School uniforms are designed to remove the ability for students to easily conceal weapons. Additionally, by requiring students to dress in the same attire gangs are unable to represent themselves by dressing in certain colors or types of everyday clothing while in school. Violence will always be a problem within high schools, though it is able to be reduced through the use of school uniforms. Uniforms eliminate bullying due to the clothes students’ wear as well as theft of expensive fashion items.
On the other hand, some feel that by demanding students to wear uniforms their self-expression is restricted. Students in uniforms cannot define themselves by the clothes they choose to wear in school. Though the safety advances made by enforcing school uniforms outweighs the cons of restricting students from individually expressing themselves through the clothes they wear while in school. Schools that put uniforms into effect have reported an increase in school spirit and unity as well as academics. While the students are all dressed alike they feel like they are a part of something; much like a team.
Academic performance increases in students while they are in uniform simply for the fact that they are focused on the educational aspects of school instead of the fashion trends. Uniforms altar the students’ mindsets to be more professional and ready to learn. In addition, students’ who are unable to afford the latest trends are relieved of the pressure to fit in and are placed at an equal level with the other students. Furthermore, parents have an advantage when school uniforms are enforced in schools due to the reduction of cost. Uniforms are cheaper than trendy outfits and are able to be worn for a longer period.
The cost break relieves parents of the stress cause by providing their children with the best new clothes available. Although school uniforms have the ability to better schools in many ways, they also have negative impacts on the school as well. When implementing school uniforms administrators are naturally given additional authority. Some fear that their children may be harmed by administrators who do not know how to responsibly exercise the extra authority. On the other hand, administrators are relieved from the stress of enforcing dress code on the students day after day.
The struggle of putting the dress code in force is a constant fight between students and administrators mainly for the fact that teens commonly push boundaries that are set. By imposing uniforms on students, respect for the administrators in the school increases as well. The use of uniforms in schools is 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. Work Cited Anderson, Wendell. “School Dress Codes and Uniform Policies. ” Clearinghouse on Educational Policy and Management. N. p. , n. d. Web. 5 Mar 2011. <http://eric. uoregon. edu/publications/policy_reports/dress_codes/intro. html>. “Public School Uniform Debate. ” Educationbug. org. N. p. , January 2011. Web. 5 Mar 2011. <http://www. educationbug. org/a/public-school-uniform-debate. html>.
