When it comes to school uniforms there is a lot of debate on wheather it is a good choice for all public schools to enforce a school uniform policy or not because it can help when it comes to bullies and can help students focus better in class. For a while now parents, students, and school districts have been getting into arguments over the issue of school uniforms. There have been many arguments but the most common argument against school uniforms is that the uniforms will take away a student’s self-expression or individuality.
When it comes to a student’s self- expression it’s important to express yourself but there other ways that students can show their self-expression. Some ways can be they could style their hair their own way and if the school allows it they can even accessorize a little. One in five US public schools has required students to wear uniforms during the 2011- 2012 school year. Parent’s teachers and students should support the choice of having school uniforms. Every public school has to decide on whether they want to have a school uniform policy or not.
There are many people who think that school uniforms should not be required to wear to school and there are people that agree with having school uniforms. When it comes to schools requiring their students to wear school uniforms it’s a good thing there are three reasons why. School is a place that students go to learn and to get an education, school uniforms can show equality in all of its students which means showing the students that they are equal to one another.
Having uniforms can be cost and time effective what that means is that it’s easier going to a store and buying uniforms for about 100 dollars rather than buying 3 to 5 outfits that can cost 200 to 300 dollars. When it comes to students and schools today students seem to be more interested in what their wearing rather than their education. Students have forgotten the reason why they go to school. They need to stop focusing on what name brand clothes they wear and also how popular they are and start focusing on what truly matters.
Think about it, if every public school required all their students to wear uniforms it could make a student’s life a whole lot easier. Imagine students would be able to go to school and not have to worry about what another student is going to say about what their wearing. It can also help parents out too. Having uniforms can reduce the stress of figuring out what to wear every day and trying to fit in. Students who are less worried about their fashion or what they wear will tend to be more focused on in class.
If everyone wore the same thing no one would be judged based upon their style or what their clothing might cost which makes the students equal. Every student wearing the same thing unites the schools as one and shows pride in their school. It makes schools different than other schools. Having uniforms is a smart choice and can also make students look more formal. When parents send their child to school they want to know that their child is going to be safe and shouldn’t have to worry if there kid is going to get picked on because of what they are wearing.
That leads me to a bigger problem and another reason why all public schools should require uniforms is bullies. Bullies usually pick on other people because of what they are wearing. Bullies shouldn’t pick one someone because everyone would look the same. Uniforms are a good solution so there will be a bully free zone. School uniforms can help school administrators provide security for their students. Uniforms can get rid of distractions and allow students to focus more.
As a student every student can easily get distracted in the classroom and there can be students who wear revealing or inappropriate clothing and that can cause a big distraction. Uniforms are also a good way to show that the school is put together and taking pride in the school. Now we all wonder what the reason why public schools have uniforms is. In the 1980`s public schools were sometimes compared to catholic schools. Seeing the benefits that uniforms had in catholic schools most public schools decided to have a school uniform policy.
President Clinton is also the reason why public schools have uniforms. In 1996 he provided a school uniform movement where in a speech he stated “if it means teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, and then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms”. (“Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? “) 16,000 school districts were required to have school uniforms. The first US schools that required uniforms were Washington DC and Maryland in 1987 the school was Cherry Hill Elementary school in Baltimore Maryland which gained a lot of publicity.
The early uniform programs were voluntarily but according to a New York Times report from December 1987 most parents supported the idea. By the fall of 1988, 39 public elementary schools and two public junior high schools in Washington DC had mandatory uniform policies and soon after that the movement spread to other states including Connecticut and New Jersey. (“Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? “) The first school district in the United States that required grades k-8 to wear uniforms was long beach, CA in January 1994.
In July 1998, President Clinton continued his promotion of school uniforms with a speech at the annual convention of the American Federation of Teachers, stating that uniforms help children “feel free” and reduce crime and violence. ( “Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? “) In the summer of 1999, controversy erupted in Florida when Polk County Schools Superintendent Glenn Reynolds suggested that parents could be jailed if they failed to follow the new mandatory uniform policy.
In Jan. 2000, the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, which opposes school uniforms, represented a nine year-old student who was suspended twice for his refusal to wear a school uniform because of his family’s religious beliefs. (“Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? “) The school later agreed to amend school uniform policy to allow for religious reasons. In May 2008, a three-judge panel of the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in Jacobs v. Clark County School District that the mandatory school uniform policy introduced by the Nevada district is constitutional.
An 11th grade student and her parents had sued the district for refusing to allow her to wear a shirt displaying a message presenting her religious beliefs. The court ruled that the district’s uniform policy was not restricting any one viewpoint in particular, and that therefore the policy was “content neutral” and not an infringement of “pure speech. “(“Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? “) School uniforms in the United States followed the traditional use of uniforms established in England.
California governor Pete Wilson signed a bill that allowed schools to enforce a uniform policy. There are many advantages and disadvantages to having a school uniform policy some of these advantages are it can encourage discipline, it can help students when it comes to being peer pressured of having to buy all the fashionable clothes that some parents can’t afford. It can make a difference between students economically and socially and can potentially help identify an intruder in the school and also saves time when getting ready in the morning.
There are some disadvantages such as uniforms can decrease how comfortable a student feels. Wearing a uniform can sometimes attract a bully from another school. In 2004 there was a research that showed uniforms did not improve school safety or academic discipline. (Wilde, Marian. “Do Uniforms Make Schools Better? ” ) Then in 2005 a study showed that some Ohio schools uniforms may have improved graduation and attendance rates. (Wilde, Marian. “Do Uniforms Make Schools Better? )Virginia Braa an assistant at Youngstown state university did a study to see if having school uniform’s is beneficial.
Draa was shocked at the results. Draa`s study showed that the schools that had to wear uniforms showed better attendance, graduation and suspension rates. When it came to figuring out if uniforms have an impact on academic improvement she was unable to connect the uniforms because of changing instruction and curriculum. Most elementary and middle schools have to wear uniforms but some high schools don’t.
Some say that if school uniforms are supposed to reduce school violence and to improve school academics why are they not allowed in high school. (Wilde, Marian. “Do Uniforms Make Schools Better? ” Nap. , nod) Bruna says “it’s more difficult to enforce school uniforms in high school and sometimes middle school because the student’s resistance is much higher than it would be in an elementary school and also having the debate on the fact that students have rights too. (“Pros and Cons of School Uniforms Statistics. OccupyTheory. N. p. ,) According to current 2013 statistics, 23% of schools across the United States are forcing their students to wear a uniform. States that require students to wear uniforms are the leader of the school uniform pro-advocates; New Orleans has 95% of all public schools that require a uniform.
The cost of uniforms makes up 1 billion dollars in back to school sales. (“Fast Facts. ” U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2015). 2015. Between the 2003–04 and 2011–12 school years, the percentage of public schools reporting that they required that students wear uniforms increased from 13 to 19 percent. In 2011-12, 22 US states have required schools to have a dress code or uniform policy. In the end school uniforms are a better solution. It seems like no matter how much we argue there is always going to be a debate on whether or not there should be uniforms in public school. School uniforms have promoted an environment of learning and will continue to do so by eliminating key distractions to a student’s education.