Mandating School Uniforms for Public Schools Essay Example

in a way that will distract the attention of everyone in the class. For instance when girls dress in clothes that reveal their body parts is not good since boys in the class will be easily distracted hence no learning can effectively occur in such an environment (Gentile and Imberman 1-17).

(Gouge) argue that some students hail from wealthy backgrounds while others come from less- fortuned backgrounds. Thus, those from well-up families are likely to wear best clothes that are trending which the other poor students cannot afford. This may create stigma to the students who hail from poor backgrounds as they may see themselves as not smartly dressed due to being attired in old fashioned cheap clothes which can make them develop the lack of self-confidence affecting their social and academic life. Thus, by student wearing uniforms, the socioeconomic disparity among the students is minimized alongside making students concentrate more on their studies but not on their looks.

Uniforms in school reduce violence in such schools which of late is an area of concern. The New York Times in 1996 quoted former President Bill Clinton when he spoke on the idea of uniforms. He said that "if school uniforms make students not clash over one another over a designer jean, then let them wear school uniforms (Mitchell)." Wealthy students who are well-dressed in casual clothes may tend to reject the company of the poor students due to their poor dress codes. Therefore, it is possible to develop groups in schools for the poor and the wealthy students. In such a phenomenon, each group might try to outshine one another thus possibly using threats and even physical

confrontations to try and surpass each other bringing violence in schools. However, when people are dressed in uniforms, it is not easy to determine the wealthy and the have-nots since all are uniform in appearance preventing the development of gangs in the school (Gentile and Imberman 1-17).

Some students might wear clothes with writings that are abusive or send vulgar messages to another group of the society. This can be a source of conflict for such a student when the rest are not satisfied with the message the clothing a certain student is wearing. When students are dressed in uniform, outsiders or trespassers are easily identified and hence ensuring that the students are safe from strangers who might be harmful in the school (Gentile and Imberman 1-17).

When students wear school uniforms, they develop a sense of pride for their school which promotes unity among the students. School uniforms are the identity of a school or rather it is the school image to the outside world. Therefore, when students are dressed in school uniforms they will tend to behave well and also tend to be united to promote the image of their school (Gentile and Imberman 1-17).
School uniforms are cost effective in the long run for the parents. This is because once a school uniform is designed and approved by the school, the prices of uniform are set and do not shift according to seasons unlike casual wear. This proves to be economical in the long run since several pairs of uniform can be used over and over again till they are worn out without a parent being concerned with the latest fashions in the market. Therefore

several pairs of uniform at the same price may seem expensive initially but over the long run, proves to be economical since the parent will not be compelled to buy trendy clothes as soon as they hit the market (McDaniel 162-167).

Opponents of the idea to mandate uniforms in public schools believe that dictating what students must wear is a form to hinder their freedom of expression. This is because what an individual wears is a clear way to understand what a given person loves or hates. Some people may wear clothing’s that have writings expressing their hate for something like drugs or others may wear to encourage people love God among other expressions. Thus people believe that when one wears schools uniform, their freedom of expression is muzzled. Also, opponents believe that there is no guarantee that when students dress in school uniforms, their performance will improve.

(DeMitchell and Fossey) notes that the decision by public schools mandating students to wear school uniforms need to be approached with caution as well as putting into consideration the current factors. It should be a transparent process that involves all the stakeholders involved. This plan should be measurable, achievable, and realistic as well as time conscious. It will be effective especially when the students who are the targets will be involved in every step of the decision before making it mandatory for public schools to have school uniforms. The students should be made to understand how the school uniforms will benefit them and also encourage them to see it not as an oppression of their rights of expressions. This is important since when students see uniforms as a form

of oppression, they will find another way to resent to the school authority (McDaniel 162-167).

I also think that parents should play an equally important role in this idea of mandating school uniforms in public schools. Parents know their kids well having raised them up. A parent knows the elements of his or her child and thus should decide whether uniforms are likely to influence them negatively or positively. For instance, parents whose kids care about their appearance so much should not be forced to allow their children to wear uniforms. This is because they may be resentful since they may feel as if their wishes of self-expressions are being overridden. Making the students uncomfortable because of the way they dress should not be allowed in such a case since it will be reflected in their grades as well as discipline (DeMitchell and Fossey).

In conclusion, when public schools use the idea of school uniforms for the sole purpose of creating a safe environment for learning by eliminating competition, violence and pressure uniforms prove to be very viable and reliable. When the uniforms help parents to save an extra penny, create unity in school, enable students attend class regularly, develop self-confidence in their look thus boosting their grades in class as well as social life, it will be a huge win in the academic world (Bodine 67-71). However, all the stakeholders of education must be involved during the decision-making process to ensure a win-win situation for all concerned parties. The students should be made to understand the importance of the uniform dress code as a way to help them achieve better grades but not to oppress their

rights of expression.

References

1. Bodine, Ann. "School Uniforms, Academic Achievement, And Uses Of Research." The Journal of Educational Research 97.2 (2003): 67-71. Web.
2. Brunsma, David L. and Kerry A. Rockquemore. "Effects Of Student Uniforms On Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Use, And Academic Achievement." The Journal of Educational Research 92.1 (1998): 53-62. Web.
3. DeMitchell, Todd A and Richard Fossey. The Challenges Of Mandating School Uniforms In The Public Schools. Print.
   Gentile, Elisabetta and Scott A. Imberman. "Dressed For Success? The Effect Of School Uniforms On Student Achievement And Behavior". Journal of Urban Economics 71.1 (2012): 1-17. Web.
4. Gouge, William Elihue. A comparison research study on the use of school uniforms and graduation, attendance, and suspension rates in East Tennessee. Diss. Liberty University, 2011.
5. McDaniel, Thomas R. "Making The School Uniform Decision: Is It Right For Your School?". Mitchell, Alison. "Clinton Will Advise Schools On Uniforms". Nytimes.com. N.p., 1996. Web. 12 Oct. 2016. Kappa Delta Pi Record 49.4 (2013): 162-167. Web.
6. Sanchez, Jafeth E., Andrew Yoxsimer, and George C. Hill. "Uniforms In The Middle School: Student Opinions, Discipline Data, And School Police Data." Journal of School Violence 11.4 (2012): 345-356. Web.