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Aug 15, 2019 · We asked five experts from various fields whether school uniforms should be compulsory. Rather surprisingly, among the experts at least, there was little division. Four out of five experts said no
May 18, 2023 · Pro 1 School uniforms deter crime and increase student safety. In Long Beach, California, after two years of a district-wide K-8 mandatory uniform policy, reports of assault and battery in the district’s schools decreased by 34%, assault with a deadly weapon dropped by 50%, fighting incidents went down by 51%, sex offenses were cut by 74%, robbery dropped by 65%, possession of weapons (or ...
- Pros of School Uniforms
- Cons of School Uniforms
- Conclusion
- Scholarly Sources and Studies Cited
1. Affordability
Many schools intentionally choose uniforms that are very basic, such as “white polo shirt and grey shorts”, so that parents do not have to pay exorbitant amounts of money on the uniforms. Many low-cost clothing stores also make the effort to produce and distribute these typical uniform-conformant clothes at low cost during back-to-school sales. A typical 5 pack of basic white polo shirts that students can wear to school as a uniform is likely to be significantly cheaper than an outfit a child...
2. Hand-me-Down Options
It is regular practice at schools with school uniforms for parents to offer uniforms for free as hand-me-down outfits once their children grow out of the uniform. This has the effect of helping poorer families to access uniforms for their children without cost. There tends to be an over-supply of uniforms – both new and second-hand – because of the sheer number of children growing out of their uniform every month. As a result, parents in desperate need of uniforms are often able to source uni...
3. Visible Poverty is Reduced
If all children are dressed the same, the poorer children whose parents cannot afford brand-name clothing are not as visibly singled-out. They will be wearing the same clothes as the wealthier children. This can have the effect of reducing chances of bullying based on a child’s family’s levels of wealth. But it also enables children who are poor to feel as if they are no different from others. It helps to start all children off on a level playing field, and makes them feel more secure that th...
23. There is no Impact on Grades
Several studieshave found no changes in academic achievement between groups of students who wear uniforms and those who do not. If there is no clear academic benefit of a uniform, it can be argued that the uniforms are pointless. It seems that the true benefit of wearing a uniform is in the hidden curriculum– that is, in teaching things at school that are not in the academic curriculum. That includes things like discipline and conformity. Whether it’s the role of schools to teach these things...
24. Lack of Freedom of Expression
There are some who question the legality and constitutionality of enforcing school uniforms in public schools in the United States. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, which may also protect free dress. However, to date, the Supreme Court has not made any comment on the constitutionality of uniforms. In 1969, it got close, but upholding students’ rights to wear black armbands to protest the Vietnam war. Overall, the key argument here is that a dress code restricts creative express...
25. Visible Diversity can be a Good Thing
People who argue for school uniforms say that it prevents bullying. It stops children from teasing each other because of what they wear. But if we want a multi-cultural world, isn’t school the perfect place to start talking about our diversity and how it’s a good thing? But making all children wear uniforms, we’re hiding (“sweeping under the rug”) diversity. We’re preventing conversations about it and celebration of it. Thus, uniforms are arguably outdated in a world where diversity should be...
Clearly, there are many pros and cons of school uniforms. But, one thing I did realize when researching for this article was that there are a lot of differing opinions within the research. Some research papers (such as the one by NAESP that I cited several times) appear very biased toward school uniforms. And some academic studies found conflicting...
Baumann, C. & Krskova, H. (2016). School discipline, school uniforms and academic performance.International Journal of Educational Management, 30(6), pp. 1003-1029. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-09-2015-0118 Firmin, M., Smith, S. & Perry, L. (2006). School Uniforms: A Qualitative Analysis of Aims and Accomplishments at Two Christian Schools, Journal...
Mar 1, 2024 · The students in this video discuss the pros and cons of school uniforms. A University of Nevada, Reno, survey of 1,848 middle school students, published in 2022, revealed that 90 percent did not like wearing a uniform to school. Only 30 percent believed the uniforms “might reduce discipline issues, a mere 17 percent thought the uniform helped ...
- Marian Wilde
- In the 1980s, public schools were often compared unfavorably to Catholic schools. Noting the perceived benefit that uniforms conferred upon Catholi...
- Virginia Draa, assistant professor at Youngstown State University, reviewed attendance, graduation and proficiency pass rates at 64 public high sch...
- Editor’s note: This video is part of our high school milestones series about communication skills. The students in this video discuss the pros and...
- 3 min
- Expression of Individuality. The concept of “Expression of Individuality” in the context of school uniforms is a vital aspect of student development and autonomy.
- Financial Burden. The requirement of school uniforms can impose a significant financial burden on families, an aspect that often gets overlooked in the uniform policy debate.
- Comfort and Practicality. The issue of comfort and practicality is a significant concern in the debate against mandatory school uniforms. Students spend a substantial part of their day in school, and their attire plays a crucial role in their overall comfort and ability to engage effectively in various school activities.
- Lack of Preparation for Real World. The argument that school uniforms do not adequately prepare students for the ‘real world’ is increasingly relevant in today’s diverse and flexible professional environment.
Aug 1, 2023 · The Week takes a look at some of the pros and cons. 1. Pro: promotes equality and inclusion. Uniforms should be a “social leveller”, Green told the “Today” programme. Wearing the same ...
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Apr 20, 2018 · Yeung, Ryan. Educational Policy, 2009, Vol. 23. doi: 10.1177/0895904808330170. Abstract: “One of the most common proposals put forth for reform of the American system of education is to require school uniforms. Proponents argue that uniforms can make schools safer and also improve school attendance and increase student achievement.
