Benefits of School Uniforms
I recall George Carlin, comedian and scathing social commentator, voicing his disapproval of school
uniforms. Isn’t it enough they want us to think alike, he said, now they want us to look alike too? Or
something to that tune, I don’t recollect the exact words. Anyway, I thought he had a valid point. I still
think he does.
Many parents have expressed concerns about school uniforms taking away students’ freedom of
expression and encroaching on their personal rights, about having religious dress codes foisted on their
non-religious or different-religion children, about not having their religious dress codes followed or
respected enough, about trying to get their children to make a political or moral statement, about the
expenses involved in purchasing the required uniform and accessories.
On the other hand, though, there are some definite advantages of wearing school uniforms as well.
Let’s take a took at some of the pros of school uniforms –
1. A school uniform makes it easier for the school authorities to recognize students belonging to their
school. It also makes it somewhat tougher for those that don’t belong to slip in; unless, of course, they go
to all the trouble of buying a uniform that fits.
2. A school uniform also saves the school administrators from having to police what the students wear.
There are no daily battles regarding what’s appropriate or not for school.
3. A school uniform apparently also saves students from putting their fashion tastes before their learning
requirements. When they don’t have to spend time wondering what to wear and how to make a fashion
statement, they can devote more time to getting an education. Theoretically, that is.
4. Wearing the same type of dress reduces social snobbery and peer pressure in educational institutions.
It is also supposed to reduce incidents of bullying and theft. How do you pick on someone for wearing the
same dress as yourself? Why would you steal a pair of shoes you both have and can afford? I suppose
there are ways and there are reasons, but fewer.
5. School uniforms cramp the style of gang members. They have to recognize each other by names and
faces instead of by flaunting aggressively painted jackets, T-shirts with obscene messages, clunky
jewelry, and things like that. Instead of ‘my gang’ and ‘your gang’, they also have to think in terms of ‘our
school’. It’s a hard life. On the brighter side, it helps them to live another day and go on to survive in
college.
6. A school uniform can instill a sense of discipline and community feeling. This naturally reduces
incidents of violence. Students can come to school without worrying about personal safety. Teachers
don’t have to double as guards, and can concentrate on teaching.
So will getting students to wear school uniforms end the growing incidents of violence in US
schools?
Well, that was the whole idea when President Bill Clinton decided to implement school uniforms in all U.S.
public schools in the 1990s. In the hope of easing social tensions, many local communities and states in
the USA adopted school uniform policies in their educational institutions. The states of New York,
California, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Utah, and Maryland all introduced
school uniform regulations.
But, while there have certainly been some benefits of school uniforms, the whole thing is about as
effective as putting a band-aid over a gangrenous wound and hoping that will cure the malady. When you
have to have police authorities and metal detection machines in schools, it is a social problem that has
advanced well beyond what anyone is dressing in. The violence cannot be resolved until the social issues
are addressed. There is only so much school administrators and educators can do. What kind of a home
life do the students have? What are the parents doing? How involved are they in their children’s lives?
What kind of an example are they setting to their children? You’re less likely to rear law-abiding,
respectable citizens if you personally tend to be annually incarcerated for frauds, violations, and violent
crimes.
It is a curious thing that we need be well-qualified for top jobs, but not for parenting. The most inept,
incapable people can be parents. Maybe we should forget about uniform dressing and look into uniform
responsible parenting.
Pros & Cons Of School Uniforms
After a child is born, his parents dream of seeing him grow and go through various important stages of life. One of the
initial and most vital steps towards growing and understanding the world is going to school. School is the center of
learning and temple of knowledge, which the child attends to decipher the various mysteries and puzzles of
existence. It helps in his development and makes
him a completely independent identity. Thus, school is the most crucial place for a child to be. This importance has
triggered many issues that are significant in making the schools a better place for students. The provision of dress
code in school has emerged to be one such heated topic. To know the pros and cons of wearing school uniforms,
read further.
Pros
A fixed dress code helps the students perform academically better. Students concentrate more on their
studies rather than on deciding their wardrobe.
Apart from removing distraction, uniforms compel students to take school environment more seriously.
Children tend to be misjudged and ridiculed by others due to the kind of clothes they wear. Thus, uniforms
reduce social conflict and violence in the schools.
One of the most profound benefits of having schools uniforms is that they are highly cost effective and
relieve the parents from the burden of buying fashionable and expensive clothes every now and then.
Cons
School uniforms surely curb the self expression of a child. Sociologists believe that it may lead to
inappropriate ways of expression by children, such as improper use of make up and jewelry.
Another reason argued against school uniforms is that they deprive the children of their individuality. The
stress on a uniform dress code in school opposes the spirit of unity in diversity and its celebration. It is even
claimed to restrict socialization, a vital aspect of human nature.
In comparison to civil dress, school uniforms prove to be futile and wasteful once the child is out of school.
Another ill effect of school uniform is that it deprives the children the comfort, which one experiences on
wearing different type of clothing, as per individual choice. This discomfort might adversely reflect upon the
academic performance of the child.
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