In the past few years, there has been an outbreak of change in schools where schools put school uniforms to use. There have been many issues going forward towards the students wearing them whether it be fitting in with the crowd or the uniforms looking ugly. There have been some positives on the subject for it to prevent bullying, peer pressure, or even a sense of a dress code. School uniforms have an impact on schools all over the world which can or can not be such a bad thing to endorse in.
School uniforms are a good thing to have in school because it helps prevent bullying in schools. A lot of times kids are bullied for not wearing the right clothes as everyone else because they aren’t cool or just don’t have the money for it. Researchers say that 83 percent of teachers thought that “a good student uniform could prevent bullying based on their appearance or economic background” or Arminta Jacobson, Founder and Director of the Center for Parent Education at the University of North Texas says that “It gives a sense of belonging and a feeling of socially wanted by another group of kids”(Jacobson, proCon.org).
Which is true because kids don’t wanted to be left out, they want to feel wanted and involved even if that means wearing the same clothes which shouldn’t define someone it should be who they are. But on the other hand many researchers say that it may increase more violent acts towards each other like other kids trying to be different or social outcasts as one might say(Volk, procon.org). For example, Tony Volk, PhD, Associate Professor at Brock University, says that ‘Overall, there is no evidence in bullying literature that supports a reduction in violence due to school uniforms.'(Volk, procon.org) He’s right on some levels because sometimes it doesn’t matter if all students are wearing the same clothes because it’s a sign of no freedom of expression(Volk, procon.org). When kids are restricted to wearing what they are provided with, they aren’t given much opportunity to express themselves as they do in what they wear whether it be there favorite rock band or there favorite singer, kids shouldn’t be limited to what they wear which causes some kids to rebel on some levels which cn resort to fighting and acting out(Volk, procon.org). A good thing that can come out of having school uniforms is by not having cliques in schools, like kids having there own little group instead of reaching out to others and making new friends. In there little group they try to stay within their means they don’t venture out to kids that they not talk to because maybe before having school uniforms kids would see each other differently that could have an impact on them socially and mentally. This separation can mix in kids with other kids that you would never thought were good enough to be friends with because of there different backgrounds and personality(Josephson, smartassest).
Mixing in the kids with more high end fashion clothes with the less fortunate kids who can’t afford a whole lot. Another positive outlook on school uniforms is that it can save parents money in the long run every year without dealing with back to school shopping, saving parents for spending a fortune on clothes for the kids to only wear them for a year because kids outgrow their clothes all the time(Josephson, smartassest). Parents should feel relieved to only spend on a couple of school uniforms that the school provides than spending a lot of money(Josephson, smartassest). For example, “A national survey of 517 US school leaders found that 94% of those surveyed believe ‘one of the main benefits to parents is that school uniforms are more cost-effective than regular apparel,’ and 77% estimated the average annual cost of school uniforms per child to be $150 or less”.(school uniforms, procon.org) This is beneficial on a financial standpoint because of how this saves them money for the parents and the schools like having money for clubs and activities, sports, anything(school uniforms, procon.org). On the negative side having parents paying for school uniform is ridiculous because they already pay a lot of money each year for their children to attend there school but for the parents to be bill with more than a few hundred dollars for some squares of fabric that you can buy at any store and make a uniform out of(school uniforms, procon.org).
A typical uniform can cost as much money as if you were going grocery shopping for a family of four or a down payment on a car, which is insane for a parent to pay for(school uniforms, procon.org). This can cause some stress on the parents and is not needed to make a school look more professional and better looking than there competing schools which can lead to strict dress codes(Murphy, procon.org). A dress code is where schools have limitations on what is appropriate for students to wear during school hours that can weigh in on some good and bad examples. “A woman named Doris Jo Murphy, EdD, former Director of Field Experiences at the University of North Texas College of Education, said: ‘As an elementary assistant principal in two suburban districts, I can tell you that the dress code took up a great deal of my time in the area of discipline… I wished many times that we had uniforms because the issue of skirts or shorts being too short, and baggy jeans and pants on the boys not being pulled up as they needed to be, would have been a non-issue.'(Murphy, procon.org) She is right because kids should express themselves it what they wear but a lot of times it could make kids look like kids and not what they are trying be like having kids wear crop tops and booty shorts because of their favorite singer it in a music video but to limit them in a good respectful way(Murphy, procon.org). But with most public schools in not so high class neighborhoods and towns, uniforms were not even in mind. For example, “According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 47% of high-poverty public schools required school uniforms, while only 6% of low-poverty public schools required them(Brunsma, procon.org).
David L. Brunsma, PhD, stated that ‘more affluent families buy more uniforms per child. The less affluent… they have one… It’s more likely to be tattered, torn and faded. It only takes two months for socioeconomic differences to show up again.'(Brunsman, procon.org) In this economy today it’s hard to budget for clothes for your kids. Especially when your ids goes to private school where everything thing else is expensive. For example, “According to the Children’s Society (UK), almost 800,000 pupils go to school in poorly fitted uniforms because their parents cannot afford new items(Children’s Society, procon.org). Depending how much you are willing to pay for your child’s education, on where your child goes to school is all based too solely on how much you can afford.
Lastly Another good impact having school uniforms is enhancing school pride and spirit(school uniforms, procon.org). Students don’t show their pride for their school so by having them wear the uniforms it gives them that opportunity to express that. For an example, their are a few studies and groups that can relate to this argument like “A study from Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom found that uniforms ‘often directly contributed to a feeling of school pride.’ “Christopher P. Clouet, Superintendent of the New London, CT school district, stated that ‘the wearing of uniforms contributes to school pride.'(Oxford Brookes University, procon.org) “A study of over 1,000 Texas middle school students found that students in uniform ‘reported significantly more positive perceptions of belonging in their school community than reported by students in the standard dress group.'(school uniforms, procon.org) On the negative side studies have found no evidence of school uniforms having effect on students whatsoever. In conclusion, School uniforms can be a good thing to have or a bad thing to have. There is no right or wrong with having students where them. Students should be able to express themselves and be happy with who they are not stricken with rules, kids need to be kids.
