School Uniform Essay Example for Free

School Uniform Essay A school uniform makes it easier for the school authorities to recognize students belonging to their school. Authorities can also make out if someone doesnt belong to a school, if someone just manages to sneak in; unless, of course, they go through all the trouble of buying a uniform that fits! †¢ A school uniform also saves the school administrators from having to police what the students wear. There are no daily battles regarding whats appropriate to wear or not for school. †¢ A school uniform apparently also saves students from putting their fashion tastes before their learning requirements. When they dont have to spend time wondering what to wear and how to make a fashion statement, they can devote more time to getting educated. This in turn, lifts their academic performance. †¢ 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? Thus there are fewer arguments, and following a dress code plays more of a balancing act. †¢ School uniforms cramp the style of gang members. They have to recognize each other by names and faces instead of 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. Its a hard life. On the brighter side, it helps them to live another day and go on to survive in college. †¢ 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 dont have to double as guards, and can concentrate on teaching. †¢ By wearing a uniform dress code, students can find other means to showcase  their creativeness. †¢ At a very young age, school uniforms instill the spirit of teamwork and one feels proud to be a part of a school, if he/she represents the school for any occasion. †¢ Most importantly, uniforms are cost-efficient, as parents do not have to spend on clothes for their children, thus benefiting them. So, to sum it up, by wearing uniforms, students appear to belong to a single community, they require less time to spend on deciding what to wear and it prevents wrong conduct, thus inculcating discipline in them. Hence, wearing school uniforms seems to be a pretty convincing and stimulating strategy. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-school-uniforms.html Pros of School Uniforms It helps you to find children: If a school is on a trip, or if a child runs away, a school uniform can help teachers to quickly identify children from their school and so prevent them from getting lost. This is a very useful ability for teachers and if it means fewer children going missing its of course a good thing. It prevents competition and teasing: When children wear their own clothes into school, this then becomes a time for them to judge each other. Some children will be more mature than others, some will have better dress sense, and some will have more money at their disposal. What you dont want is some children turning up in fashionable new clothes and bullying the ones in their hand-me-downs who will inevitably feel embarrassed as a result. With a school uniform everyone is the same, thus no one can argue this point. Likewise wearing home clothes can show affiliation – to sports teams, to TV series, or to bands – and this can then cause arguments between the r ival teams. It can enforce a positive attitude: In a work place we dress smartly even though theres normally no uniform in office jobs, and even the self employed are advised to dress as though they were going into an office. The reason for this is that it can make you feel professional, and that that in turn can make you produce a better quality of  work. The same is true of school children and if they are in shirts they will feel more like little workers and less like football fans. It can teach discipline: Though many jobs do not require a uniform, others do. If you children are going to grow up to become nurses or checkout assistants then they may as well get used now to putting on the same uniform day in and out. It shows their age: At the end of the day you want people to know that your children are children. This prevents people from chatting them up or serving them alcohol. By putting them in school uniforms the older looking children then cant pretend to be older than they are. It can be used as an excuse: If a child is misbehaving and needs to be put in line, it can sometimes be difficult for a teacher to find a reason. By telling them off for having their shirt un-tucked though you have a legitimate reason. This is often why there are dress codes in clubs (though some parents would undoubtedly argue this was a bad reason to wear a uniform) Helpful for Teachers * Uniforms allow teachers to teach. Taking away the need to police clothing choices gives teachers a chance to focus on curriculum and not on what the students are wearing. It helps to remove the subjective nature of general clothing guidelines, such as determining what is offensive. Attitude * Uniforms help to change the attitude of those wearing them. Unlike regular clothing choices, you are not likely to pick on someone wearing the exact same thing as yourself. Many a schoolyard fight has begun with someone making fun of someone else regarding the clothing they are wearing. Dressing nicely also helps students to live up to their clothing. There is an innate sense of decorum when we dress for success. People tend to act differently depending on the clothing they are wearing. By creating a uniform specifically designed for attending school, the attitude falls in line. When those clothes are on, it becomes as regular as putting on pajamas, so a brain knows it is time to focus and learn. Sex Factor * Reducing the sex factor also provides motivation to focus on studies. Even when students dress within guidelines, children can find a way to push the limits with how low cut or tight their clothing might be. With a  uniform, that is almost entirely removed. You will no longer have the girl with the low-cut blouse distracting the boys in the classroom. Sense of Belonging * Providing a sense of belonging is an important part of uniformity. When you help to remove the class system by leveling the playing field, it provides students with the opportunity to be included. Clothing is an easy way to point out those who do not have money or support. By eliminating this discrepancy, you have made life easier for all students. Safety * Safety-wise, uniforms make students easily identifiable. It becomes simple to locate those who do not belong on a campus when they are not in the correct clothing. They also prevent the concerns of gangs and other forms of cliques sporting their colors and causing friction between groups or individuals. The main reason schools in America choose not to allow their students to wear their own clothes is because of the gangs. Having a uniform stops gang members from displaying their colours and garb. The schools also believe it helps stop violence and helps instill a sense of pride in the students. It also helps to break down the barriers between different socioeconomic groups. Below are some opinions taken from a messageboard regarding the issue: I feel we should keep to the uniform. It sets an example of the school. It is representation the community. It is easy to point out different people. Also there would be more fights/bulllys due to the lack of fashion. Many schools throughout the U.S. force students grades kindergarten through twelfth to wear uniforms. Students who attend public schools should not have to wear uniforms for four reasons. 1. School uniforms inhibit studentsEUR(TM) individuality. Young people often express their feelings through the clothing that they wear. Uniforms will take away this form of expression. Why should school districts try to make everyone look the same? 2. A school uniform policy inhibits a students freedom of choice. Schools teach students that our country is a free one. But when school boards make students wear what they tell them too it curtails the students freedom. 3. There is the issue of cost. Many parents shop for  their childrens clothes at used and discount stores. Uniforms can cost more money than these families might be able to afford. Also, these students would need to buy additional clothing to wear after school and on the weekends. Thats double the amount of money a family would spend than they would without the uniforms.  wearing comfortable clothing to school. Uniforms are not necessarily comfortable. Also, wearing a uniform might make the student uncomfortable around people outside the school who dont have to wear a uniform. If we want individuality, freedom, and comfort for students while keeping costs down for families, we should not have a school uniform policy for students who attend public schools. In my opinion, right up to year 11 students/kids should have to wear school uniform, it stops all the arguments about who has the latest fashions etc. But when you reach college or 6th form it should stop, because by then your old enough to know not to take the pee out of what people wear. Mind you saying that, most of the people at my 6th form were wallys. Professional: Some say that a child in a school uniform is more likely to take school seriously. Putting on the school uniform signals he or she is going to school just like dad dresses up to go to work. Schools report that when students dress in work clothes rather than play clothes they take a more serious approach to their studies. Promotes Good Discipline: Many think that school uniforms help maintain school discipline, decreasing the amount of discipline problems. The argument is that children today are lacking in self-discipline because parents refuse to discipline them. This makes it more difficult on the teacher who has to deal with classes of 25-30 students at a time. Reduces Fighting and Violence: Schools report that school uniforms decrease fighting and violence that arrise out of arguments over fashionable clothes. Children invariably tease those who do not have trendy clothes. Those who cant afford name brand clothes are often sensitive about their clothing. Schools struggling with  gang problems report that school uniforms help ease tensions. Distractions: Many parents believe that students wearing school uniforms look nicer and that a school uniform policy ensures that children will come to school in appropriate clothing, avoiding distractions such as fads considered to be outlandish or overly revealing. Some students have turned school into an unending fashion show. This disctracts from learning, as some kids spend more time focused on thier clothes than on homework. AdChoices Values: School uniforms stress that individuality and self-expression are not determined by designer clothing or the latest fashion fad. Low Cost: School uniforms are a bargain. They are becoming far less expensive than many other clothes. Schools argue that school uniforms are economical, especially compared to designer clothing, and parents agree given school uniform durability. They say school uniforms last longer because they are made for repeated wash and wear. Many schools capitalize on this by starting used school uniform stores or swap meets. Parents can get used school uniforms at discount prices, or just use them as hand-me-downs between siblings. School Spirit: Some feel wearing a school uniform helps build school spirit. It instills a feeling of belonging. As the Beach Boys said, Be true to your school. Schools report an increase in school pride. Individuality: Supressing individuality is the most commonly cited objection to school uniforms. Educators argue that an academic program encouraging students to pursue individual thought is much more important than what they wear. They inhibit creativity and self-expression, forcing students to conform. Causes Discipline Problems: Some students reject any rules. Forcing them to wear school uniforms only aggravates their rebelious spirit. They alter their school uniform by tightening, widening, shortening, or lengthening them, and teachers are given the impossible task of policing the students on a daily basis. Little  or No Relationship to Academics: Opponents insist that their is no credible evidence that school uniforms improve school discipline or promote higher academic acheivement. The principal argument is that some great students are terrible dressers. Dress does not necessarily improve learning.