School Uniforms: Are They Necessary?

Mrs. Valdes

Uniforms: Why They Are Needed

Uniforms have become a regular routine for most people, more so for adults than for children or adolescents. Sooner or later, uniforms take role in an individual’s life, as that person pursues a career and begins a life set under rules and standards. Yet the question is asked, “When does one begin to use uniforms?”. Now this answer varies immensely, some will say since childhood, others adulthood. Then the heated topic arises, “Why are uniforms needed, why do children need to use them?” Admittedly, any students bias will be to say that uniforms are useless, they serve no purpose in their life. Yet on the contrary when studies were done, when schools reexamined themselves, when uniforms proved to indicate at least a slight change in behavior and performance among students, uniforms proved to create an overall better learning experience for students. Undeniably, uniforms remedied many situations within the school. Uniforms, although scorned, rid the school of numerous controversies that induce separation, bullying, distraction, and expenses.

Uniforms are ideal when it comes to stopping separation and tension among students. Beginning in the 1990’s America began to introduce the idea of uniforms, this being the product of separation and jealousy in schools. Society judges people, it is inevitable, however school can at least attempt to remedy the situation, and they did successfully with uniforms. Uniforms make every individual equal, not allowing students to envy each other due to their name-brand or expensive clothing thus ridding the school of certain “groups”. According to a study conducted by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, 67% of principals of schools who implemented a uniform policy saw students concentration improve. It was also reported that principals saw an increase in school unity, which increased a motivation to do well. Many studies similar to the previously stated have similar results, undoubtedly uniforms play a role in how students concentrate during school.

One could say individuality is confiscated when such a rule is implemented, however clothing is not the only way to express individuality. Furthermore a survey done on debate.org proposed the question, “Does imposing school uniforms prevent students from creatively expressing themselves?”. In response 65% of member said no while only 35% said yes. Clothing is not the only way a person can express their individualism. In fact there are many way to use self-expression that does not involve clothing. Normal clothing allows students to judge their peers, to place them in their “group”. People quickly assume things from how other dress, without even knowing them personally thus creating a barrier to perhaps ever finding out who that person actually is. To fix this dilemma schools began making everyone have the same basic standard of clothing, with perhaps their own small addition or accessory, which teaches people, the students, to judge others on their personality, on the individual them self, not on their clothing.

Aside from removing tensions, uniforms also encourage unity rather than separation. In a place where everyone looks the same, clothing-wise, it prevents people from judging and could most definitely bring a class closer. They create a sense of “all for one and one for all” type of mentality. In 2009 the school uniform policy was effectively implemented in 21 states in the United States of America and studies showed that the assaults on children from kindergarten through class eight had also reduced by 85%. Critics might claim unity can never be achieved in any school due to so many diverse personalities and cultures. On the contrary, not everyone will be friends, however when a time comes to unite, to come together as one, it is easier for a class to do so when the class is familiar with each other. Uniforms broke down the communication barrier and allowed others to acknowledge their peers. For example, spirit week is a time when a class comes together for a common want or purpose, a mutual desire. Yet without ever having that sense of equality, certain “groups” may be rejected from such events due to the fact that some students believe they are better then their peers.

In continuation uniforms also release a great amount of peer pressure off of students. They no longer feel like they need to “fit in” with their clothing, also no more trends can be set to make other students feel “out of date” making parents spend even more rather unnecessary money. With uniforms all peer tension is almost eliminated, there are no longer the preppy cheerleader who wear their clothes to tight, the geeks who wear their pants to high, the jocks who have the coolest clothes, or even the goth who wear too much black. All stereotype are terminated, letting students focus on more important things than clothes. Like Dr. Alan Hifler, senior psychologist in the children and adolescent unit at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, said, “Uniforms do eliminate competition, pressure, and assaults perpetrated by older kids on younger kids for their sneakers and other possessions. They also get some kids to focus better, especially in the lower grades.” Adding to the point that non-regulated clothing can be a distraction to students in school and to eliminate such a distraction, uniforms must be presented into the equation.

Secondly, one of the main reason uniforms were introduced was to prevent bullying. Bullying was an immense problem that fell of the radar when uniforms were introduced. According to Joshua Mandel, Psychologist D., studies show that 160,000

children in the United States miss school everyday due to bullying. Even president Clinton said in his State of the Union address in January 1996, “If it means teenagers will

stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require students to wear school uniforms.” Bullying would occur mainly for one of two reasons; gangs or clothing. Gangs were an immense issue in schools before uniforms were used. However, when uniforms were required and gangs were not allowed to wear their signs, violence decreased drastically. In a study done by the US Department of Education of uniforms in Long Breach, California in 1999 (when gangs were avid) overall crime rate dropped a whopping 91%, school suspensions dropped by 90% and sex offender were reduced by 96%, even vandalism went down 69%. In addition to gangs people would often ridicule their peers when they were not wearing the latest “fad” or what was “in” at the current moment. Many people struggle with their classmates who constantly bring them down, chipping away at their self esteem little by little. In continuation uniforms also allow those in poverty and those well off to all look the same. Before, this provoked teasing and bullying of the “poor kids” who wore hand me downs and old clothes. However this has not been completely eradicated, but It has been greatly reduced.

Moreover regular clothing can be a massive distraction to peers. We are all aware of how students attempt to bend school regulations for clothing, trying to balance themselves on the fine line between allowed and not allowed clothing. Some girls tend to wear provocative clothing at times and, as painful as it is to say, that greatly distracts the

male peers at school. However nothing is said about how tight clothes can be in the regulations, right? This, without a doubt, will cause gossip among girls who envy or dislike such a peer; even boys, who cannot help but drool over her. Not having uniforms

allows students to show all their new, most likely expensive, clothing. New watch, shirt, shoes, purse, pants, you name it. For some reason there is a ravenous desire in almost every students heart to impress his or her peers, except some try harder than other. Some girls new clothes might make a group of girls envy her thus occupying their thoughts during class and throughout the day. The same even goes for guys, a boys friend might have a possession that makes him jealous, thus making him think about it al day. In a survey done on debate.org the question, “Can the use of school uniforms improve a learning environment?” was asked and 67% percent of the members said yes while 33% said no. Consequently there have been testimonials of students grateful for their schools use of uniforms, so no only does it come from parents but also students. Uniforms help students and peers focus when it comes to school work.

Lastly, uniforms save parents a great deal of money. In a society where “what’ in” is constantly changing, parents are forced to pay a large amount of money for their child to be fashionable. If parents had to only buy uniforms once or twice a year rather than buying new outfits every month, they would save an enormous amount of money. According to the Department of Education parents saved an average of two hundred and forty nine dollars per year when buying uniforms. Nevertheless it could be said that some parents can not afford uniforms. Yet uniforms are almost always only needed in private schools were it costs money to attend the school. Therefore if one were to argue that

parents can not pay so much for uniforms they must not be able to pay for the books (which usually costs more than uniforms) much less the school itself. Even if uniforms were indeed needed in a public school and they had to be purchased, parents can opt-out of their child having to wear uniforms due to their tight budget.

All things considered the benefits of uniforms far outweigh the cost. Uniforms may be said to cause problems or be despised by students however whatever you give students they are going to reject it. Yet it is much easier for schools to deal with uniforms in the sense of distraction and conflict. Also they do not detriment individuality nor confiscate self-expression in any way contrary to popular belief. It has been proven through statistics and studies that uniforms are either somewhat or very beneficial to the school and/or students in some way. All in all through research it has been found that uniforms have shown to reduce conflict and tension among students, keep them focused, and even save parents money.