Category: School Uniform

Meet Isaiah, he is 8 years old and goes to his local public elementary school where is bullied every day. Isaiah tries to put up with it, but as time goes on, his grades drop, and his motivation to go to school every day diminishes quickly. Even though Isaiah is extremely funny, and is very talented, he isn’t even given the chance because he lacks the ability to wear the newest trendiest clothes. Meet Isaiah’s mother, she is a single mother taking care of 3 children and works 2 jobs. There is no lack of love for her children, but there is a lack of money to be able to pay for Isaiah and his siblings to get new clothes every year before school starts. Sadly, Isaiah isn’t the only child who struggles with the embarrassment and harassment that comes with the inability to wear the newest trends in fashion. Isaiah’s mother moved him to a local private school that requires all students to wear a fixed uniform every day. He is no longer bullied and had a genuine liking for school. His grades went up significantly and he can’t wait to go to school every day.

Isaiah’s situation is nothing new, children in public schools are bullied on the grounds of how they look and what they wear all the time. Treatment like this has an effect on a child’s mental and physical state, which may lead to poor performance in school or even self-harm. Change must start somewhere, and the implementation of school uniforms will begin to help these issues. Although some would argue that school uniforms encourage conformity, destroy the individuality of students, and lower students self-esteem, I believe that the implementation of school uniforms will not only level the playing field amongst students, but will also reduce gang activity/colors and distractions caused by clothing from the school and classrooms and may begin to increase the attendance, performance, and decrease violence in public schools.

School uniforms are nothing new, the first evidence of school uniforms dates back to 16th century England, where they wore “a robe-like outfit called the ‘cappa clause” (procon.org). In countries like the United Kingdom, South Africa, and many parts of Asia, a strict school uniform is required for all students. Although the uniform itself has definitely evolved, the idea still stays true to this day. The earliest uses of school uniforms were to promote cohesion and the ability for students to be able to fit in regardless of their socioeconomic background. The idea of the uniform has gone from the traditional slacks and tie to a more modern khaki bottom and polo-type shirt. The effects of this show that over time, the use of school uniforms has gone beyond the level playing field as they began to see the effect on attendance, grades, and violence levels. As time went on, leaders in places like the United States started to realize that the use of uniforms was producing positive results, and continued to implement them. It quickly spread throughout the world.

The United States started to see the rapid implementation of uniforms, and decided to test it out “in Maryland and Washington, D.C., in the fall of 1987, with Cherry Hill Elementary School in Baltimore, MD” (procon.org). From there on, it made its way quickly into mostly all private schools and begins to make its way into public schools. In the 2015-2015 school year, nearly 1 in 5 public schools have incorporated a uniform into their dress code. It has been found to decrease bullying levels and increase performance levels. Students can learn a lot from getting into this habit such as the ideas of discipline and professional dress at a young age can provide students with a great advantage in life.

One of the many positive effects of implementing school uniforms is the fact that it levels the playing field for all students of any income and is far more cost-efficient. If all students are wearing the same outfit, others will not be able to judge them solely based on the product of the clothes they wear and will be forced to be based on the content of their character. A common misconception amongst people is that uniforms are very costly, and although this is not necessarily false, there is a catch. Assuming the average cost of a school uniform that includes shoes, shirt, pants, and all are around $100 dollars, and the average student will need 4 sets for the year. That adds up to $400 on clothes for a student to go to school for a whole year. Whereas, if there was no dress code in place, to buy the most popular pair of shoes in 2017, which according to Sole Collector is the Nike Air Huarache, which sells at a minimum of $110. That alone is a quarter of the price of 4 uniforms, and a pair of shoes is only about a tenth of what a child needs for a whole year of school clothes and accessories. Furthermore, if a child wears a fixed uniform 4 or 5 out of the 7 days, a parent only has to buy “street clothes” for 2 or 3 days which can really cut down on costs for parents. No matter the income of a family, the students will still wear an outfit that is provided by the school or that has guidelines that every student must follow. This completely eliminates the idea of students being judged based on what they are wearing because they can’t afford nice clothing.

Furthermore, the implementation of uniforms in school has been seen to produce better attendance rates, reduce violence/disciplinary issues in schools, and sometimes increased test scores. In an article by Elisabetta Gentile and Scott Imberman called “Dressed for Success? The Effect of School Uniforms on Student Achievement and Behavior”, Imberman and Genile write on the direct effects of school uniforms in the public and private school system. They touch on the negatives and positives of the topic and statistical evidence of what it has done for students in particular scenarios. Gentile and Imberman are both Economics professors that specialize in education and education policy. Imberman has published pieces found in outlets such as the American Economic Review, the Review of Economics and Statistics, Education Finance, and Policy. First, school uniforms affect the attendance of the students. This could be due to the fact that students who can’t afford to buy the newest trendiest clothes are being bullied because of it and fear coming to school. Implementing school uniforms will do away with this issue because students will all be wearing the same standardized clothing. In Gentile and Imbermans article, they note that “In contrast to most of the prior literature, we find that uniforms generate improvements in student outcomes, particularly for girls. Attendance rates for females in middle or high school significantly increase after schools adopt uniforms”. Although this is a focused example, it does show how, as the uniform was implemented, it resulted in students coming to school more. The students no longer felt afraid that they would be judged because they didn’t wear the right jeans or that their shirt doesn’t fit right. The more students are able to come to school and do so with a focused clear mind, they will be able to succeed much more and not fall behind. In Gentile and Imbermans article, they looked at an elementary school, and what the effects of school uniforms were before and after implementation. Elementary school children are very good examples to look at because they are much easier controlled and are less likely to rebel at a high level. Imbeman and Gentile write, “For elementary students, there is a clear drop in test scores prior to adoption but then test scores increase dramatically starting immediately after adoption. This suggests that elementary schools may have adopted uniforms in response to falling test scores”. This in turn may lead to students getting better grades. With the distractions out of the way, and students being at school more, they will be in a much better position to get better grades in school. Lastly, when school uniforms are implemented, they have been seen to reduce the violence levels in schools. This may be due to many factors including gang violence dropping, and kids being more focused on education. Imberman and Gentile explain “ that the increases in male disciplinary infractions drop nearly to zero over the same time frame suggest that both male and female students in middle and high schools benefit from uniforms after an initial adjustment” as well as “We also find some evidence of improvement in behavior for both males and females in middle and high school. While overall there is an increase in disciplinary infractions for these students, they are mostly from an increase in in-school suspensions, which are likely in part due to uniform violations, while out-of-school suspensions drop significantly. After the initial adjustment to the uniforms was made, the student’s discipline levels dropped. This is to be expected, whenever something new is introduced, but the important part is that after the fact, the students began to be less violent due to uniforms being implemented in their school.

One common criticism of the school uniform debate is that having all students wear the same thing destroys the individuality amongst the students. Some claim that If students all have the same outfit on, they will not be able to truly express themselves and show their true selves. It is very important for young people to be able to experiment and express themselves in many ways as they figure out who they are. Self-expression is important to young people because it distinguishes them from the rest of their peers and portrays the things they believe in. Although this may be true, there are more ways to express oneself other than through clothing. These include music, drawings, stories, actions, etc. Also, even if the visual expression is mainly important, the uniforms that students have to wear may offer variety, and if a casual dress day is implemented the students may express themselves on that day. Also, students have the weekend and any time off school grounds, they may wear anything they please. Another criticism of the school uniform debate is it lowers the self-esteem of the students if they do not fit right, are too tight, are too thin, etc. If the clothes that make up the school uniforms do not fit the students properly and show off their imperfections in a way that embarrasses them, they will lose self-confidence and are subject to bullying. This is a valid point, and if uniforms are not properly implemented, this will be a huge issue. Ditch the Labels states “40% of respondents reported being bullied for personal appearance 36% reported being bullied for body shape, size, and weight”. Body shaming and bullying related to it are very prevalent and students who are being forced to wear uniforms that don’t fit will be the first to be bullied. This is a valid point, but in order to avoid this, the school must be willing to work with the students to prevent this. There is no way to help every student with this, but there are ways to improve it. Rather than setting a specific 2 or 3 sets of clothes that must be worn every day, set a general dress code and the students can buy what they need based on that for the right fit. This along with many steps to help create a non-destructive, healthy uniform protocol can be taken to better the public school system.

The truth is, there is no perfect way to end gang violence, or stop bullying, but if there is a way to help the issues and head towards a better school system, implementing school uniforms are a great place to start. It’s not going to get %100 percent attendance rates, and there will still be a number of children who will struggle to pass classes. But, implementing a way to begin to get rid of these things is the way to go. If the implementation of a school uniform can help a group of students in a positive way, there is no reason to not go in that direction or at least try. There are many ways to implement a school uniform, but many will fail.

To implement a school uniform, it is important to come up with a full plan before presenting it. Know how it will get out to the public, know the guidelines, know the arguments against it and how to prove them wrong, and most importantly know where to start. To implement a great uniform protocol, come up with a plan. I believe that the uniform should be implemented between kindergarten and first grade. Students that are younger are much more willing to conform to what’s going on, whereas starting a uniform in the high school years would be much harder because high schoolers are much more willing to rebel and don’t care about the consequences. Also, it is important to come up with what the uniform will actually entail. I believe that the uniform should be guidelines of what students should wear, not specific clothing. For example, male students will wear something along the lines of khaki or black pants/shorts, white or black dress socks, tan or black dress/boat style shoes, and a blue/black/white collared shirt, and females will wear a black or blue skirt, with white or black dress socks, formal shoes, a black, tan or collared shirt or something along those lines. This can be tough because it can be easily misinterpreted or taken to the extreme, but it lets students go out and choose clothes abiding by the guidelines that fit them properly. This in turn will mainly get rid of the argument that the children may be forced to wear clothing that exposes undesired characteristics of their body.

What is one simple way we can keep our school children safe, save money on school clothing and make it easier for teachers and school staff to make sure our children are safer on and off-campus? As well as instill a sense of community and pride in our children at the same time. By a change as simple as enforcing school uniforms.

With all of the violence in today’s world especially facing our children, we have to do all we can to protect them to the very best of our ability, not only as parents but also as a community. It takes a village, right? One of the ways that we can protect our children and keep them safer during their school day is by enforcing school uniforms. it’s stated that it’s easier to identify intruders that don’t belong on a school campus because they aren’t wearing the designated uniforms and will stick out (Ayers n.d.). Threats are not just from the student body, it could come from any outside source in our communities. Mandatory uniforms won’t stop all violence on school campuses but every little thing we can do as a community will help ensure the safety of our children.

Another way that school uniforms help keep children safe is they may help identify students that may be off-campus for an educational trip. School uniforms can help locate students that belong in the school’s group in case they get separated, or they can also help identify students that are not where they are supposed to be during school hours, such as skipping school for the day.

Furthermore, one more way our children are being kept safe by wearing uniforms is through keeping everyone looking the same while in school, there is no comparison of some children having certain articles of clothing or nicer things than other children who may not be able to afford the same things. There’s no separation of the “have and the have nots” they help eliminate victimization and harassment. Uniforms also help prevent violence by the display of gang colors and theft (Chen 2008). Uniforms also make it harder to discern different socio-economic statuses between the children. The children can still have their individual identities and express themselves and an individual by choosing things such as hairstyles, possibly nail polish colors, some jewelry, even their shoes, uniforms don’t have to be as rigid such as plaid skirts, button-down shirts, and ties they can be as simple as khakis and polo shirts. When my oldest son was in elementary school his uniform consisted of either white, tan, or navy polo shirts and khaki pants. When he was in middle school the parents had the option of buying maroon t-shirts with the school logo on it or they could wear maroon polos and khakis, everyone had the same colors but they were able to express themselves as individuals by choosing the color of their polo or what style of maroon shirt they wanted to wear that day. The attention isn’t focused on one child having things such as the latest designer jeans, or the hottest new jacket that another child may not be able to afford, they are more focused on their academics. Statistics show that school uniforms are beneficial, one study in California states that The Long Beach California school district began enforcing uniforms in 1994, and in that first-year school fights and violence had decreased by 50% and sexual offenses were reduced by 74%(Chen 2008). According to Melissa Kelly in a 2019 article, The children that were killed in the Columbine massacre in 1999, most of the children targeted we killed partly because of what they wore (Kelly 2019). It’s impossible to say that this tragedy would have occurred if a uniform policy had been in place, but the likelihood may have been reduced. While students may not like having to wear uniforms, they do agree for the most part that they do retain their identity, and about half of the children agreed that the uniforms do save their parents money (Wilde, n.d).

The cost of buying school clothes of course is a concern for parents, as any parent or guardian knows the beginning of the school year is filled with expenses, such as buying everything to make sure the children are successful, school supplies, lunches, and clothing can become very costly. Schools that do enforce uniforms have found creative ways to help ease the cost for a parent that may find a difficult time paying for the mandatory items. According to Belinda Luscombe, Most children don’t want to wear their uniforms a moment longer than necessary, so when they are no longer needed or they have been outgrown families may be able to donate gently used clothing back to the school which can then be passed along to other students at a reduced cost for parents (Luscombe 2014).

The average cost of school uniforms in the U.S. is approximately $150 per year. Of course, stores offer sales at the beginning of the school year on children’s clothing. Many organizations are out there to help struggling parents, establishments such as the Salvation Army or churches. There is a list that has been compiled that provides families with information on where to get help with resources in most states. The information provided gives people direction on how to get help, such as from the Salvation Army, grants for school uniforms, charity drives, and churches. And of course, not having to decide what to wear on a daily basis makes getting ready for school either the night before or the morning much easier on both the students and their parents.

With everything that children and parents need to be concerned about in their daily lives, safety, bullying, and the cost of school clothes should not be the majority of their concerns. School uniforms will help give parents and guardians peace of mind that their children are as safe as they can be during the day and they have that they have all they need to be successful in their school career.

School uniforms are no new thing. They have been around since the 1500s and whether it consisted of a strict shirt and tie or a more casual polo shirt and black pants skirt, they have always caused issues, whether its students not wanting to wear them, the school being strict about how students can and cannot wear the uniforms or parents not being able to afford them. School uniforms are common all around the world with students aged 4-18 wearing them. They may vary from country to country in what the students wear and what is seen as more acceptable or whether the school is strict or take a more relaxed approach towards them. School uniforms are not only just for show and to make the school look better, but they also have other benefits. Statistically, school uniforms reduce bullying on a wide scale across many countries. School uniforms also have security and safety benefits as they easily identify whether a student is in a certain school or not. Furthermore, school uniforms help to create a value consensus. A value consensus is a view in which everyone in society shares the same norms and values. By doing this, it makes the school feel more like a community or family which therefore can make students feel safer and happier.

Pros and cons

School uniforms arguably have many positives and negatives. For example, school uniforms help to prepare students for the world of work. This relates to the sociological viewpoint of Marxists, Bowles, and Gintis. A key idea from these sociologists is the correspondence principle. This is the belief that there are parallels between school and work, and things in school correspond to things in work. For example, by enforcing school uniforms in primary schools, students in later life are more likely to conform to having to wear a dress code or a uniform as they have been doing it for most of their life.

Another positive is that school uniforms are shown to reduce bullying within schools. This has been statistically proven as 23 parents and 46% of children agree. Making every child the same within schools reduces jealousy towards a student or mockery of a student for wearing something either more expensive than that child`s family cannot afford or for wearing something cheaper if that is all that they can afford. However, school uniforms could also increase bullying as poorer children may have hand-me-down uniforms, which students may then pick on them for not looking as pristine and new as they have.

A negative of the use of school uniforms is that they cost a lot. School uniforms are one of the main things parents need to spend money on in order for their children to access free education. This is also known as the cost of free schooling. For a full school uniform, parents could be looking at spending upwards of £40 per child, per year as school uniforms despite their price are not durable. So, all throughout primary school, parents could be spending anywhere around £320, which for some parents families especially of a lower income is unbearable.

A further positive of school uniforms is that they positively affect pupils’ behavior within school. This again has been statistically proven in a recent report into attitudes to the uniform which found 9 in 10 teachers believe that school uniform positively affects a pupil`s behavior, whether that be higher levels of concentration or more focus within lessons.

On the contrary, school uniforms can be seen as doing more harm than good. By wearing a school uniform, you are limiting a child’s individuality at a key time during their life of finding themselves and being able to express their differences. This is a negative point as in future life, the children may feel that they have to look alike to everyone else and it is wrong to stand out which in the long term could lead to having mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Due to the obvious school uniforms, it is easy to determine which school a child attends. This can encourage students to behave, for instance, when going to and from school, because it makes it easier for others to report a child’s behavior to a school.

School dress codes and uniform policies

Some people believe that requiring students in school settings to conform to a dress code improves student behavior, reduces differences among socioeconomic levels, and enhances students’ self-confidence. However other people say that policies stop students from expressing their individuality and are controlling students.

Stats and statistics –

Studies have been conducted by academics Chris Bauman and Hana Krskova found that students who attend a school with school uniforms are better listeners. In order to come to this conclusion, they conducted an analysis of variance test also known as ANOVA. An ANOVA is a statistical test that is used to study the difference between the means of more than two groups. This test was conducted across a cohort of schools across 5 different geographic regions. According to their findings, students who go to school with a uniform are better listeners and the teacher’s wait time is decreased. In other words, uniforms improve discipline, discipline leads to better grades, and sp uniforms may be a factor in a school having better grades.

What do others think (primary research)

During the process of presenting my current findings and arguments to other students, I asked them for their thoughts on the matter. Their responses were somewhat varied swaying both for and against the practice of using school uniforms in a primary school setting. One such argument for the use of uniforms is as follows:

I think school uniform is a good way to keep all children in line it limits bullying among school children and makes everyone feel the same and doesn’t exclude anyone because they can’t afford what others can.

This highlights one of the most common and prolific arguments in favor of using school uniforms for primary school children, as discussed earlier, that one of the major benefits is the equality it supplies even if this is arbitrary compared to the actual equality of the students themselves. The argument primarily states that, as stated above, uniform equalizes the children with one another preventing bullying due to them not being able to afford what others can, but there is perhaps an argument against this, as the state of a uniform can still indicate socio-economic status which can lead to the exact form of bullying that uniform professes to prevent.

A further argument in favor of uniforms, as provided by students in my cohort, is as follows:

School uniform is a cheaper alternative for working-class families, as it is one outfit instead of several.

This is perhaps a more easily debatable point in terms of the benefits of a school uniform. This is because, whilst the point of it being an individual outfit does have some standing, often parents will buy multiple copies of the same outfit in order to provide their child with a clean uniform for the days in which they attend school. As well as this, it could be argued that whilst this is one outfit compared to many, parents buy the many outfits anyway for their child`s leisure wear outside of school and so, it actually adds an extra outfit rather than deducting from the number, where there would ordinarily be a few outfits shared between school and home there is now a separate outfit required for parents to purchase.

As well as all of these points a point against uniforms, as provided by a fellow student, directly contradicts the point put forward here. It states as follows:

School uniform is expensive and not all families can afford them.

Whilst this may seem a shorter argument it still carries an excellent point as the earlier student has argued that it is cheaper whereas this one argues it is expensive. The earlier points made against the student claiming it is cheaper all help towards proving it more expensive as, having to buy an extra outfit will, of course, cost more money than simply not having to. However, perhaps a more solid argument for it being more expensive is simply the prices of uniforms themselves. For example, one set of uniforms for a secondary school student can cost upwards of £80-£90 which is not cheap at all, and whilst this is not as bad for those in primary school, they can still spend upwards of £40 on school uniforms (including shoes, coat, and bag). This may not seem too bad, but when it is put in the perspective of it being an unnecessary cost if the use of uniforms were abolished, then it starts to seem perhaps somewhat ridiculous. This is especially true when you add to this the fact that this unnecessary cost of a uniform actually serves to institutionalize the children upon whom it is forced.

A final, and slightly more detached argument from those that have come before it in my research, is also against the use of uniforms and is as follows:

Children cannot express their individuality in school uniforms.

This is an intriguing point to have raised, as it is not something most people would necessarily think of either for or against uniforms. Obviously, it has validity in its point as forcing all students to essentially look the same promotes mindless and robotic conformity to the point of the monotonous repetition of personality across an entire student body. Whilst this can have benefits in terms of behavior management and the ability to learn and perform well, this also removes the innate individuality and frank humanity which has driven the advancement of humans as a race. No meaningfully progressive concept was thought up by someone who conformed to the times, someone who was considered sane. Suffragettes were all told they were criminals and mentally ill at the time of their protest and now they are heralded as heroines. This individuality that led to that rebellion and others like it have allowed our society to reach the point of it; is at today and yet still we try, from such an early age, to force them into a mold of what we deem acceptable, potentially repressing a personality that could have allowed us a further advancement past the limits to which we are currently bound. Whilst it may seem a minuscule detail in the repression of the individual to have to wear a uniform it is the unimportant things that can amount to the biggest change, as shown by the butterfly effect in nature.

Solutions?

To solve the issues and debates with school uniforms, I personally believe that there are two main solutions that can help improve the situation. One solution is to get rid abolish school uniforms altogether. This will help to reduce the costs and strains on lower-income families. However, rather than a school uniform, in the best interests of the schools and its students, it would be beneficial to impose a dress code. The dress code would impose rules and regulations such as no designer clothing, no ridiculous outfits (what is considered as ridiculous would be set out by the school), and only sensible outfits.

Another solution is to make school uniforms less individualized to the school. By making a uniform less individualized, schools, rather than having a blue jumper for example with the school logo embroidered onto it, just have a plain blue jumper which is widely available for a fraction of the price of an embroidered one. This would, in turn, make it much easier for parents to get uniforms for example from a local supermarket, rather than having to go to a specialized uniform shop and spend ridiculous amounts of money.

A further solution to reduce the debates around this topic would be to create a universal uniform for all students either within the local area, county, or country. This will make school uniforms more widely available as if all students need them, and they are the same, more shops will stock them. And they can be made at a reduced price.

My research

To find out more about school uniforms, I conducted primary and secondary research. For my secondary research, I used google scholar to find helpful prior research that academics have conducted into the pros and cons of school uniforms. This research was critical in forming an equal, balanced view within my essay. My topic also allowed for primary research to be collected. To do this I used an online tool called pallet. This tool allowed me to share a QR code on the day of my presentation and collect other people’s ideas outside of the academic field. Unsurprisingly, the views of fellow college students coincided with the academic’s opinions and findings. When collecting primary research, I had to consider the ethics of the researcher. This included things such as informed consent, which I made sure to gain from each participant and ensured they were happy for their opinions to be included in my essay, they all agreed, however, if they were unhappy with this, I would have discarded their response and only included the opinions of those who agreed. Another ethic I had to consider is confidentiality. I had to make sure that all names and personal details were left out to ensure that I was following the code of ethics for conducting my research. Other ethics to consider within conducting your own primary research include things such as deception, debriefing (normally conducted after participants have been deceived), and the protection of participants if any research could have caused them either physical, emotional, or psychological harm, however, none of these ethical considerations would have to be controlled in my research.

School uniforms should be stopped. They are bland, outdated, and uncomfortable. Very few students enjoy wearing school uniforms and although they`ve been around for ages it`s time for a change. There are a few good reasons why a uniform should be in place and for almost any argument in favor of uniforms, there is more often than not a simple solution.

The fact is, that it’s uninformed themselves that prevent a free education by giving carers an additional expense to worry about. The Children’s Commission on Poverty found that over 95% of carers on low-income report complications in meeting school-related expenses including uniforms even though their kids go to tuition-free faculties. According to a study by The Children’s Society, families with kids in high school pay an average of over £300 per kid annually just for uniforms. kids already have clothes for out of school, you wouldn’t have to buy another pair of £80 trainers because the other ones aren’t all black. It’s not tough to find long-lasting casual clothes for cheaper prices, 2 hoodies for £20 instead of £45. You wouldn`t need a whole new wardrobe every school year. Some parents might say, My child likes more expensive brands and clothing! The only difference is it doesn’t have an expensive logo on it. But all the other kids have North Face hoodies! This can be the perfect time to teach your kids that there is more to life than a logo and not to determine their friends based on the price of their clothing.

Another argument is that if students were allowed to wear their own clothes students would be too focused on what they are wearing instead of their work. This is false. Once the clothes are on you don’t think about them anymore. It’s much easier to get work done when you’re comfortable. This would increase productivity and pupils would get more work done if children were able to and had the choice to be comfortable not only physically but also feeling comfortable in themselves through what they are wearing.

Uniforms are disproportionately unfair to women. The excuse of uniforms being too distracting, especially to the boys just proves this. Statements like this will do more bad than good. Boys should learn to control themselves if this is the case, but it isn’t. Implying the rule that girls need to cover up from a young age will only increase sexual assault and harassment within and outwith schools. According to a survey by Plan International, over a third of girls have experienced unsolicited attention or contact when wearing a school uniform in public, including being groped, stared at, catcalled, or wolf-whistled. Assuming that male students can’t and won’t control themselves will only encourage that behavior because it’s expected of them. It also reinforces that people are asking for it. If students aren`t used to the way people dress outside of school and can’t control themselves for the few hours a day they’re at school then maybe they shouldn’t be in school. If we taught people at a young age what other people might wear when they aren’t forced into certain clothing requirements then It’s their fault and shaming, especially women, for showing skin would occur less because everyone would be used to seeing someone’s stomach or legs. Women are sexualized in almost everything they do and unfortunately, even young women and children aren’t exempt from this. If you search school boy on google you’ll most likely find nothing unusual, just photos and drawings of kids in uniforms, however, it’s not the same for girls. School uniforms, particularly girls’ ones, have been extremely sexualized and there is so much proof of this sexy schoolgirl Halloween costumes are just one of many and show how unfair uniforms are.

They are also unfair to other gender minorities. Some schools have gendered uniforms that don’t allow people who don’t fit into the categories of boy or girl to express themselves freely which can cause severe gender dysphoria and misgendering. Non-cisgender teenagers who had their pronouns respected by all or most people in their life were half as likely to attempt suicide as those whose pronouns were not respected which is important as over a quarter of trans youth (27%) have attempted suicide, and nine in ten (89%) have considered it.

There are many arguments for casual clothing to be worn instead of a uniform. An example of this is that uniforms can negatively affect students’ mental health and confidence. Young mind development specialist, Robyn Silverman, told the Today show: ‘I hear from students all the time that they feel it (wearing uniforms) allows for a lot of comparisons. So if you have a body that`s a plus-size body, a curvier body, a very tall body, a very short body, those girls often feel that they don’t look their best.’ If you don`t wear identical clothes to everyone you would be able to select clothes that compliment your particular body type and skin color which would allow you to feel your best. Differences in bodies aren`t as obvious when everyone isn`t wearing the same thing. Teenagers are particularly sensitive regarding body image, and feelings of insecurity during this time will have lasting effects.

A commonly used, yet true, argument against uniforms is that they limit self-expression for students. Young people use the way they dress to show themselves and their personalities as an individual. Several students report that the freedom to express themselves through their appearance is taken away from them. We`re being taught about historical and current figures who expressed themselves and conquered and we can’t even express ourselves in the hallways. Students also report a lack of confidence when wearing uniforms as opposed to expressing themselves freely. Confidence would improve the quality of work and mental health.

In conclusion, banning school uniforms would be for the greater good. It would improve mental health and work quality by making students enjoy being at school and it would help teach young people how to express themselves and let them be comfortable in their clothes and their bodies. Its impacts wouldn’t just be in school, it would decrease the shame and stigmatization of women’s bodies. These are some of the most important things in school and life in general. So is it time to take a step in the right direction and remove uniforms?

School uniforms are no new thing. They have been around since the 1500s and whether it consisted of a strict shirt and tie or a more casual polo shirt and black pants skirt, they have always caused issues, whether its students not wanting to wear them, the school being strict about how students can and cannot wear the uniforms or parents not being able to afford them. School uniforms are common all around the world with students aged 4-18 wearing them. They may vary from country to country in what the students wear and what is seen as more acceptable or whether the school is strict or take a more relaxed approach towards them. School uniforms are not only just for show and to make the school look better, but they also have other benefits. Statistically, school uniforms reduce bullying on a wide scale across many countries. School uniforms also have security and safety benefits as they easily identify whether a student is in a certain school or not. Furthermore, school uniforms help to create a value consensus. A value consensus is a view in which everyone in society shares the same norms and values. By doing this, it makes the school feel more like a community or family which therefore can make students feel safer and happier.

Pros and cons

School uniforms arguably have many positives and negatives. For example, school uniforms help to prepare students for the world of work. This relates to the sociological viewpoint of Marxists, Bowles, and Gintis. A key idea from these sociologists is the correspondence principle. This is the belief that there are parallels between school and work, and things in school correspond to things in work. For example, by enforcing school uniforms in primary schools, students in later life are more likely to conform to having to wear a dress code or a uniform as they have been doing it for most of their life.

Another positive is that school uniforms are shown to reduce bullying within schools. This has been statistically proven as 23 parents and 46% of children agree. Making every child the same within schools reduces jealousy towards a student or mockery of a student for wearing something either more expensive than that child`s family cannot afford or for wearing something cheaper if that is all that they can afford. However, school uniforms could also increase bullying as poorer children may have hand-me-down uniforms, which students may then pick on them for not looking as pristine and new as they have.

A negative of the use of school uniforms is that they cost a lot. School uniforms are one of the main things parents need to spend money on in order for their children to access free education. This is also known as the cost of free schooling. For a full school uniform, parents could be looking at spending upwards of £40 per child, per year as school uniforms despite their price are not durable. So, all throughout primary school, parents could be spending anywhere around £320, which for some parents families especially of a lower income is unbearable.

A further positive of school uniforms is that they positively affect pupils’ behavior within school. This again has been statistically proven in a recent report into attitudes to the uniform which found 9 in 10 teachers believe that school uniform positively affects a pupil`s behavior, whether that be higher levels of concentration or more focus within lessons.

On the contrary, school uniforms can be seen as doing more harm than good. By wearing a school uniform, you are limiting a child’s individuality at a key time during their life of finding themselves and being able to express their differences. This is a negative point as in future life, the children may feel that they have to look alike to everyone else and it is wrong to stand out which in the long term could lead to having mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Due to the obvious school uniforms, it is easy to determine which school a child attends. This can encourage students to behave, for instance, when going to and from school, because it makes it easier for others to report a child’s behavior to a school.

School dress codes and uniform policies

Some people believe that requiring students in school settings to conform to a dress code improves student behavior, reduces differences among socioeconomic levels, and enhances students’ self-confidence. However other people say that policies stop students from expressing their individuality and are controlling students.

Stats and statistics –

Studies have been conducted by academics Chris Bauman and Hana Krskova found that students who attend a school with school uniforms are better listeners. In order to come to this conclusion, they conducted an analysis of variance test also known as ANOVA. An ANOVA is a statistical test that is used to study the difference between the means of more than two groups. This test was conducted across a cohort of schools across 5 different geographic regions. According to their findings, students who go to school with a uniform are better listeners and the teacher’s wait time is decreased. In other words, uniforms improve discipline, discipline leads to better grades, and sp uniforms may be a factor in a school having better grades.

What do others think (primary research)

During the process of presenting my current findings and arguments to other students, I asked them for their thoughts on the matter. Their responses were somewhat varied swaying both for and against the practice of using school uniforms in a primary school setting. One such argument for the use of uniforms is as follows:

I think school uniform is a good way to keep all children in line it limits bullying among school children and makes everyone feel the same and doesn’t exclude anyone because they can’t afford what others can.

This highlights one of the most common and prolific arguments in favor of using school uniforms for primary school children, as discussed earlier, that one of the major benefits is the equality it supplies even if this is arbitrary compared to the actual equality of the students themselves. The argument primarily states that, as stated above, uniform equalizes the children with one another preventing bullying due to them not being able to afford what others can, but there is perhaps an argument against this, as the state of a uniform can still indicate socio-economic status which can lead to the exact form of bullying that uniform professes to prevent.

A further argument in favor of uniforms, as provided by students in my cohort, is as follows:

School uniform is a cheaper alternative for working-class families, as it is one outfit instead of several.

This is perhaps a more easily debatable point in terms of the benefits of a school uniform. This is because, whilst the point of it being an individual outfit does have some standing, often parents will buy multiple copies of the same outfit in order to provide their child with a clean uniform for the days in which they attend school. As well as this, it could be argued that whilst this is one outfit compared to many, parents buy the many outfits anyway for their child`s leisure wear outside of school and so, it actually adds an extra outfit rather than deducting from the number, where there would ordinarily be a few outfits shared between school and home there is now a separate outfit required for parents to purchase.

As well as all of these points a point against uniforms, as provided by a fellow student, directly contradicts the point put forward here. It states as follows:

School uniform is expensive and not all families can afford them.

Whilst this may seem a shorter argument it still carries an excellent point as the earlier student has argued that it is cheaper whereas this one argues it is expensive. The earlier points made against the student claiming it is cheaper all help towards proving it more expensive as, having to buy an extra outfit will, of course, cost more money than simply not having to. However, perhaps a more solid argument for it being more expensive is simply the prices of uniforms themselves. For example, one set of uniforms for a secondary school student can cost upwards of £80-£90 which is not cheap at all, and whilst this is not as bad for those in primary school, they can still spend upwards of £40 on school uniforms (including shoes, coat, and bag). This may not seem too bad, but when it is put in the perspective of it being an unnecessary cost if the use of uniforms were abolished, then it starts to seem perhaps somewhat ridiculous. This is especially true when you add to this the fact that this unnecessary cost of a uniform actually serves to institutionalize the children upon whom it is forced.

A final, and slightly more detached argument from those that have come before it in my research, is also against the use of uniforms and is as follows:

Children cannot express their individuality in school uniforms.

This is an intriguing point to have raised, as it is not something most people would necessarily think of either for or against uniforms. Obviously, it has validity in its point as forcing all students to essentially look the same promotes mindless and robotic conformity to the point of the monotonous repetition of personality across an entire student body. Whilst this can have benefits in terms of behavior management and the ability to learn and perform well, this also removes the innate individuality and frank humanity which has driven the advancement of humans as a race. No meaningfully progressive concept was thought up by someone who conformed to the times, someone who was considered sane. Suffragettes were all told they were criminals and mentally ill at the time of their protest and now they are heralded as heroines. This individuality that led to that rebellion and others like it have allowed our society to reach the point of it; is at today and yet still we try, from such an early age, to force them into a mold of what we deem acceptable, potentially repressing a personality that could have allowed us a further advancement past the limits to which we are currently bound. Whilst it may seem a minuscule detail in the repression of the individual to have to wear a uniform it is the unimportant things that can amount to the biggest change, as shown by the butterfly effect in nature.

Solutions?

To solve the issues and debates with school uniforms, I personally believe that there are two main solutions that can help improve the situation. One solution is to get rid abolish school uniforms altogether. This will help to reduce the costs and strains on lower-income families. However, rather than a school uniform, in the best interests of the schools and its students, it would be beneficial to impose a dress code. The dress code would impose rules and regulations such as no designer clothing, no ridiculous outfits (what is considered as ridiculous would be set out by the school), and only sensible outfits.

Another solution is to make school uniforms less individualized to the school. By making a uniform less individualized, schools, rather than having a blue jumper for example with the school logo embroidered onto it, just have a plain blue jumper which is widely available for a fraction of the price of an embroidered one. This would, in turn, make it much easier for parents to get uniforms for example from a local supermarket, rather than having to go to a specialized uniform shop and spend ridiculous amounts of money.

A further solution to reduce the debates around this topic would be to create a universal uniform for all students either within the local area, county, or country. This will make school uniforms more widely available as if all students need them, and they are the same, more shops will stock them. And they can be made at a reduced price.

My research

To find out more about school uniforms, I conducted primary and secondary research. For my secondary research, I used google scholar to find helpful prior research that academics have conducted into the pros and cons of school uniforms. This research was critical in forming an equal, balanced view within my essay. My topic also allowed for primary research to be collected. To do this I used an online tool called pallet. This tool allowed me to share a QR code on the day of my presentation and collect other people’s ideas outside of the academic field. Unsurprisingly, the views of fellow college students coincided with the academic’s opinions and findings. When collecting primary research, I had to consider the ethics of the researcher. This included things such as informed consent, which I made sure to gain from each participant and ensured they were happy for their opinions to be included in my essay, they all agreed, however, if they were unhappy with this, I would have discarded their response and only included the opinions of those who agreed. Another ethic I had to consider is confidentiality. I had to make sure that all names and personal details were left out to ensure that I was following the code of ethics for conducting my research. Other ethics to consider within conducting your own primary research include things such as deception, debriefing (normally conducted after participants have been deceived), and the protection of participants if any research could have caused them either physical, emotional, or psychological harm, however, none of these ethical considerations would have to be controlled in my research.

School uniforms should be stopped. They are bland, outdated, and uncomfortable. Very few students enjoy wearing school uniforms and although they`ve been around for ages it`s time for a change. There are a few good reasons why a uniform should be in place and for almost any argument in favor of uniforms, there is more often than not a simple solution.

The fact is, that it’s uninformed themselves that prevent a free education by giving carers an additional expense to worry about. The Children’s Commission on Poverty found that over 95% of carers on low-income report complications in meeting school-related expenses including uniforms even though their kids go to tuition-free faculties. According to a study by The Children’s Society, families with kids in high school pay an average of over £300 per kid annually just for uniforms. kids already have clothes for out of school, you wouldn’t have to buy another pair of £80 trainers because the other ones aren’t all black. It’s not tough to find long-lasting casual clothes for cheaper prices, 2 hoodies for £20 instead of £45. You wouldn`t need a whole new wardrobe every school year. Some parents might say, My child likes more expensive brands and clothing! The only difference is it doesn’t have an expensive logo on it. But all the other kids have North Face hoodies! This can be the perfect time to teach your kids that there is more to life than a logo and not to determine their friends based on the price of their clothing.

Another argument is that if students were allowed to wear their own clothes students would be too focused on what they are wearing instead of their work. This is false. Once the clothes are on you don’t think about them anymore. It’s much easier to get work done when you’re comfortable. This would increase productivity and pupils would get more work done if children were able to and had the choice to be comfortable not only physically but also feeling comfortable in themselves through what they are wearing.

Uniforms are disproportionately unfair to women. The excuse of uniforms being too distracting, especially to the boys just proves this. Statements like this will do more bad than good. Boys should learn to control themselves if this is the case, but it isn’t. Implying the rule that girls need to cover up from a young age will only increase sexual assault and harassment within and outwith schools. According to a survey by Plan International, over a third of girls have experienced unsolicited attention or contact when wearing a school uniform in public, including being groped, stared at, catcalled, or wolf-whistled. Assuming that male students can’t and won’t control themselves will only encourage that behavior because it’s expected of them. It also reinforces that people are asking for it. If students aren`t used to the way people dress outside of school and can’t control themselves for the few hours a day they’re at school then maybe they shouldn’t be in school. If we taught people at a young age what other people might wear when they aren’t forced into certain clothing requirements then It’s their fault and shaming, especially women, for showing skin would occur less because everyone would be used to seeing someone’s stomach or legs. Women are sexualized in almost everything they do and unfortunately, even young women and children aren’t exempt from this. If you search school boy on google you’ll most likely find nothing unusual, just photos and drawings of kids in uniforms, however, it’s not the same for girls. School uniforms, particularly girls’ ones, have been extremely sexualized and there is so much proof of this sexy schoolgirl Halloween costumes are just one of many and show how unfair uniforms are.

They are also unfair to other gender minorities. Some schools have gendered uniforms that don’t allow people who don’t fit into the categories of boy or girl to express themselves freely which can cause severe gender dysphoria and misgendering. Non-cisgender teenagers who had their pronouns respected by all or most people in their life were half as likely to attempt suicide as those whose pronouns were not respected which is important as over a quarter of trans youth (27%) have attempted suicide, and nine in ten (89%) have considered it.

There are many arguments for casual clothing to be worn instead of a uniform. An example of this is that uniforms can negatively affect students’ mental health and confidence. Young mind development specialist, Robyn Silverman, told the Today show: ‘I hear from students all the time that they feel it (wearing uniforms) allows for a lot of comparisons. So if you have a body that`s a plus-size body, a curvier body, a very tall body, a very short body, those girls often feel that they don’t look their best.’ If you don`t wear identical clothes to everyone you would be able to select clothes that compliment your particular body type and skin color which would allow you to feel your best. Differences in bodies aren`t as obvious when everyone isn`t wearing the same thing. Teenagers are particularly sensitive regarding body image, and feelings of insecurity during this time will have lasting effects.

A commonly used, yet true, argument against uniforms is that they limit self-expression for students. Young people use the way they dress to show themselves and their personalities as an individual. Several students report that the freedom to express themselves through their appearance is taken away from them. We`re being taught about historical and current figures who expressed themselves and conquered and we can’t even express ourselves in the hallways. Students also report a lack of confidence when wearing uniforms as opposed to expressing themselves freely. Confidence would improve the quality of work and mental health.

In conclusion, banning school uniforms would be for the greater good. It would improve mental health and work quality by making students enjoy being at school and it would help teach young people how to express themselves and let them be comfortable in their clothes and their bodies. Its impacts wouldn’t just be in school, it would decrease the shame and stigmatization of women’s bodies. These are some of the most important things in school and life in general. So is it time to take a step in the right direction and remove uniforms?