Persuasive Essay On School Uniforms

As a society we value the individual choices that we are able to decide upon in our everyday life. School uniforms have a negative effect on students, due to the lack of individuality and self-image that they are able to express. Therefore passing student policies requiring school uniforms is misleading as it creates more issues than it solves. Students should feel they are different from everyone else and have to freedom to act the way they want and wear what they want. Enforcing school uniforms does not affect academic situations in any way for uniforms to be mandatory. Schools need to re-think their decision on school uniform policies for the mental and physical well-being of their students.

Uniforms have swept through the world, taking over schools, and restraining students in outfit choices. Though many people are for uniforms, many, however, are not. With a constant debate on whether uniforms are needed, I stand objectified against the use of uniforms, because research proves uniforms have a negative impact. Not only are the students negatively affected by uniforms, but so are the parents. So why do administrators put such a restraint on the clothing students wear? The short answer; they want to eliminate many of the problems that come along without the use of uniforms. Instead, more problems were created in its place, yet school boards are still blind to the cries of those against it. With a world so against change, open mindedness, and lack of freedom, I plan to examine the ‘side effects’ of wearing uniforms. Research has shown uniforms are very costly, does not allow freedom of expression, and does not help in the long run to further a student’s learning.

The history of school uniforms in the United States public schools begins with small underprivileged school of Cherry Hill Elementary in Maryland and the domino effect that happened soon after in the years after. The popularity of school uniforms can greatly be credited to the Long Beach, California study and President Bill Clinton’s speech on the topic. At first, school uniforms were only for the private or Catholic private schools however the school uniform trend spread to other public schools to adopt the “preppy look” and success. This has now set new standard for the United States school system. A brief history of school uniforms will give a significant insight on the growing development that is transforming American schools.

Most commonly found in private schools, school uniforms are slowly being adopted by public schools in the US. In the 2003-2004 school year every one in eight schools required uniforms; in the 2011-2012 school year that number had increased to every one in five schools (ProCon.org). As violence increased, schools started enforcing uniforms thinking that it would solve the violence. School uniforms were created in England in the 16th century for students referred to as the “charity children” (ProCon.org). In later centuries, high-class schools were the most commonly known for requiring their students to wear uniforms. The first recorded time a public school in the US required uniforms was in 1987, a school in Maryland put out an optional uniform policy (ProCon.org). Uniforms have been being enforced by private schools for years, but now public schools are trying to enforce them. Students should not be required to wear uniforms because it refuses students the ability to express themselves, dress codes are more effective, and uniforms can cause a detrimental effect on self-image.

What is the purpose of a school uniform? Where did this idea come from? Whether to wear a uniform or not has been a major debate for decades. The idea has been debated since the 1980's and was an issue when candidates ran for president in the 1990's. "Parochial and private schools have a long history of using school uniforms to project an atmosphere of uniformity, pride, loyalty, and equality among the student population" ("Educational Schools Uniforms," 1997).

A young female student tears an envelope open and skims through it. The note told that the town was going to vote on whether school uniforms should be issued or not in schools. Then, she swiftly darts for her parent’s bedroom, swerving through her four siblings in the process, to alert her mother and father of the newly received letter. She worried if the town agreed to add in school uniforms, for her parents could not afford five school uniforms, they would be stuck in poverty. Her family was on the poor side and had several children, so they would have to pay for multiple sets of these assigned attires. This is the case for most families; school uniforms do as much suitable as damaging. These academic suits were originally associated with the upper-class universities, and they were initially used in England; the required outfits were instated due to restrictive dress codes. Researchers claim that these uniforms do not actually assist the issues they are perceived to. Although uniforms create fairgrounds between classmates, they can also increase the amount of violent attacks on others. Overall, school uniforms should not be implemented in schools because they take away a student’s freedom of expression, are not cost-effective and may increase the number of violent attacks by one.

Today, many schools around the world enforce uniforms, requiring students to wear specific clothing. School uniforms, which was first established in 16th century England, are a topic of much debate in the public school system of the United States. Many people feel that uniforms reduce competition among students and bring a sense of unity in school. People who are against school uniforms think that they prevent students from expressing themselves and inhibits creativity. Many students dislike school uniforms because uniforms can be viewed as a violation of their rights, while others benefit from uniforms because it relieves the stress of picking what to wear to school. Although school uniforms do have its benefits, they also limit

Americans spend large amounts of money every year on clothes, when their children return to school. Students want name brand clothing that comes with a high price tag, and not all parents can afford these expensive brands; due to this, it leaves their children to be ridiculed by the students who parents can. The mocking from peers affects students emotionally. Another issue with students being able to decide for themselves what to wear is their choice to wear inappropriate attire. There is much controversy within schools when determining what clothing is considered appropriate or inappropriate. The argument has been made that by requiring students to wear uniforms it takes away their individuality. This encourages the students to focus on their outward appearance more than their inner characteristics. In the past attitudes toward school uniforms has been negative, but according to West, Tidwell, Bomba, and Elmore, “This practice is changing as more U.S. public school administrators have become interested in the use of school uniforms” (pg.92). Students should be required to wear uniforms to school because it reduces the cost of school clothes, makes everyone equal, and removes the issue of inappropriate attire.

Ever wonder what it would look like to have all students wearing the same white polo shirt, black pants, and a district sweater walking in the hallway? Nowadays, public school and many districts are discussing the possibilities of enforcing the uniform policy. In most places, many private schools already require students to have their mandatory uniforms; however, there are only a few public schools adopting this mandatory school-uniform polices as one of their enrollment requirements. The reason why not all public schools participated was because people believe that they are violating the freedom of choice when enforcing this mandatory uniform policy; yet problems

Instead of continuously having to keep up with clothe trends and by new clothes you only are going to have to buy on or two clothes and then you are set for school wear. It makes the students not feel left out and it doesn’t give them that urge to try and fit in by changing the way the dress. So instead of changing the way that they dress to match the look of others they can express themselves through communication. “According to a national 2013 survey, over 90% of US school leaders believe school uniform or formal dress code policies ‘eliminate wardrobe battles with kids,’ make it ‘easier to get kids ready in the morning,’ and create a 'time saving in the morning.’ Tracey Marinelli, Superintendent of the Lyndhurst School District in New Jersey, credited the district's uniform policy for reducing the number of students running late. (“Should Students Have to Wear School

Having school uniforms or "dress codes", has both positives and negatives. Some people would like to believe that they help and play a role in students academic performance and behavior at school. However, others counter that, with it does not help, it only creates a bigger problem by enforcing the rules of a school dress code. According to "School Uniforms: An Overview", the definition of dress code means, "rules designed by school districts or individual schools to prescribe students ' attire" (Chittom). Although, school uniforms may help with discipline, attendance, and academic performance, it can also diminish their freedom of expression. Which conversely affects the student 's’ self esteem and

The issue of whether or not school uniforms are a necessity in today’s society has been a long standing debate. However, it did not come onto the national scene until 1996 when then President Bill Clinton spoke of the matter in his annual State of the Union Address. Citing the Long Beach city school district in California, Clinton spoke of the positive effects of uniform implementation, including: decreased drug cases, sex offenses, violent crimes and fights.

Do you have to wear a uniform and do people say that you should act “normal” or like everybody else? It was early in the morning, I had just woken up to get ready for school. At my school we have to wear uniforms, also, the rest of the schools have to wear uniforms. When you go inside my high school, the hallways and classrooms have no bright fun colors, but instead there are plain colors like browns and tans. The classes I have are very long and boring and I sometimes sleep in class, I don’t get caught, in fact the teachers never really notice. When school is over I walk home. I say “hi” to my mom and dad, after that I grab a snack and do my homework and put on my pajamas and go to sleep.

For many year, the idea of school uniform has been viewed in society as the norm. Now that many our society is changing; many believe that school uniform should be removed, however I believe that schools should enforce uniforms. During a news study, today.com stated “More than 19% of public school increased the enforcement of uniform code” (Today.com). The increase of school uniforms shows there is a greater positive result. This increase shows that many school should start adopting it. School uniforms can save a student from the many troubles he/she faces. Uniform policy allows for students to be in a stable environment, be ready to concentrate on learning, and less likely to be discriminated

In 1996, at the height of this topic, Bill Clinton’s administration along with the Department of Education, published a “Manual on Public Uniforms”, giving those public schools that chose to stay on the traditional track to still have some sort of order to their student’s attire. With Clinton’s administrative publishing still in effect, the US currently has about “30 percent of all public schools (elementary, middle, and high schools) that require school uniforms (Chittom)” and are still