School Uniforms A Cheap Educational Reform Or

School Uniforms: A Cheap Educational Reform Or Purely Effective. Essay, Research Paper

Throughout the history of dress codes in school, many districts have toyed with the issue or whether school uniforms would create a more unified educational environment or perhaps only cause chaos and complaint. As a graduating senior, I do not believe school uniforms will have any effect on the unity or safety of our school, they would only cause problems. I feel that there are several alternatives to achieving the so-called benefits of wearing school uniforms without wearing them at all.

It is understandable that in school districts without uniforms, it is the duty of school authorities to enforce a dress code within schools. Courts have generally upheld the attempts of school authorities to regulate the dress of public school students and rule that dress codes have been continually enforced because they are viewed as necessary to promote discipline, maintain order, and secure the safety of the students (Ritter 24). Therefore, it is reasonable to accept rules designed to maintain modesty by regulating dress length or banning revealing styles due to the fact that it is essential to the orderly functioning of the school. However, it is a completely different issue when schools begin their arguments in favor of requiring students to wear uniforms in order to discourage rivalries and promote concentration on academic studies. As a student, I speak for other in saying that wearing a uniform will not make one a better student or not have rivalries. Issues such as these are left up to the student himself and will not change his educational drive or academic needs.

There are many different reasons presented in the argument for school uniforms. One such reason is that it is an answer to solving the problem of school violence and theft. Four years ago in Long Beach, California, the public schools drew attention as the first in the nation to require students to wear uniforms (.Personal Appearance. 180). In President Clinton.s speech in 1996, he urged uniforms as a way to keep teenagers .from killing each other over designer jackets.. Long Beach schools report a 91% drop in assault, thefts, vandalism and weapon and drug violations since 1991. A Long Beach juvenile officer, Sgt. Joe Battle said, .Uniforms take away the number one reason kids treat each other differently; how they look. (Arnest 65) However, it should not be assumed that just because uniforms require certain colors, children would abandon all interest in designer labels. These designer labels purchased to fit the uniform code create the distinction between groups and becomes the basis of cliques that persist throughout high school. Also, the very issue referred to in President Clinton.s quote about designer jackets would be impossible to prevent unless schools require jackets to be purchased only from specific school uniform outlets, which would be costly, ridiculous, and unenforceable.

Some people also believe that having school uniforms would prevent gang members form wearing gang colors at school. However, if the uniforms were enforced for this reason, it is inevitable that teachers would still be involved in constant battles to ban certain d.cor that is seen as gang-affiliated. Upon such an occurrence, a student accused of wearing something gang-affiliated would not admit to it and nothing could be done about the situation anyway (Arnest 68). Therefore, regardless of whether or not students are banned from wearing their gang-affiliated d.cor, their gangs would still exist, recognizable or not, and uniforms will do nothing to solve the problem of gang violence.

Another .advantage. of enforcing school uniforms is that it instills discipline within the student body. Discipline procedures designed to uphold teachers. authority are likely to disrupt the teacher-student relationship and create hostility toward authority figures (.Personal Appearance. 181). If this .discipline. being referred to is the discipline created from fear of authority rules and figures, but understand that rules are created to give everyone equal rights and ensure the safely and well-being of society. A better way to instill this discipline is to teach students right from wrong, the purpose of rules, and the consequences if they choose to break those rules.

It is an arguable issue in the belief that school uniforms help students concentrate on their school work. This issue is that students will be able to focus on learning if they don.t have to worry about what they are wearing or what others are wearing (Ritter 25). As a teenager, I feel that there are so many daily occurrences in our lives, ranging from work, to friends, to relationships, to peer pressure, to college, that clothing is the least of our concerns. I also feel that if students are put in uniforms in high school and then enter the real world in a work environment without uniforms, their employers are not going to accept the idea that their work cannot be done because they are distracted by other employees. clothing. Without uniforms, students have the ability to develop this skill of overcoming distractions to get their work done and also practice a skill of decision making that they will have to face every day for the rest of their lives.

.School uniforms help school officials recognize intruders who come into the building.. Obviously the author of