Are School Uniforms a Good Way to Improve Student Discipline and Motivation - Essay Example

?Are School Uniforms a Good Way to Improve Motivation and Discipline? The usage of school uniforms in public education has been debated a lotover the past decade or so. There are strong opinions on both sides of the argument. I think, however the answer to this question is simple. School uniforms do not directly improve a student’s performance in school. In this paper I hope to show that although proponents of school uniforms have the right idea, there is not enough credible evidence to suggest clothing has any affect on motivation or discipline. The proponents of school uniforms have clearly stated why these uniforms should be worn. Endersby (2009) discusses several of the key points. School uniforms promote a sense of school pride as well as all around school ethics. Uniforms can act as a social leveler, making students feel more equal to each other because they are all wearing the same clothing. School uniforms will typically make a student more recognizable outside of school. Proponents claim this will encourage the student to act more appropriately as they are representing the school. Workplaces often have a dress code and students who already wear school uniforms will be more prepared to carry it on into a work environment. A strict dress code or school uniform will keep students focused and make sure they are appropriately dressed while at school. Endersby (2009) also discussed the cons of having school uniforms. The main concern seems to be that the uniforms take away from the student’s individualism and freedom of expression. This seems to promote a much more teacher centered philosophy, rather than a student centered one. Many schools still maintain high academic standards without instituting a school uniform policy. It has been pointed out by proponents that school uniforms would be more cost effective. However, some parents have felt the uniforms are just as expensive, if not more expensive than normal clothes. Opponents also say bullying in school will still occur regardless of school uniforms. Children will always find ways to judge each other. In fact, the uniforms could cause fights in situations of rival schools. If a group of children from one school spots the uniforms on the children of their rival school a fight may break out between the two groups. This would not necessarily occur if the children were wearing non-identifiable clothing. As for the workplace, there has been no evidence to suggest that students who haven’t worn school uniforms will struggle with a dress code once they begin working. Finally, Opponents feel school uniforms can sometimes be inappropriate during the various seasons throughout the year. The clothing is either too cold in winter or too warm in summer. One of the biggest complaints is requiring girls to wear skirts in the winter time, especially in colder climates. Does it make sense to endanger a child just to make sure the children are all wearing the same thing? Motsinger (2007) found that parents against school uniforms felt very strongly about their opinions. The parents were protesting, feeling that their child’s rights had been violated. The parents also felt the government was interfering with them raising their children the way they wanted to. The parents wanted to know what happened to their right to a free public education. No large scale studies could be found to prove what the proponents of school uniforms are claiming. Their main source of research has derived from anecdotes of parents, and school officials. Brunsma and Rockquemore (1998) conducted a longitudinal study to find out what effect school uniforms were having regarding attendance, behavior problems, substance use and academic achievement. Around this time, Long Beach Unified School District was gaining national attention for their claims that after instituting a school uniform policy their school had improved on all aspects. From the claims school officials made it seemed the school uniform itself was solely responsible for changing the school for the better. Brunsma and Rockquemore (1998) looked at the work of Nathan Joseph to get a better understanding of what clothing means to a person. They discovered clothing is seen as a sign to stand for something. For most students it may be seen as a way to express who they are. So, since school uniforms are forced it would stand to reason the school uniform would reflect that particular school’s values and beliefs, not the student’s values and beliefs. By doing this the school would be maintaining a certain amount of social control. In conducting their study Brunsma and Rockquemore (1998) started with students in eighth grade and followed them through to the student’s sophomore year of high school. When analyzing the results of the study, it was found school uniforms had no direct effect on the student’s behavior, substance use, attendance, or academic achievement. The school district in Long Beach had claimed school uniforms were the reason why the crime rate at the school decreased. This was found to be false. It was also found out the Long Beach school had used many other school reform programs at the same time as implementing the uniforms. The school officials had not mentioned any of these reform programs when they originally made their claims. According to (“Uniforms/Dress Codes”, 2011) dress codes and school uniforms have legal consequences as well. Many people on both sides of the issue have wondered what is constitutional and what isn’t. Also, what do our laws say about school mandated clothing requirements? As of now no state legislature mandates the use of school uniforms. On the other hand, at least 21 states have authorized their school districts to require school uniforms or strict dress codes if the school so chooses. The Philadelphia Board of Education was one of the first larger cites to adopt a school uniform policy in May of 2000. What do the Federal Courts have to say about school uniforms? As it stands the Federal Courts have ruled school officials can legally dictate student dress as long as it is within certain boundaries. An example of this can be dated all the way back to 1969 in Tinker v. De Moines Independent School District. In this case the courts ruled in favor of the students, lifting the ban the school had imposed on black arm bands. The bands were being worn in protest of the Vietnam War. The courts felt it was infringing upon the student’s political beliefs to deny them. In another more recent case occurring in 2001 the courts established some criteria for ruling for or against the students. The case was Castorina v. Madison County School Board. Firstly, if the reason for the ban was viewpoint specific the courts would favor the student. The Tinker case was viewpoint specific as the school board did not agree with the student’s right to protest the Vietnam War. The next criteria is whether or not the type of dress the student wishes to wear is vulgar, obscene, or causes unrest, affecting the school overall. If the clothing meets any of those criteria the court will rule in favor of the school. In January of 2001 during the Canady v. Bossier Parish School Board case, the court upheld the school’s right to mandatory uniforms. The school board was able to convince the court that the school uniforms were the key to maintaining an improved educational environment. The court claimed it was a constitutional ruling and the students could find other ways to express themselves besides their clothing. In Johnston (2009)’s research brief, he looked at more legal issues with school uniforms and strict dress codes. Johnston (2009) found that more and more students are being sent home or isolated for violating their school dress code. How would sending a student home simply because of clothing have a positive effect on their educational achievements? Most states now have laws that protect the school district’s choice in implementing strict dress codes or uniforms. Regulating clothing that expresses religious or political beliefs has become quite controversial. Can and should schools regulate a student’s expression of beliefs? Many courts have in fact favored schools in various court cases regarding the regulation of student’s personal appearance. More recent court cases have highlighted several new issues school uniforms are presenting. One issue is the ability for parents to afford new dress code or uniform policies. If the parents are unable to purchase all of the new requirements what happens to their child? Wouldn’t this put even more stress on the students and their parents in an already high pressured educational world? The second issue Johnston (2009) points out is the expression of religious beliefs in regard to clothing or accessories. An online news article, (“Muslim Girl Suspended for Head Scarf”, 2003) highlights this very issue. According to the article it happened in Oklahoma City to an eleven year old girl. The school’s dress code stated no hats or head coverings could be worn inside the building. The girl refused to remove her head scarf as she said it would violate the beliefs and values of her Muslim religion. The school asked her to leave. The school’s position on the matter was that they would not make exceptions for anyone for any reason. At the time this article was published a court case was pending. This girl could not attend school and learn alongside her fellow students all because her religious beliefs did not fit the school’s cookie cutter dress code. Wilde (2011) looked at school uniforms versus dress codes. Generally, dress codes are less restrictive, whereas school uniforms are more exact and restrictive. However, more and more schools are adopting strict dress codes that are almost as restrictive as the school uniform. Most dress codes prohibit obvious things such as, obscene clothing, clothing that is too revealing and clothing that encourages the use of drugs or alcohol. This type of dress code seems reasonable and appropriate. The strict dress codes that are now popping up are restricting colors and designs. One such dress code was found in Napa, California. The parents of a young girl filed a case against the school when they learned their child was sent to detention for an absurd reason in their opinion. Apparently, the girl had been discovered wearing socks with Tigger depicted on them, a character from the children’s story Winnie-the-Pooh. What a complete waste of educational time! The school district settled with the family and agreed to relax the dress code a bit, but was quick to point out they would soon be adopting a uniform policy to eliminate any further questions on what children were allowed to wear. How important is clothing choices to adolescent development? According to Sontag, Peteu and Lee (1999) clothing is a large aspect of one’s personal appearance. Some clothing may even reflect cultural meanings. During the adolescent years children are discovering a new self concept. Adolescents are looking to feel a sense of belonging and approval from those around them. Adolescents begin to identify themselves with their peers and use clothing as one way to define who they are. Personal appearance affects self concept, validation of self and social inclusion. In this way adolescents tend to place clothing on a higher level than other age groups. Adolescents also begin to associate clothing choices as a part of their quality of life. So, being able to express themselves through clothing ultimately adds to their quality of life. We all know clothing satisfies our basic physical needs, but it can also satisfy our psychological needs. This is especially true of adolescents. Clothing seems to aid in an adolescent’s sense of belonging and self esteem. To find out if their hypotheses were true Sonatg, Peteu and Lee (1999) conducted a longitudinal study. The study would determine how important adolescent’s ability to express themselves through clothing was to their overall psychological development. An important result that came from the study was the gender differences. Girls tended to closely associate clothing to their self feelings. For instance, girls thought more about body image when choosing clothes. Boys tended to associate clothing with their overall sense of identity. Boys also seemed to have a lower clothing interest than girls. There was a subgroup of boys, however, whose clothing interest was high, even more than some girls. The researchers felt this showed it was not only girls who were interested in clothing or considered clothing an important aspect of self. The study also showed that clothing assisted adolescents in meeting their psychological needs and being able to relate to others. This does not mean that clothing is the only way to meet adolescent’s psychological needs, but it is one important aspect that should not be ignored. The study by Sontag, Peteu and Lee (1999) found that adolescent’s satisfaction pertaining to clothing depended upon two key things. The first key factor is how much the clothing gives the adolescent a sense of personal competence. In terms of a school uniform, where it is forced, with generally no choices, how would that make a child feel competent? Are we giving the message to students that they are not capable of choosing their own clothing by enforcing school uniforms? The other key factor discovered during the study was the ability for the adolescent to achieve their self image through their clothing. School uniforms generally represent the values and belief systems of the school not necessarily the student’s. Under school uniforms students would not be able to achieve a self image of their own choosing through clothing. This ability would be hindered if not taken away altogether by school uniforms. Sontag, Peteu and Lee (1999) also looked at clothing being part of quality of life in their study. They found that what the adolescent’s thought to be a good quality of life is most influenced by how they feel about themselves, family and friends. In terms of clothing, if the students did not like wearing a school uniform everyday how might that affect how they feel about themselves? It may in fact have a negative effect on their quality of life. Can school uniforms truly have a fully positive impact and support an adolescent’s sense of self? According to this study the answer is no. Sontag, Peteu and Lee (1999) do point out that more research is needed to prove how important clothing is to the life and development of an adolescent. After reading through all of the research from both sides of this important issue I feel school uniforms have little or no impact on motivation and discipline. In fact, in some instances I feel it may even have a negative impact on the students. Public schools seem to want to be like private schools. They fail to realize a school uniform is not all a private school is about, and is not what makes the school function effectively. School officials feel a uniform will fix all their problems. In actuality it just covers up the problems temporarily. Through all of the court cases and research I noticed no one was really asking the students how they felt. Aren’t their opinions and feelings important too? Are school systems now running a dictatorship within the schools? Instead of forcing school uniforms onto parents and their children why not put together a student coalition to tackle various problems within the school? It would give students more of a sense of pride and accomplishment. The students would be able to work alongside their teachers to build a better school. Student government is also another way for students to get involved with the issues facing them at school. Through a democratic atmosphere students can achieve greatness. Our students are our leaders of tomorrow. Let’s use our knowledge of a democratic, equal society to guide them in a positive direction, not force them to be what we believe they should be. (2003). Muslim girl suspended for head scarf. CNN.com. Retrieved June 24, 2011, from http://http://edition.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/10/11/scarf.reut/ (2011). Uniforms/dress codes. Education Comission of the States. Retrieved June 23, 2011, from http://http://www.ecs.org/html/IssueSection.asp?issueid=145&s=Overview Brunsma, D. L., & Rockquemore, K. A. (1998, February 13). The effects of student uniforms on attendance, behavior problems, substance use, and academic achivement. Retrieved June 23, 2011, from http://http://www.members.tripod.com/rockqu/uniform.htm Endersby, A. (2009, May 27). School Uniform. International Debate Education Association. Retrieved June 23, 2011, from http://http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=59 Johnston, H. (2009, November 02). Student dress codes and uniforms. Education Partnerships, Inc. . Retrieved June 23, 2011, from http://http://www.educationpartnerships.org/pdfs/ResearchBriefDressCodes.pdf Motsinger, C. (2007, August 06). Ironing out policies on school uniforms. USA Today. Retrieved June 23, 2011, from http://http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-08-05-uniforms-protest_N.htm?csp=34 Sontag, S. M., Peteu, M., & Lee, J. (1999, January 08). Clothing in the self-system of adolescents: relationships among values, proximity of clothing to self, clothing interest, anticipated outcomes and quality of life. Michigan State University Extension. Retrieved June 24, 2011, from http://http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modrr/rr556098.html Wilde, M. (2011). Do uniforms make schools better?. greatschools. Retrieved June 24, 2011, from http://http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/121-school-uniforms.gs?page=1 Read More