The Necessity of School Uniforms - Case Study Example

School uniforms/ Dress s: Introduction: On February 24 1996, then US President Bill Clinton instructed the federal department to issue manuals to all the public schools in the country to enforce a school uniform policy. Even though the topic had always been a matter of discussion between teachers and parents, the issue became a major one after that. This essay attempts to discuss the truths behind some of the arguments given for and against the necessity of school uniforms. Some points taken into consideration are whether uniforms help students perform better in tests, whether they help them behave, whether there is any discrimination based on fashion, whether there are any revealing outfits worn and whether students display gang symbols with their attire. School uniforms – its advantages and disadvantages: The picture that comes to mind when one thinks of the word, schoolboy, is obviously that of a boy in a school uniform. Britain was the first country to enforce this system in schools. This eventually spread to all of its colonies even though the attire may not have been suitable for tropical climates. In most of these colonies the system is still in place and there is no conflict whatsoever to the question of whether a student should wear uniforms to school. Uniforms are considered absolutely necessary. The disagreement that rose in US after Clinton’s statement “If it means that teen-agers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to require school uniforms" (Clinton will advise schools on uniforms) brought this seemingly unimportant topic to the forefront. Arguments for and against uniforms were heard across the country. One argument was that ‘uniforms helped students perform better in a test’. One of the advantages of having a uniform is the fact that students do not have to spend time in trying to decide what to wear to school. Parents do not have to argue about the appropriateness of a piece of clothing. They also don’t have to worry about competing with the neighbors. Teachers also do not have to waste their time by policing the outfits worn by students. They can concentrate on teaching. Students do not have to try to ‘fit in’. They also tend to differentiate between playtime and work. Even though it has not been statistically proven that students who wear uniforms perform better, it is an obvious fact that they do not have to spend time on deciding what to wear. They do not have distractions with regards to clothing in school, because when every student is wearing the same type of clothing there is not much to compare. This argument is however made with the assumption that the time saved by the students is used for studying and nothing else. Another argument made was that uniforms helped students behave. Bullying is reduced to an extent because usually students taunt each other on the basis of their appearance. When both the bully and the bullied wear the same kind of clothes it will reduce the sense of false superiority that students have. Moreover some elite schools have an image that the students want to live up to. Wearing a sweater belonging to a particular school can make them easily identifiable in a crowd. It is not possible to commit an offence and then blend into the crowd if the student was wearing a uniform. However, this means that the students are on their best behavior only while wearing their uniforms. It does not prove that students wearing uniforms behave well even if they are in their street clothes. There are many factors that may influence a student’s behavior. His upbringing, financial background and social standing are among many. Wearing a uniform to school may change his behavior only while he is in school. Students pass through different stages of developments when they try to figure out how to do many things, judging people being one of them. Their first impressions are based on appearance. A series of visits to a college cafeteria is enough to illustrate the fact that students judge each other on the basis of fashion. They also experience a lot of peer pressure. Students who dress in a similar fashion usually form groups and sit together. We live in a society where people judge us by our decisions and even though decisions concerning fashion may not have dire consequences, it results in a person having a certain kind of appearance. Even this differs from person to person. What may look good to one person may not look good to another. According to Dr Alan Hilfer, "Clothes are a source of expression for children, and as kids get older, they become increasingly resentful of uniforms" (School uniforms: pros and cons). This is one reason why parents prefer uniforms as opposed to shopping endlessly for designer clothes for their children which can be very expensive. A century ago, a glimpse of a woman’s wrist or an ankle would set hearts fluttering. Now seeing a girl’s entire midriff or legs are not considered racy because boys get to see them everywhere. Commercials nowadays focus on good looks and shapely bodies and students who spend as much time in front of a television as in school do get self conscious. Children today live in a world of dual realities, reality in the television and reality outside of it. They constantly confuse these two realities. In their attempt to emulate the characters seen on the television they also dress like them. They even try to alter the school uniform to suit their needs. For example if skirts are the norm, they try to wear short skirts to show their legs. Blouses are worn with a coupe of buttons undone. A few decades back dressing in revealing outfits was considered shameful and it told a lot about a woman’s character. But when students see their idols wearing these outfits They want to wear them too. Unlike the earlier generation they believe that dressing in revealing outfits do not essentially make them look like a ‘fallen woman’. According to the National School safety and Security services, “Gang issues are priority concerns for many urban, suburban, and rural school, law enforcement, and other youth-service professionals” (Gangs and school safety). There is no specific definition for a gang. Any group of students that work together for criminal purposes is a gang. Anonymity is one of the features of a gang. The reason why these gangs thrive is denial on the part of school officials. It is unlikely that when a member of a gang is involved in anti social activity he would risk his or her identity. Usually they have secret codes, hand shakes, secret meetings and so on. Tattoos if any are usually not in plain view. Since they value secrecy there is no possibility of any of the members showing off their gang symbols. However it is a possibility that they may indicate their presence in the school with graffiti on walls. They would not compromise on their identity by displaying gang symbols on their uniforms. The first day in school is always a special day for a child. He is made to wear starched clean uniforms and it makes him feel special. However when he goes to school he finds that every student is wearing the same uniform. Initially it is bound to make him feel disappointed, but it will help him in blending in with the crowd. As he becomes older and starts forming opinions on everything he feels that the uniforms do not reflect his personality, and he will start hating them. The argument given by those who disagree with the system is that uniforms rob students of their individuality. To quote Michelangelo, “What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed?” (Bostrom & Graystone 149). Conclusion: The reason behind sending children to school is for them to adapt to an environment outside the comforts of their home and also receive education. It is their first contact with the outside world. It is unfair to expect that they must feel as comfortable there as they are at home. A school gives them a taste of how the outside world is going to treat them and prepares them for their careers. It is a rule of society that an individual has to confirm to certain norms. If he finds it difficult to wear uniforms in school he may find it difficult to adapt to an office environment where formal attire is considered appropriate. Every child is unique in his/her own way, wearing uniforms is not going to take it away from them. The real test for any human being is to retain his individuality no matter what his occupation or attire. Conforming to a dress code is not demeaning in any way. As long as parents teach a child the values of life, a school uniform is not going to rob him of his individuality. It can also pave the way in a child’s mind about equality regardless of the wealth or educational qualifications of the parents. Once a child sees that everyone dresses the same way regardless of class, colour or creed, the seeds of equality among human beings could be effectively planted in a very fertile mind. It can be concluded that the advantages of having enforced school uniforms far outweighs its disadvantages. It will definitely help the child to accept a classmate who comes from a totally different economic and social background as an equal. References Bostrom, Kathleen L & Graystone, Peter. 99 things to do between here and heaven. Westminster John Knox Press, 2009. “Clinton will advise schools on uniforms”. The New York Times. 1996, 24 February 2010 “Gangs and school safety”. National School Safety and Security Services. 2007. 25 February 2010 “School uniforms: pros and cons”. Family Education. 2010. 25 February 2101 Read More