School Uniforms: Helpful or Not?
By Kristen on November 8th, 2011
Image via Jamilsoni
During one recent OOM meeting, the topic of school uniforms came up. It was quickly apparent that we all have very differing opinions on the effectiveness of uniforms, as well as very different experiences with them in our own school years!
Some OOMers were in favor of uniforms, like Michael who said, “I am all for uniforms in schools, especially in high school. My memories of high school seem to highlight fear of my differences and I feel uniforms emphasize a clarity of purpose that somewhat relieves the pressure of those differences. I am not saying that I liked my uniform. It was a yellow shirt and navy pants that were not the height of fashion.”
On the other hand, Dante was not quite as keen on a strict uniform: “I’m not in favor of uniforms, per se, but I am all for dress codes. When I was in middle school, we had uniforms in a sense: we all had to wear navy blue blazers, dress shirts, ties, dress pants, and nice shoes… The dress code set-up in high school, I think, was just right: You looked put together and professional, but you were able to express yourself, too, in the kinds of clothes you wore that fit within the strictures of the dress code.”
Both Dante and Michael acknowledged that they were thankful to know how to tie a tie and dress professionally when they went off to college, though.
Alex agreed, adding, “A part of becoming an adult is learning to make the correct decisions, picking out a school appropriate outfit as one of those decisions. Schools should outline what is not acceptable to wear during school hours and students who don’t wear the appropriate clothing will have to face the consequences of detention or being sent home.”
Morgan weighed in from the perspective of someone who never had to wear a uniform: “I’ve always found the idea of school uniforms to be appealing, though I never had to wear them myself. But they make me think of boarding school, another concept that’s always intrigued me. Now as an adult, I’m on the fence about the idea of uniforms. I like the trend of stricter dress codes — however Puritan it may seem, there are outfits that can be distracting — but I have read instances where schools overreacted in response to student clothing. I guess overall, I’m more a proponent of common sense guidelines than anything else. Everything in moderation!”
And Jess, also from a uniform-less background, talked about her experience. “There was a dress code, but it was not the same as a uniform. I think that it did separate us in some ways. There were the kids who looked like “this” and the ones who dressed like “that”. There were judgments made based on how you dressed, but I never found it too distracting — though I could see how it could be.”
As someone who wore a uniform from 1st grade through the end of high school, I reflect back on that time and laugh at how much I complained about wearing them. If I’d only known at the time how difficult it can be just to pick out something to wear in the morning! I can definitely see how an enforced uniform kept us from worrying about the cool new “thing” that everybody had to have during elementary school. I’d even argue that my high school uniform made us all find different ways to express ourselves through our actions and our personalities, rather than relying on our clothing to communicate it for us.
Tell us — how do you feel about school uniforms? Are they helping kids stay focused or squashing creativity?
Posted: November 8th, 2011 under Education, More News. Tags: debate, education, school, school uniforms.
11 comments
Comments
I don’t think uniforms are helpful at all. I think students should be able to express themselves. I had to wear uniforms in school from 1st to 8th grade. They are horrible. I didn’t feel like myself.
Comment on November 9, 2011 at 8:07 am
I believe that we shouldn’t have school uniforms. Sure, there are some outfits that are definetly NOT appropriate for school. So let’s just have a dress code that states certain outfits are not allowed. Not a robotic uniform where students can NOT express themseleves safely. I’m the type of person who expresses myself through my clothes and makeup.
Comment on November 9, 2011 at 8:08 am
i believe that student dress code should not be allowed. i dont think it lets you express “you.” i think that anyone should have to wear uniforms. if the kids are that bad in the way they dress then make a dress code about the shorts length. and how much the shirt can show.i think that would make school a lot more comfortable for kids to wear what they want.
Comment on November 9, 2011 at 8:16 am
I don’t think schools should have uniforms because students can’t express themselves through the way they dress or just wear clothes they like. I definitely think there should be dress codes because some of the things people would where to school would be totally inappropriate. I feel that if everyone wore the same clothes as each other there wouldn’t be as much individuality at school.
Comment on November 9, 2011 at 8:19 am
I do not think schools, especially public schools, should require uniforms. But I do think there should definitely be a dress code. We do need to express ourselves, and though informs may eliminate some stress, what happens when we are out of school? We definitly need a dress code though because some people may take it to the extreme.
Comment on November 9, 2011 at 8:22 am
I don’t agree with the idea of dress codes. Sure, people won’t be made fun of, and there isn’t a big hassle as far as clothes shopping goes. But, teens and children alike (More aimed at teens) need to be able to express themselves. You can get an opinion of who a person is by what they wear, and that could be a good icebreaker in conversation, and a new friend could be made.
Comment on November 9, 2011 at 8:26 am
As a former public educator I can personally attest that much of the gang-related minutiae propagated by “wannabe’s” is ameliorated by uniforms. My children were required at various schools to wear uniforms and we never had a problem.
My suggestion would be to broaden what is considered a uniform and then enforce it. Don’t allow some to wear short skirts or expose their cleavage–don’t allow young boys to wear pants four times too big so they can “sag,” like all their miscreant heroes. (Then, make sure all the teachers are professionally attired, as well.)
Invariably, someone will say, “Such and such cannot afford uniforms.” While this could be true, many of these same naysayers have no problem providing cell phones and other electronic gadgetry to their children which is causing more harm than what they wear.
Let’s see an equally weighted push to require children to read and, if they cannot, let’s not summarily push them through the system…let’s remediate them and help them into career fields where they’ll succeed.
If you want to make effective change in education, read two books: “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” by John Ratey and “Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality” by Charles Murray.
Kindly,
Steven King, MBA, MEd
http://about.me/booksatthebeach
Comment on November 9, 2011 at 9:19 am
Having taught high school for a few years in New Zealand where the vast majority of schools require uniforms, I found uniforms did not necessarily stop cliques from forming, people from being bullied, or any of the other negative things that happen in all high schools regardless of dress code.
Some students said they liked the uniform because they didn’t have to fuss each morning to figure out what to wear. Others hated the uniform because it wasn’t comfortable, and they preferred to wear their own clothes to show their individuality. We had mufty days (casual dress days) and there was a large number of students who either remained in uniform, or came in questionable attire; some teenage girls seem to think that skimpy clothes equals popularity.
After all this, I am in favour of students having the choice to wear their own clothes to school, but a dress code should be made clear to keep them from wearing inappropriate clothing in a school setting.
Comment on November 9, 2011 at 9:26 am
I am totally for school uniforms especially in the middle school set. It takes the focus off what everyone is wearing and puts the focus on what is being learned. It saves parents money…be real– a blue shirt or a white shirt…getting dressed in the morning takes 10 minutes. People wear uniforms in their jobs for heaven sake. Doctors, the UPS carrier, law enforcement, firemen….it’s not squelching their identities or their creativy….Look what happens on casual Fridays–people would wear their pjs to work. I think school uniforms are a good idea–it teaches discipline.
Comment on November 9, 2011 at 9:46 am
As a teacher, I hate school uniforms. I spend valuable instructional minutes every single day trying to enforce some very picky rules, down to the types of belts, colors of socks, and the degree a pair of shoes stray from being a completely solid color (which is nearly impossible for rural students to find). Uniform enforcement sets me up as an enemy to my students who don’t understand that I have to follow directions issued to me (enforce the code or else). People say if you enforce the uniform regulations from the beginning, these problems wouldn’t continue. Four years into this policy, it’s still a daily time-waster. I’ve got better things to battle (apathy, low reading levels). I would like not to have to get into a battle of wills with my students. Dress code? Sure. Our school has never had major problems with violations. Uniforms? Too regimented. Give kids a little room to breathe.
Comment on November 10, 2011 at 12:09 am
The subject of always throws up a lot of opinions. I personally agree with school uniforms as they are much easier for parents in terms of organising mornings. I sometimes wish I still wore a uniform because it takes me ages to work out what to wear every day!
Comment on November 16, 2011 at 10:15 am
