What is someones opinion on school uniforms?

Question

I'm doing a debate on school uniforms and unfortunately I have to go against them which sucks because it is hard to find evidence on how they are bad. Anyone have any suggestions?

Answer 1

... I am a teacher in a school that mandates uniforms... I also have 4 kids... I am sick of the smae yadda, yadda, yadda, BS answers...
here are the REAL problems

1) the do NOT protect students from intruders: uniforms can be bought at ANY store (guaranteed by anti-monopoly laws) so any Tom, Dick or Harry can buy them. Since ANYONE can buy a uniform and people ASSUME that isn’t the case, it makes it easier for strangers to sneak onto school campuses.

2) they do NOT make students safer: when a student is doing something dangerous or in violation of school rules/safety measures it is harder to distinguish individuals in a crowd of uniforms than in a crowd of free dress style clothing. As uniforms imply... they are uniform... they all look the same... so if you see one person attack another, by the time duty teachers get there the attacker can be gone and hiding in the crowd.... so uniforms facilitate breaking safety rules

3) they do NOT improve appearance more than a strict dress code would, NOR do they reduce distractions in class due to appearance: most districts in our state that have gone to uniforms do so for appearance. However, uniform pants can sag, shorts can be too short, & shirts too tight. If student dress codes were enforced for regular clothing, uniforms would not be needed to deal (ineffectiv4ely) with these.

4) uniforms negatively affect the Self esteem of students that are shorter, taller, skinnier, or fatter than most of their peers: uniforms are uniform. They are not designed to accommodate multiple sizes and shapes. Therefore, most are cut to fit the majority (average) of the population and the others look poorly dressed in them.

5) uniforms do NOT eliminate the discrepancies between the haves & have nots as proponents would have you think: the haves still have more expensive shoes, socks, book bags, jewelry, etc and the have nots now have TWO wardrobes to buy for: school & home.


Dont just take my opinions... read for yourself!

Answer 2

Ya know--when I was younger I would have been SOOOO against school uniforms. They stifle personal expression, I HATE wearing skirts so don't EVEN go there with me, and who is anybody to tell me what I can and cannot wear as long as my clothing doesn't break any decency laws. I am going to show my age: I was the first girl in my elementary school to wear slacks to school back in the 60s. That was actually something like the 4th or 5th grade. And I was also the first girl to come to school in shorts on my last day of 6th grade. What were they going to do? Kick me out on my way to Junior High?

Now, however, depending on the uniform I think it can be a very good thing. They should be in good taste, allow for a bit of personal expression and offer a choice of a few different styles and allow the kids to feel current (up to a reasonable point) fashion-wise. In other words appropriate and respectful, yet a bit "hip & funky" as well. They should also allow for a reasonable amount of personal expression.

There are fewer discipline problems when uniforms are worn, AND when everybody has a uniform EVERYBODY wears pretty much the same thing so nobody is "lesser" than someone else just because they can't afford the expensive jeans from the mall.

I feel that in a public school there should be as much equality as is humanly possible.

Answer 3

The most common argument against school uniforms is the fact that dressing like everyone else takes away a student's opportunity to express their individuality. He/she is no longer able to show everyone that he/she is a skater, surfer, goth, hip-hop, etc. The problem with this argument is that you'll have the other side counter with the idea that the primary reason students are in school is to get an education--the expressing of individuality, in many cases, distracts students from their school work as everyone becomes so concerned with fashion.

Another argument against uniforms (depending on how uniforms are purchased) is price. While a lot of schools set the price of unifoms pretty low, purchasing the school uniform will cost more money for someone like me, who would simply wear what I already have and not go out and purchase a new wardrobe specifically for the school year (then again, I've been out of high school for over 15 years!).

Washing the uniform can be a pain in the *** as well. Unless you buy mulitple sets of uniforms, you'll be washing every day or every other day......or smelling pretty rancid wearing your unwashed uniform.

Lastly, depending on the quality of the uniform material, you'll find that the uniform will wear out pretty quickly. Between all of the daily washing and simple wear and tear, you'll see holes form on the uniform tops in no time.

Answer 4

There are advantages and disadvantages to uniforms. I don't think it seriously inhibits a sense of style and honestly schools aren't places for self-expression through clothes, just like the workplace isn't. And it's much easier for the kids in terms of not having to spend time picking out an outfit, making sure certain stuff is clean, they can wash them all together and just put one on every day. The downside is when the uniform isn't very practical or good. I hate ones that promote gender stereotypes but a lot of schools don't do that, they have optional skirts/dresses but the shorts and trousers are the same between genders, primary schools have the same polo shirts and jumpers. And schools with blazers usually have unisex blazers. I don't think anybody should be forced to wear dresses though and I'm not a big fan of ties. I don't think it makes an issue about big things such as violence - those things are dependent on the school in general, quality of teaching, discipline etc and uniforms won't change that. Harriet

Answer 5

I teach, and I'm not a big fan of school uniforms for the following reasons:

1. they're unnecessary--a school with a well-crafted and well-enforced dress code doesn't need uniforms to prevent inappropriate dress. Uniforms are the lazy school's way of keeping kids dressed appropriately because it's easy to spot a child out of uniform. It takes a little more effort to make the judgment call that someone's shorts are too short, but I think the extra effort is worth it.

2. they eliminate a method of self-expression--adolescence is a time when people are figuring out who they are, and starting to express themselves. Yet, teens are in a very controlled environment, having to follow school rules, they're parents rules, etc. It's a frustrating time, and kids need an outlet for self-expression. Clothing is a great, harmless outlet.

3. For extraordinarily poor families, uniforms are expensive--the argument is frequently made that uniforms reduce school clothes costs for families. However, for families where school clothes and play clothes are the same things, uniforms actually ADD to the cost, because they have to buy both.

hope that helps.

Answer 6

First and foremost, in a public school system people are entitled to wear as they like within the dress code mandated by the district. It can be argued that it goes against the Constitution and freedom of speech.

Secondly, whose going to force students to wear them? With a school of thousands of students you can't send them all to the dean for not wearing the uniform.

Children are entitled to a free and public education and mandated by the Constitution. Forcing the students to wear uniforms is a financial expense to either the parents or the tax payers. Educational funding has enough issues as it is.

Students don't have an identity of individualism if they're forced to wear the same outfit. One of the most enjoyed parts about going to school is able to show off the nice clothes people have.

The idea behind school uniforms in the public school system is flawed because it is thought of to be a way to keep students orderly and so that students who don't have the financial means as others don't feel bad for not looking "as nice". It also prevents students from stereotyping one another based on appearance, but again the idea is flawed.

These are just ideas off the top of my head, but if you look into the subject you could find more ideas.

Answer 7

They just plain cost too much. I mean $22.00 for a shirt with a stupid monogram on from a required store. I could get the same if not better shirt for under $10.00 and add my own monogram but due to school rules they must have the uniform company tag on the clothing. I often wonder if the principals that choose the stores are getting a kickback. Now for the pants.....I can get same pants but in the Izod brand 2 for $22.00 when they put them on sale at jcPenny. Why should I spend $26.00 for the 1" x 1 1/2" tag on the back?

Now let's talk shoes.....Solid black velcro tennis shoes??? Does the idiot that made this requirement know how difficult it is to find these? And then if you do, they don't have the size you need....

Uniforms just plain cost too much.

Answer 8

Uniforms can be more expensive than regular clothes, depending on how specific the uniform requirement is. For instance, our school required women to wear plaid kilts, navy or grey skirts, or navy or grey pants. These are not easy to find in local stores, so many had to shop in specialty retail stores or the preferred retailer signed by the school.

Also, these clothes came in limited sizes, so the clothing frequently did not fit properly, requiring alterations.

People still find ways to show their personality or wealth regardless of the clothing. They will show it in the cars they drive, the shoes they wear, or expensive jewelry. There is also potential for kids to act out more to receive the attention they would get from unique clothing, etc. Unfortunately, I cannot provide a documented case from my experience.

Answer 9

In my opinion, I don't like school uniforms. They don't allow children to express their individuality at all. I believe that kids should be allowed to express themselves through clothing, but I also believe that the dress code should be enforced.

Answer 10

They could potentialy be a financial burden on some families.

It is hard to disagree with uniforms, I think I'd rater have uniforms then have tons and tons of dress code rules.