Uniforms Are A Must

From 1999–2000 to 2015–16, the percentage of public schools reporting that they required students to wear uniforms increased from 12 to 21 percent. This number keeps increasing year after year. Should students wear school uniforms? This is a topic with a lot of controversy around it. Some people think it should be compulsory to wear a uniform, and others think they should not be required. Today, many schools around the world enforce uniforms, requiring students to wear specific clothing. School uniforms, which were first established in 16th century England, are a topic of much debate in the public school system of the United States. Many people feel that uniforms reduce competition among students and bring a sense of unity in school. People who are against school uniforms think that they prevent students from expressing themselves and inhibits creativity. Many students dislike school uniforms because uniforms can be viewed as a violation of their rights, while others benefit from uniforms because it relieves the stress of picking what to wear to school. School uniforms result in good behavior which makes kids take school seriously. School uniforms increase attendance and discipline which leads to better test scores and uniforms also keep students focused on their education and not their clothing which teaches kids important life lessons. Obviously, all schools should have uniforms because they are beneficial and have positive impacts on students.

One reason schools should implement school uniforms is that uniforms result in good behavior. According to a study of middle school-aged kids published in the Journal of School Violence, students noted that their peers are better behaved when wearing school uniforms (Applebury 2006). They also reported an increase in perceived safety and a decrease in bullying. This shows that even kids are reporting that bullying is decreasing when there are school uniforms. These days bullying occurs everywhere and one of the reasons that bullying occurs is because of clothing. Schools have the ability to stop this bullying just by requiring students to wear uniforms. Schools have the power to make everybody feel equal. When kids don’t know each other’s financial status, they can’t make fun of each other. Children want to feel safe when they go to school, not scared. Not only will the students be proud to go to school in their uniforms but most importantly they will feel safe and that is what all schools want. The first district to have uniforms in the US was in Long Beach, California. According to the Long Beach California School District, within one year after the implementation of uniforms, the fights and muggings at school decreased by 50% while sexual offenses were reduced by 74% (Chen 2020). This is obviously a great thing because these stats show how effective school uniforms really can be. School uniforms cause students to take school seriously and this leads to less behavior-related problems at school. School uniforms create a professional feeling at school and make kids feel more grown-up. This is why children are less likely to behave badly when they are in uniform. Children feel grown up since they also see their parents wear professional clothing when they go to work. One can’t help but notice that uniforms create a sense of pride in children which makes them behave better. As stated earlier there have been many studies showing the positive outcomes of school uniforms. Along with these studies, many people in the field of education also believe that there should be school uniforms. For example, a study of educators in 38 North Carolina high schools found that 61% of the responding principals and assistant principals believed that there was a reduction in cases of misbehavior on campus when school uniforms were introduced (DeMitchell 2015). People who work at or go to school are the best judges of whether there should be school uniforms or not. If more than half of the principals agree that there is a reduction in misbehavior then clearly, implementing uniforms is working. There are some studies that show that having school uniforms in lower grade levels is more effective than having uniforms in higher grade levels. Nevertheless, over half of the principals in North Carolina high schools say there is better behavior while having school uniforms even in higher grade levels. It is also important to emphasize again, that the people who are actually going to schools, such as the principals, teachers, and students, are far better judges of making the choice to bring uniforms to their schools. Therefore, school uniforms are having a positive effect on students in many school districts so there is no reason to not have uniforms.

Another reason that school uniforms are effective because they increase attendance and discipline. A study by researchers at the University of Houston found that the average absence rate for girls in middle and high school decreased by 7% after the introduction of uniforms, and behavioral problems lessened in severity (Emery 2010). At my school, there are many girls who go to the bathroom just to fix their clothes and hair. The time spent in the bathroom can instead be time spent on education if we had uniforms. Everybody would dress the same and kids wouldn’t have to waste so much time in the bathrooms. There is a link between a student’s academic performance and attendance. If students are present in their classes they will learn better and get higher scores on tests. In my old school, the students who had the best attendance history got certificates. My old school wanted to improve attendance because they knew attendance was a big factor in a student’s success. This clearly proves that uniforms boost attendance rates. Macquarie University (Australia) researchers found that in schools across the world where uniform policies are enforced, students “are more disciplined” and “listen significantly better, there are lower noise levels, and lower teaching waiting times with classes starting on time” (Lane 2020). I remember in 4th grade that our teacher would just be so frustrated at the beginning of class because she couldn’t get the children’s attention. This wasted a lot of class time and then my teacher would go on to lecture us about not paying attention which would waste even more class time. This happened a lot through elementary school and sometimes it happens in middle school. There is research saying that uniforms can make kids listen better and be more disciplined so obviously, we should have uniforms. Class time won’t be wasted and students and teachers both could get work done.Think about it. Has your class ever been chaotic and out of hand? Through my experience, I’ve learned that listening is a big problem for a lot of students. When a teacher is talking children won’t listen and they will interrupt. Teachers don’t like that and having uniforms can prevent this chaos in classrooms. During the first semester of a mandatory uniform program at John Adams Middle School in Albuquerque, NM, discipline referrals dropped from 1,565 during the first semester of the year prior to 405, a 74% decrease (Lumsden 2002). I would be surprised if this doesn’t convince everyone to go pro uniforms. A 74% decrease is a lot and this goes to show that kids are becoming much more disciplined. I used to go to school in India and most schools in India, including the one I used to go to, have school uniforms. The school I used to go to was an all-girls school. Everyone was so disciplined and well behaved. I wouldn’t say everyone was perfect but no time was wasted at school dealing with bad behavior. Even though I didn’t like the uniforms a lot, I still remember feeling that sense of pride as a first grader. I felt included and to not be excluded, I knew I had to be on my best behavior. That was my thinking as a first grader and I bet many other students feel the same way. In schools throughout the world many teachers have shared that classes are more disciplined and ready to work when wearing uniforms. This is because children focus and pay attention to their classwork if they aren’t preoccupied with fashion. Some people might argue that most kids and parents are against school uniforms but Marilyn Davis, principal of Cleveland Elementary School, says that according to a survey 95% of parents supported school uniforms. We already have support for uniforms and research which proves the positive impact of uniforms so obviously, uniforms are a must.

The last reason all schools should have uniforms is that uniforms keep students focused on their education and not their clothes. The National Association of Secondary School Principals stated that “When all students are wearing the same outfit, they are less concerned about how they look and how they fit in with their peers; thus, they can concentrate on their schoolwork” (Chen 2008). This thinking matters because it’s true in schools all over the world. Many kids can’t concentrate on their work because they are too busy worrying about their clothing and other people’s clothing. A study by the University of Houston found that elementary school girls’ language test scores increased by about three percentile points after uniforms were introduced. This is because girls stopped worrying about their clothes and they were more comfortable at school. Requiring uniforms prevents a student from worrying about what he or she will wear tomorrow. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton advocated school uniforms as a way to help students focus on learning: “Take that [clothing choices] off the table and put the focus on school, not on what you’re wearing” (DeMitchell 2019). I agree with Mrs. Clinton. If kids didn’t have so many clothing choices they would put their focus into learning instead of choosing the perfect outfit. Uniforms will also prevent violence. Sometimes youths are shot for a pair of sneakers or a designer jacket. School uniforms can break this cycle of violence. I’m not trying to say that kids shouldn’t have choices in life. I’m trying to say that kids shouldn’t have choices in certain areas such as school uniforms because not having uniforms diverts a student’s attention towards unnecessary things and it also wastes a lot of precious time. What am I going to wear tomorrow? Does this look good? These are questions that children shouldn’t be asking themselves every day. Instead they should ask themselves if they are prepared for the language arts test tomorrow or did they complete that essay for social studies. Chris Hammons, Principal of Woodland Middle School in Coeur d’Alene, ID, stated that uniforms “provide for less distraction, less drama, and more of a focus on learning” (Emery 2017). How many times have children had crazy drama just because of clothing. We don’t need that at this age. School uniforms improve student performance by helping students focus on learning rather than fashion. Students are also less concerned about how they fit in. They can concentrate on their schoolwork, instead of how their outfit compares to what their friends are wearing. It is easy to choose what to wear to school when you wear a uniform, so students aren’t tardy as often. Less time is wasted in class dealing with inappropriate clothing, too. Fewer distraction also means more time to devote to learning. Many people argue that students will lose their identity, individualism, and self-expression if they are made to wear the same clothes as everyone else. Students will not lose any of these things. Every child is unique but students shouldn’t be showing off their uniqueness with clothing, instead, they should be showing off their personality with their actions. Bill Clinton was the first president to address school uniforms and he said, “I think these uniforms do not stamp out individuality among our young people. Instead, they slowly teach our young people one of life’s most important lessons: that what really counts is what you are and what you become on the inside, rather than what you are wearing on the outside” (Applebury 2006). It doesn’t matter how you look on the outside because people are going to look through that and they will be your friend when they see the person you are on the inside. Students can show off their personality by joining clubs, being a part of a team, and being leaders in their communities. Forget about clothing. Nobody cares that you are wearing a designer jacket and nobody wants to know how expensive your shoes are. Show your personality with your actions. Uniforms will teach students this important lesson.

In conclusion, schools all over the world should implement uniforms because uniforms improve behavior, they improve attendance, and uniforms keep students focused on education. Perhaps some people will always believe that uniforms are a bad influence on children and that uniforms take away their individuality but it is also essential to observe that there is a large amount of research that shows the benefits of uniforms. Uniforms are significant in schools because they make students feel included and they also go a long way in school spirit. A spirit of togetherness and unity is inspiring for many students. Uniforms can automatically ignite a higher sense of pride. Uniforms create equality and they encourage discipline. School uniforms are a constant reminder to the students of where they are, making them pause and think of the consequences before impulsive actions. Uniforms are the solution to many problems faced in schools. Imagine schools filled with students with no behavior or discipline, children who are always late to class, and kids who worry more about their clothing than their education. This can be prevented easily if students wear uniforms to school. We don’t want our future generation to be dropouts. Instead we want successful people who did good in schools. This can be achieved by having uniforms at every single school. You can start taking action by petitioning for uniforms at your own school. Let’s start supporting uniforms and promote an intelligent future generation.

Sources

Emery, Mike. “UH, Study Suggests School Uniforms Reduce Student Absences, Disciplinary Problems.” The University of Houston, 7 Aug. 2017, uh.edu/news-events/stories/2010articles/April2010/0405SchoolUniforms.php.

Lumsden, Linda. Dress Codes and Uniforms. 2002, govinfo.gov.

Applebury, Gabrielle. “Statistics on School Uniforms.” LoveToKnow, LoveToKnow Corp, 2006, kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Statistics_on_School_Uniforms.

Chen, Grace. “Uniforms: The Pros and Cons.” Public School Review, 23 Apr. 2008, www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/uniforms-the-pros-and-cons.

DeMitchell, Todd A. “Does Wearing a School Uniform Improve Student Behavior?” The Conversation, 31 Oct. 2019, theconversation.com/does-wearing-a-school-uniform-improve-student-behavior-51553.

Lane, Adam. “Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms?” Gell.com, 2020, www.gell.com/comment/8Y7Mh4QA/school-uniforms-may-improve-attendance-and-discipline-a-study-by-researchers-at-the-university-of-h.