Reasons Why Schools Should or Shouldn't Use Uniforms

The concept of school uniforms was once something that only belonged in private schools. It wasn't until the 1990s when some public schools in the United States began making uniforms mandatory. President Bill Clinton suggested in 1996 the benefits of school uniforms. Schools in large cities in 21 states laid down rules that all students were to wear uniforms.

Benefits

The schools in these major cities were seeing gang violence, theft and bullying. Their hope was that the enforcement of uniforms would cause the rate of violence and crime to decrease. As a result of the new uniform policies they saw a major drop in the problems in their schools. In Long Beach, California, the crime rate in the inner-city schools dropped by 91 percent. School suspensions dropped by 90 percent, and sexual offenses took a 96 percent decline. The theory behind school uniforms is that if everyone looks the same, it would instill a sense of community, and do-away with the "class system" of the "rich kids" and the "poor kids."

Academic Performance

The use of uniforms also promotes a sense of discipline and theorizes that students will pay more attention to their work than what they or their classmates are wearing. The students no longer feel pressured to conform to the fashion of their classmates. They can then focus on other means of expression and activities such as music, art and sports. The sense of community also helps to promote school spirit.

Possible Backlash

Out of all the benefits of school uniforms, surely there must be a downside. Some students might not adapt well when their form of self-expression is taken away. If he or she sees fashion as his or her main creative outlet, this might feel like their right to express themselves has been taken away. As previously stated, the individual might find another form of creative self-expression, or he or she might react in a negative way. Individuality is important to young people, and they may feel like they're being forced to conform to something they don't agree with.

A Quick Fix

Many people feel that the enforcement of uniforms in schools is only a "quick fix" to the real problems students are facing. The violence they see every day in movies, TV or video games, or the problems they may have at home aren't even addressed. School officials see the statistics and say that have fixed the problem by mandating a uniform policy, but it is only like putting a Band-aid over a wound that actually needs stitches.

More Pros Than Cons?

For the most part, there seem to be more benefits than drawbacks of the use of school uniforms. The evidence of fewer crimes, fewer peer pressure, higher grades and more participation in extracurricular activities seem to outweigh any possible problems that may arise. Schools should also address that when the student enters the adult world, they will need to look past the fact that not everyone will be dressed like them, and they will have to form a sense of community anyway.

References

• Benefits of School Uniforms
• Public School Uniform Statistics
• School Uniforms: Pros and Cons

Resources

• Do School Uniforms Make A Difference?