How to Argue Against School Uniforms

Students are often resistant to uniform policies.

The question of whether to require students to wear uniforms has long been a subject of heated debate. Students are often vehemently opposed to the idea on the grounds that their freedom of expression would be limited. Proponents say uniforms improve school safety, student behavior and social interaction, but there are several ways to refute these arguments. Follow these steps to present a logical argument stressing the dangers of implementing uniforms and the inability of uniforms to remedy common problems in schools.

Things You'll Need

• List of potential pro-uniform arguments
• Any available articles/documentation from schools with uniform policies

Instructions

Arguing Against Mandatory Uniforms

1. Describe the importance of personal expression. Explain how young people, in particular, use fashion as a means of expressing interest in certain ideas and social groups. Stress how important it is to let young people "try on" new identities and attitudes as they grow into their adult selves. Remind your audience how dangerous it can be to limit someone's power of expression and force them into a single mold.

2. Refute the argument for improving discipline. Many supporters of school uniforms argue that equality in the dress code reduces the amount of distractions in the classroom and eliminates disciplinary problems. Remind these supporters that uniforms have by no means proved a reliable treatment for disciplinary problems in struggling schools, and that the way to make a classroom orderly and productive is to engage the students intellectually while holding them to a set of rules of conduct.

3. Refute the social equality argument, which states that standardizing school dress minimizes the social impact of fashion on student interaction by preventing students with limited financial means from feeling isolated or left out. Describe how students find ways to form social cliques regardless of dress code, and discuss how other factors (hairstyle, personal habits) will continue to create social stratification.

4. Offer the reasonable alternative of stricter dress codes. Suggest requiring that skirts be of a certain length, that shirts cover students' shoulders, and that clothing with offensive words or images be left at home. Argue that these measures can serve some of the same functions as uniforms without limiting students' personal freedoms.

References

• Online Learning Haven
• University of Oregon College of Education