The Benefits of School Uniforms for Kids
The issue of school uniforms remains a controversial one. However, more and more schools continue to adopt uniform policies for their students, usually with the support of most parents. While there are some drawbacks to school uniforms, the benefits -- real or -- perceived, are far greater, and most kids, once they have spent some time reaping the rewards of wearing school uniforms, begin to appreciate these benefits.
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Discipline
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School uniforms instill a sense of discipline in the students. When all students wear similar clothes, there is a sense of order and organization that makes enforcing discipline codes easier for teachers and administrators and that inspires students to follow the codes. Order and organization also provide a sense of calmness, balance and safety, which lead to a disciplined student body more concerned with learning than with the chaos that can result from too many distractions. Children do not perform well in chaotic circumstances, so an organized and calm, if uniformed, school provides children with an outlet to perform their best.
Academic Performance
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When the distractions associated with certain clothing are removed, students are free to concentrate on their academic performance. If students are not spending time competing with each other through their fashion choices, they can instead spend time focusing on the content of their classes, increasing their knowledge base and improving their grades. The adoption of a school uniform policy removes one of the challenges students face in an educational setting and frees them to enjoy the act of learning.
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Self-esteem
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Throughout childhood and adolescence, fitting in with the majority is very important. Clothing has a huge impact on whether a child fits in with her peer group. If the child chooses the wrong clothes or cannot afford the pieces and accessories that are in style at the moment, she can find herself an outsider, which usually negatively impacts her self-esteem. When uniforms are adopted, all the children wear similar clothes. The child who does not wear the accepted stylish clothes and accessories doesn't feel belittled or uncomfortable, and all children learn that stylish clothing is not a priority.
Safety
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School uniforms promote safety within the schools since they remove one of the underlying causes for violence. Violence as a result of clothing style can be linked to a variety of reasons, from the wrong gang or group affiliation to jealousy over expensive pieces of dress and even to simply not fitting in with the accepted style and becoming an outsider and target of others. When all the students wear similar clothing, many of these issues will either disappear or be less influential in students' social interactions.
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References
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