How Do Uniforms Affect Schools?
In 2007-08, 18 percent of public schools required students to wear uniforms, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. The effect that these uniforms have on students and school life can be both positive and negative.
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School Pride
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Schools with a uniform policy have a greater sense of pride and belonging to the school that they are part of according to Elaine Jarchow in "Ten Ideas Worth Stealing From New Zealand." A collection of individuals who are the same in appearance are less distracted by social classifications. This in turn leads to less concentration on personal identity and more on the institutional values of the school, according to research by Nathan Joseph published in his book "Uniforms and Nonuniforms: Communication Through Clothing."
Safety Issues
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Uniformed schools have a reduced safety risk in comparison to schools without a uniform policy. Student victimization decreases because of the lack of individuality the students are allowed to possess, according to the study "Uniforms in Public Schools and the First Amendment: A Constitutional Analysis," which was published in The Journal of Negro Education in the fall of 2003. This in turn leads to fewer individuals being singled out because of the way they dress. Allowing students to bring fashion items into school can also be a potential hazard because of the potential of fighting and theft. Students in non-uniform schools wearing baggy jeans, short skirts, baggy jumpers and with long hair within workshops, corridors and studios can all be potential safety hazards.
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Authority
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Uniformed schools also provide a greater distinction between different members of the school environment, according to Joesph. Teachers, who are able to dress as they please, are instantly given more authority through the freedom they are given to choose how they dress. Students, however, feel the restrictions placed upon them and have a lower status because of it.
Common Myths
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There are many common misconceptions regarding the influence of uniforms within schools. This is highlighted by the many studies on the subject collecting a vast range of results and conflicting conclusions. Among the most common myths that have not always been proved conclusively include improved standardized achievement scores, the decrease in drug use, decrease in behavioral problems and increase in attendance as a result of the introduction of uniform into schools, according to David L. Brunsma and Kerry A. Rockquemore in their study of "The Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Use, and Academic Achievement."
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References
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