The debate about school uniforms is one that hits home for
me. I have a unique perspective of school uniforms, and the effect they can
have in a school. I went to a private school in middle school that had a school
uniform. I had a very bad social anxiety, so I struggled with just being at
school in general. What also made dealing with my social anxiety harder to deal
with, was not having the money to have expensive clothes. It was hard for me to
fit in with wearing similar clothes everyday that were not what was considered
to be “cool”. For the most part, I had
maybe 2-3 shirts and a pair or two of pants. The school uniform was implemented
when I was in the 4th grade. This was put into place with a huge
amount of controversy.
Students hated the new dress code. It was constantly talked
down upon. Students tried to break the uniform in any way they could. It was
something new and they just refused to adapt.
The dress code required a solid color polo without an emblem. People
would intentionally wear polos with emblems just to defy it. I too didn’t like
the dress code at first. I hated tucking my shirt in. However, as time went on
I grew to understand why it is important. It makes it easier for people to fit
in. There is too much emphasis on what people are wearing in school these days.
Students don’t realize just how hard it can be to some students who cannot
afford or wear the type clothes that are considered popular.
There is also the fact that school uniforms are important
due to their image. School uniforms are less distracting in school. They allow
students to worry less about what the student next to them is wearing, and more
about school work. It also keeps young girls from wearing too revealing of
clothes, which should show positive results for both girls and boys when it
comes to school work. It helps create a positive work environment for the
students. They can start getting a sense of dressing appropriate and in a more
business like way.
The new school uniforms had nothing but positive results for
me. I felt more comfortable going to school. It is hard to fully concentrate on
school if you are constantly worried about what people may think about what you
are wearing. It just made me feel like I fit in more. This is even more
important to those students who suffer from social anxiety, as it is already a
huge issue just being around people. When that is coupled with other things
such as clothes, it can start to become a really big issue. I noticed that
people seemed to be more open to be friends with other people they normally
would have ignored. They wouldn’t immediately write them off due to what they
were wearing.
Most students hated the dress code at first. However, as
time went on, people started to not care as much. The things that tended to
irritate most for an extended period of time was having to wear belts and tuck
their shirts in. I too continued to not like this throughout middle school. It
was due purely to comfort. Belts and tucking your shirt in was just
uncomfortable. The other aspects of the dress code eventually faded away as
people grew used to it. It was no longer the big problem it was initially. I
think this is important to note, because even though you have huge opposition
at the start, it will die down. This makes the rewards well worth the initial
hassle.
You make some excellent points, Fail Whail and I agree with you that school uniforms can offer many more positive outcomes than negative ones. As many students dress in a manner to identify themselves with a particular crowd (jocks, preps, goth, emo, whatever), being able to afford to wear the “uniform” of that crowd and seeking the reputation that comes from membership is not only segregating but causes a reaction in others that might not be warranted or invited. Mandatory school uniforms make it much easier for a student to be characterized by their actions and not their apparel.
ReplyDeleteWhile many students don’t like the uniforms because they want to express their individuality, how many truly uniquely-dressed students do you ever see at school? Anyone come to class dressed in a furry animal costume? Doubtful. Individuality just means group affiliation to most students – as you said, they just want to fit in; not stand out for the wrong reasons.
Parents, on the other hand, can be just as vocal on both sides of the issue: some like the affordability of school uniforms while others believe it is unconstitutional for anyone to tell them how to spend their money and dress their child. Both of these views can reach a compromise with a generic uniform such as any non-monogrammed white shirt and khaki or navy pants and no open-toed shoes or high heels. Moms driving their kids to school in the Porsche Cayenne can still run out to Abercrombie – it’s a win-win!
I'll be honest, i've never been a big fan of school uniforms. I believe that making it mandatory for each student to be unified soley based on what they were is a violation of each person's freedom of expression. However, after reading your post, I do see some of the positive advantages. I went to a small school where "clicks" and popularity was not an issuse. We were all one big family. But what does this mean for big schools? I completely agree that school unifroms would benefit schools that have these kind of issues. However, I do not believe that this is the right move for every school.
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ReplyDeleteI have both attended public and private school and a lot of my peers in High School came from a public middle school which had uniforms. I personally support the use of uniforms specially with the pressure to fit into cliques. I agree with so many of the points you have taken on the positive effect a uniform can have.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am not talking a school logo shirt, knee high socks, and gray skorts such as I had to wear in Elementary school. I support the no logo polo's and khaki pants and other uniforms along these lines. It also helps with following dress code since you aren't going by the rules of, "Your shirt sleeve must be three fingers width" or "your shorts must go to exactly 4 inches above the knee" because that in all honesty is a waste of time for teachers to worry about during a fifty minute class period.
I had a completely different experience with wearing uniforms to school. I went to a school that required uniforms for two years before I transferred to another school. I was miserable those two years and the uniform had a lot to do with it. The cliques were much worse in that school and were worse in the other schools in the area that required uniforms. They still knew what brand of pants and shirt you were wearing. You can tell that by the buttons and other things. And I swear they all went out together over the summer to pick out their shoes because they would all show up in the same shoes. One year it was the two-tone brown and tan buck, the next year the white and blue. And they wore the same color lipstick. Having the same clothes meant that the other things we wore were more scrutinized. It was a nightmare. My mom finally let me transfer to a school that didn't require uniforms and I felt like myself again. I didn't feel like a clone that had to wear certain shoes in order to fit in. I wore things that I was comfortable in. I would never send my kids to a school that required a uniform because of the experience that I had there. I will gladly spend time in the thrift stores and consignment stores to get clothing for my kids. In this day and age when they are losing ways to express themselves like in art, PE, music, etc, there are only so many ways they can be themselves at school.
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