The Debate Whether Students Should Wear School Uniforms

Waking up as a student everyday comes with a lot of struggles. Most include actually getting out of bed, all of the tests that will be coming that day, the drama that school brings, and so much more than that. Everyone deals with school in a different way, and most kids even have to deal with anxiety. There are a lot of hard things about school, but to add onto it everyone has to deal with dress codes. Students having to make sure they follow the dress code makes finding an outfit in the morning a much longer process. Some schools make the dress code hard to follow, considering current fashion trends. . Finding a good outfit could take ten to fifteen minutes which causes students to wake up earlier. Waking up earlier for any student is not a good option since most teenagers do not even get the recommended hours of sleep. However, a good solution for all of this would be uniforms. Uniforms are a good time saver in the morning and would solve problems that are in the school already. Uniforms are a very controversial topic, however, they are a very good option for schools now a days because there would be less distractions and bullying issues.

There are a number of reasons as to why school uniforms are a good choice. One of the most important reasons is that school uniforms create equality. When all the students are wearing the same thing then there is no pressure on fitting in with the other students. Trying to outshine other students wearing trendy outfits becomes an awful mess (Edelhart). With uniforms, the unhealthy competitive feeling to look the best is taken away. Also, studies have shown that uniforms decrease peer pressure and bullying (Boutelle). Uniforms create a much more relaxed environment for everyone and are beneficial for creating equality.

Also, uniforms are proven to lower the amount of crime in school and at home. With wearing uniforms, it is easier for the school administration to see what the students are carrying. Uniforms make it easier for intruders to be spotted and uniforms with designs will have safety for the students. The study does show that the violence is lower with the uniforms (Walker). The violence in school has been fleeting up in the United States involving gun violence (Boutelle). Uniforms are a very effective way to protect students without outsiders being able to get around it and hurt students.

Uniforms also improve and move students concentrations to learning instead of distractions. When students do not have to worry about style or fitting in, their attention is more focused on actually learning and what is going on in the classroom (Walker). Being dressed in a uniform, students will not look around trying to figure out what is in fashion now. Also, students will not be distracted by asking other students where they got their clothes or making insults to other students (Kizis). Teachers know that students will get distracted by the littlest thing, so one thing helping them makes their job so much easier.

Uniforms are also another reason that both discipline and attendance are improved. The staff at the school no longer has issues with inappropriate clothing with skirts or ripped jeans. As soon as there is a uniform policy, there is no longer an issue with discipline in dress code (Kizis). There was also a study done in the third largest district in California which was highly diverse ethnic in 1996 where the school was prone to negative behavior and dropping out. After they made the uniform policy, the school had the highest rates of attendance they have ever had and fewer discipline referrals (Walker). Therefore, a school should input a uniform policy if they are having issues with discipline and attendance.

In the morning it can be a struggle to get ready, however uniforms could ease that problem. Students no longer have to worry about what they are going to wear or following the dress code. Since there is a certain thing to wear for uniforms, students can just throw it on and not have to worry about it (Edelhart). Time can be focused on other things such as breakfast since most students do not eat in the morning. This is one of the best reasons to have uniforms since students will have more time in the morning without having to wake up earlier in the morning.

Most people say that uniforms will take away from individuality, however it really does not. With uniforms, students can be creative with adding accessories to the outfits. Students can wear accessories or adding small details to the uniform, it leads to students being more creative. Most kids will have to think outside of the box and it will show to the other students. Students do not just lose their personality just because they have to wear a uniform. Students can stand out by being a person to other students with actually having a personality. Also, students can show their style from the shoes they wear. Without wearing a uniform, most kids would just be another student in a group full of kids.

There are even benefits for teachers leading to them not having to be the dress code police. With having no uniforms, the teachers have to make sure that the students are following the regulations regarding the dress code. Also, it is not like there is only one rule, there are a lot of things that students can not wear when it comes to dress codes. Uniforms help their teachers not having to look out for everything and not being clothing monitors. It is much easier for the administration when they longer have to look out for certain clothing items. Students having uniforms just makes everyone's lives easier.

Uniforms also provide a sense of identity and community within the school district, which is very important to most schools and administration. When the whole student body is wearing uniforms then they have a strong team mentality. Everyone dressing the same brings a sense of unity and belonging. Without uniforms, schools have a hard time of having unity and a family like feeling within the school. The feeling of safety and unity within a school is very important for students. If the school wanted to improve their unity then uniforms are definitely the way to go.

Also, uniforms help families economically. The only time students have to buy new clothes is at the beginning of the year to follow the uniforms. Instead of students asking for new clothes every single season or when they are insisting on going on a shopping trip for “bonding” measures. The uniforms that the students buy are sturdy and designed to stand up against repeated washings. Parents find that they only have to buy new uniforms every year instead of every couple months. Which saves money for the parents since they do not have to buy the latest fashion items. The money that they save with uniforms can lead to more vacations for the family or any extra trips. Uniforms are definitely a good option for parents to save money.

However, most parents and teachers are in favor of uniforms for their students. The parents love uniforms since they save time and money. Parents and administration love the convenience of uniforms since they do not want their students having to stress over everything that school brings. Also, the parents say that the students have more school pride in their school. Parents always want their children to have good support and not want them in a bad situation with schoolings. With having parents and administration support, students get accustomed to the switch and end up liking them more.

Uniforms also prevent gang colors and crests which can be inappropriate in a school setting for other students. These gang members wear certain colors to set them aside from other students. When uniforms are imputed, students will have a safe environment for all students when they have certain colors that they have to wear (Edelhart). Also, uniforms make sure that students do not feel like they are wearing the “wrong” color. With schools that are in the inner cities, uniforms make gang violence reduced in these areas. Most schools do not even use the “offending” colors (Kizis). With all of this, the students are safer and are in a better situation within school.

School uniforms helps students become more diligent. Schools struggle with students being diligent and hardworking since there are a lot of distractions in school. The students tend to become more well behaved and better students overall. The uniforms give students a feeling of trust and belonging. Being at a school that provides trust and belonging is very important to parents and administration. Uniforms are very important for this reasoning and it is another reason why they should be integrated into school systems.

Nowadays, uniforms are being introduced into school settings since there are a lot of advantages for them. There are a ton of studies within schools that have uniforms explaining that they are a good thing. In addition, eighty six percent of people surveyed around the world are in support of school uniforms. There was one study at Puget Sound Elementary School from 1994 to 1997 which compares the behavior at their school and the other schools in their district. The parent, teacher, and student perceptions of the school very different from when they did not have uniforms. Also, American Preparatory Academy founded a list of thirteen different reasons as to why uniforms are beneficial for all schools. However, a lot of students will not be the happiest about having to wear a uniform but it does impact school life and behavior. There was a study that explained that one student who wore a uniform for twelve years prefered that compared to the latest fashion. The same student also said and emphasized that wearing a school uniform made her feel good about herself and how her self confidence went up. She also explained that when everyone is wearing the same thing then no one can feel bad about their lack of fashion. School uniforms are usually just an opinion based argument, however there are studies that have proven that they are beneficial for students, teachers, and parents.

Yet, some other people are convinced that uniforms are very wrong for students to have. One of the reasonings is that because uniforms promote conformity over individuality. Also, sometimes uniforms do not stop bullying and can promote violent attacks. Some research for uniform benefits is questionable and not actually legitimate. Students do oppose school uniforms which make it harder for uniforms to be accepted within in the schools. Also, uniforms could have a detrimental effect on a student's image of themselves. Some research has been found that uniforms take attention away from the problem instead of finding a genuine solutions with the issues. However, uniforms definitely do have a good impact on students lives. Uniforms help with equality, reducing crime within the school, and promote learning. There are a lot more benefits to have uniforms than to not have them in a school setting.

Imagine waking up everyday and instead of having to follow the dress code, students could easily just put on their uniform. Having a uniform to wear can easily let students wake up later to get more sleep or wake up at the same time and they get to have breakfast. When students go to school, they will not judge themselves towards other students. Throughout the day, students will pay more attention towards the actual class instead of their outfits. Bullying within the school will go down and everyone will be treated equally. Everyone is liked based on their personality instead of their economic status. Uniforms being in a student's life is very beneficial for everyone involved and a good route to go for schools.