School Uniform Essay Example

School Uniform Essay Geneva Tran ESL 186 11/21/11 Final Draft School Uniforms Requirement Should students in public schools’ wear uniforms when they attend school? Many economically developed countries such as Japan and England requires students to wear uniforms at school. However, in United States, only private or parochial schools require students to wear uniforms, and they bring many positive results to students as well as schools. Therefore, all public schools should require students to wear uniforms when they attend school. In some schools that are against students wearing school uniforms believe that forcing students to wear school uniforms is a disadvantage to them. School uniforms can get boring and annoying; they have to wear similar clothing every day to school. Schools that are against students wearing uniform think that the uniforms can violate students’ rights to freedom of expression. However, some students think that school uniforms bring many benefits to them. School uniforms help their parents to save finances because they do not have enough money to provide a varied wardrobe for them. Instead of spending money to buy many different outfits, they can get a few of the same pieces of clothing without worrying about their children getting hurt in school, yet the schools who are against school uniforms do not acknowledge the benefits of what they can gain when it comes to the purpose of education. Reducing distractions is one reason for all public schools should be required students to wear uniforms when they attend school. We will write a custom essay sample on School Uniform specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on School Uniform specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on School Uniform specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When students are required to wear school uniforms, they are more likely to focus in their studies. They will not need to worry about their clothing to impress their significant other or to fit in or waste their time worrying about insignificant matter other than to worry about their studies. School uniforms can remove many distractions that are usually related to their casual and home clothing. The female students may wear clothing that is inappropriate for school causing the teachers to fear that it may distract other students from their studies. For example, the female students might wear sexually appealing clothes that can cause the male students to stare at them and can lead to a distraction to their studies. Females’ clothes such as shorts and tank tops that are tight fitting easily lead to undue attraction among many male students. Most female students who worry about wearing the latest clothes designer often take priority over learning. They easily turn into competition with other students to see who have the best clothes and gets the most attention in school. However, the introduction of school uniforms help students pay attention in class because they prevent the matter of fashion and cover the body areas that would be attractive to the other students. For example, school uniforms with a minimum length skirt, a white dress-shirt, and a tie to ensure that their chest will not be shown and their legs will be minimally covered. When students wear school uniforms, they improve their performance in studies. According to the survey by the NAEPS in the article School Dress Codes Are Necessary and Constitutional by Stephen Daniels, when students wear uniforms to school, there are 79 percent increased in classroom discipline, 67 percent improved students’ studies, and 75 percent indicated the positive results on peer pressure among students (Stephen 1). Overall, school uniforms help students to concentrate in their studies and reduce distraction in classes. Secondly, public schools should require students to wear uniforms because there is no discrimination between students. School uniforms show equality between students. When students wear uniforms, they eliminate a huge gap between the rich and poor students which result in equality. Furthermore, school uniforms connect students together, they get along better because they would not compare or judge each other based on their clothing. Without school uniforms, the wealthy students tends to mock the poor students because they think they are better than the poor students and it also gives them a chance to show off their wealth. This can cause poor students to feel inferior towards wealthy students because they do not own the brand name clothes like any wealthy students have. In an article in Los Angeles Time by Kurgan, an African boy, who immigrated to the United States; he had a hard time adapting in school because he did not know how to dress himself up because there was no need to wear a uniform. He felt anxiety and stress because he was taunted and badly treated by his classmates. (Kurgan 1) However, when students wear school uniforms, they avoid this problem and lower the chances of jealousy between students because they all wear similar clothing. Thus, no one has the opportunity to mock or pick on the poor tudents. By wearing uniforms, it would eliminate the labels of students being called a loser or cool by the way they style their clothing. Instead, the students can judge a person by their personality rather than judging them by the way they dress themselves. As a result, uniforms is a reduction in economic difference, thus they creates an environment of equality at school. Finally, public schools should be required students to wear uniforms beca use the school uniforms can promote safety for students when they are on campus. Today, safety is important and essential in school because it reduces intimidation and violence incidents, which create a good study environment for students to learn effectively. If all students wear school uniforms, it is much easier to recognize outsiders who may wander around campus because they wear different uniforms or clothing that does not belong to their own school. School uniforms also help to form and unite students together. When students go to field trips or do activities outside of school, we can locate the students that were mixed in with any large groups of people. If students get lost or separated from their classes, people can recognize the students from their uniforms and the outside party will be able to contact the student’s school. On the other hand, school uniforms can reduce the number of theft that steals the wealthy students’ brand name clothing and eliminates the violence that causes jealousy among students. If students wear uniforms to school, they do not have to worry about stealing and bullying other student for their clothes such as sneakers and jackets. In addition to thefts and violence, school uniforms can eliminate the chances of hidden weapons in their clothing. Students can hide their weapons in their baggy pants or oversized shirts. Hence, school uniforms will be harder to conceal the weapons. According to the result of wearing uniform at a school in Long Beach, there are 36 percent reduced in school crime, 51 percent decreased the fights among students, 50 percent decreased students who have weapon offenses, and vandalism decreased to 18 percent after the first year (Manual 1). As a result, school uniforms secure the safety for students in school, thus all public schools should require students to wear uniforms in order to avoid the risk of violence as well as protecting school environment. In conclusion, many students are against school uniforms because of the inconvenience of not being able to show their sense of fashion or their wealth, and the fashionable clothes can cause the poor students to be the target of mockery from what they are wearing. School uniforms can eliminate the discrimination between wealthy people and poor people. They also bring many benefits to students inside of school or outside of school and improve academic achievement as well. When students are not exposed to their surroundings that may distract them from studies and feel safe in class, they will be able to focus in their studies and achieve better grades. Overall, all public schools should require students to wear uniforms when they attend school. Works Cited Kurgan, Leonia Kallir. School Uniforms Encourage Equality. Featured Articles from the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 22 May 1999. Manual on School Uniforms. US Department of Education. 29 Feb. 1996. Web. 9 Nov. 2011. School Dress Codes Are Necessary and Constitutional by Stephen Daniels. Students Rights. Jamuna Carroll, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints ® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2005