How school uniforms can help children be better students

How school uniforms can help children be better students

Dress codes are composed of the guidelines or policies in institutions, organizations that are out in place concerning clothing. These are formulated according to traditional, cultural, social, religious considerations and seek to define the identity of the group or organization. Historically, the choice of dress was mainly used to distinguish between social classes. Whereas the nobility had its own form of dressing that was different from others, other classes also had their had own dressing to distinguish people along these lines. Nonetheless, institutional and organizational dress codes aim at fostering a form of identity that stretches across society. This essay draws attention to the role played by school uniforms in the United States. It argues from the viewpoint that through school uniforms, children become better students.

Both public and private schools in the United States have developed policies through which their students are required to put on school uniforms while attending classes. This is a paradigm shift from previous years, where students attended school in home clothes. However, the acquisition of school uniforms is a choice made by relevant authorities in the schools, given that there are no provisions that mandate compulsory school uniforms. Previously, only private and parish-based schools had requirements that made it mandatory for their students to attend classes while wearing uniforms representative of the school colors and emblems.

School uniforms promote uniformity and equality (Caruso, 2016) among the students, and this works to eliminate unwarranted competition based on social class and background. As students dress within a common dress, they can see themselves as equals so that none exhibits discrimination attitude towards the other based on what they are wearing. Students come from different social backgrounds, each with its own bias towards the other, and having school uniforms helps in bridging this social divide. It also encourages interaction from an individual and person-level as opposed to group interactions as it suppressed and discourages group behavior brought about by class affiliation. This is because by dressing along with social classes, certain groups would only interact within themselves, and any interaction outside the group would be shunned and discouraged, thus creating an antisocial culture among students. Through standard dress codes, students can interact with each other without any bias, and this encourages their development and attitudes towards each other. As such, students develop improved behavior (Gentile and Imberman, 2012) owing to the nature of interactions through which there are high levels of equality. Students from poor backgrounds are less threatened, and those from privileged families are less entitled. All of them have a shared pool of interaction.

According to Musu-Gillette et al. (2018), social vices around the school spill over to the learning institutions where gang-related activities are reported within and outside classrooms. The importance of dress codes among these groups is such that the identity of group members is based upon their colors (West, 2015) and clothing. Given that public schools do not have provisions whereby school uniforms are compulsory, students then dress according to gang affiliation. As such, gang behavior and attitudes thrive as different groups attempt to assert their dominance over other members of the institution through violence and intimidation. Moreover, students also have accessories that signify which gang they belong and the presence of such tensions within institutions of learning are detrimental to the academic progress of the students. Additionally, it is difficult to even for the school administration to enhance discipline owing to gradual deterioration of authority due to gang presence in the school. With the introduction of school uniforms, institutions regained control due to a significant reduction of gang-related activities. Students previously victimized by these elements find a voice and courage due to the uniformity among all students. Furthermore, it is easy to identify individuals who are not part of the institution, and this works to promote a conducive environment in the school. These individuals usually mix with the students and are a source of behavior unusual to a learning institution. With the introduction of school uniforms, schools can easily identify students from outsiders. As such, the environment is enhanced to have an academic bearing that is learning-friendly (Musu-Gillette et al., 2017).

With school uniforms, it is easy to identify the institutional affiliation of the students based on the color and emblem of their respective students. Through these provisions, institutions have developed a sense of pride and belonging that the students are slowly catching. A spillover effect of institutional pride is increased competition among schools. Schools from similar districts have prestigious academic competitions. Students identify to their schools, and given the need to maintain the excellence and academic pride of their schools, students have taken to practices that promote the success of their institutions. Uniforms help high levels of self-awareness among the students who have a boost in self-esteem and confidence. As such, increased attendance rates result in better student performance, and this increases the level of competitiveness among the schools. Bauman and Krskova (2016), add that students are more inclined to adhere to school rules and regulations given the uniformity within the student body in pursuing activities that uphold the pride of their respective schools. Suspension rates and cases of indiscipline have dropped drastically among the students who have found a new sense of purpose, awareness, and unity. Student character is thus shaped by institutional affiliation so that even when they are outside the school premises, they will adjust their behavior accordingly.

School uniforms promote decency within learning institutions in that they give guidelines on the kind of clothes a student is required to wear. Previously, students wore regular clothes to school, and they took advantage of this by wearing revealing and inappropriate dresses owing to a lack of consistent dress code provisions in schools. In such an environment, teachers and administrators found it challenging to curtail this behavior. Their work was made difficult by the guardians who saw this as an infringement on the freedom of speech that their children were exercising through dress. Besides that, students wore trendy attires to school, which thoroughly the academic considerations of the institutions. According to Sanchez et al. (2102), the introduction of school uniforms provides a much-needed break to staff members who have sufficient time to concentrate on the academic requirement of the students. Furthermore, increased decency within the institutions is beneficial in that students no longer feel the need to meet wear revealing and inappropriate clothes in school. This promotes learning activities within the institutions because there are no distractions from their clothes or those around them.

School uniforms promote academic activities in that students have higher levels of concentration because of few distractions in class. As such, learning activities are enhanced, and both students and teachers actively participate in classrooms. There is the elimination of fashion statements in school, which are both sources of distraction, peer pressure, and unwarranted behavior around learning institutions. According to Sanchez et al. (2012), students admitted that the introduction of school uniforms has helped eliminate subjective treatments from their peers. The girls are no longer objectified or required to adopt dress codes that compromise their performance.

Opponents on the introduction of school uniforms argue that they promote standards that endanger the development of the students. Through gendered school uniforms, students are expected to conform to traditional definitions of masculinity and femininity that hinders their development as open-minded individuals. While the boys are expected to uphold standards of grooming that is likened to official attire and conduct, it derails their career choice where they are wired to respect individuals whose career dictates they dress in formal attire. As such, they gain a misguided sense of masculinity, which dissuades them from pursuing a career, or behavior that falls under this classification. On the other hand, the girls are restrained by their uniforms, which expect them to wear dresses and skirts. Such dress codes are limiting in that they are expected to conduct themselves in ways that adhere to traditional gender roles that set them on a path of restrained femininity, which restricts their movement and participation in other activities (Happel, 2013).

According to Underwood (2018), school uniforms are restrictive and infringe on the rights of the children. She argues that it threatens the freedom of expression given that the children no longer can express themselves through their choice of clothing. Opponents add that school uniforms are imposed on the children and guardians without prior consultation. The opinion of the students is hardly consulted, and even so, they are required to relinquish their fundamental freedom of free speech, which is an essential right in the United States. Further arguments claim that school uniforms are an added cost to the parents, some of whom hardly get enough to meet the needs of their households. Dress codes that allowed regular clothes in schools were such that they made schools inclusive of all members of the society so that the students only needed to show up to class without having to worry about added costs.

Finally, the introduction of school uniforms has aided to consolidate the performance and discipline of the students. It promotes desired results on the part of the administration by eliminating vices, which worked to inhibit learning activities. However, the introduction of school uniforms has attracted its fair share of criticism from guardians, students, and lobby groups that view school attires as retrogressive and restrictive. As such, it is essential to consider the basis of these claims so that parents and students fully understand the scope of school uniforms in schools. The claims are valid enough and should not be ignored. Because of this, stakeholders must formulate a policy that accommodates these issues so that all members of the society are on board with these recent provisions. Schools ought to educate their members of the reasons behind the introduction of school uniforms as well as involving them in the decision making process. The benefits of school uniforms in promoting student welfare are easily identifiable, and with time, more schools in the country will soon adopt these measures for their students.