The issue of school uniforms is hotly debated in the American school system where there are some opponents and proponents to the issue. Of course, both sides have their reasons as to why they are inclined towards a given direction, and can justify their ideas. Most of the opponents to the issue are of the idea that school uniforms annihilate the rights of the students to express themselves the way they want to in terms of dressing. Well, the proponents also have their ideas over the issue and why they feel that the children should wear uniforms. Since the issue of uniforms is quite broad and covers a large cross-section of the learning fraternity, this essay will focus on the children in grade kindergarten through to twelve. The essay will seek to establish the fact that these children should at all times, when within the school premises, be in school uniforms or other attire that is approved by the school, such as identical sports wear. The paragraphs below present the evidence as to why this should be the case.
According to Anon. (12), it is quite hard for teachers to maintain discipline within the school premises when the children are in whichever attire that they feel like. This means that since it is hard to identify the students from a given institution, they can easily get involved in mischievous activities to the oblivion of the teacher. Nevertheless, if the children were in uniform, it could be very difficult to be involved in such activities since the uniform singles them out. As such, the uniform helps in controlling the behaviors of the kids when they are within the school premises, and also when they are outside. It can therefore be said that the uniform helps in maintaining the students’ behavior and making them comply with the school regulations. The identity provided by the uniform helps in ensuring that the children control their activities.
It is well known that the school is a place where social and cultural diversities are integrated. As such, it is not uncommon to find students from different backgrounds and social statuses within a given school. All these are united by the fact that they need to acquire the knowledge that is offered within the school. However, if the population is not controlled, it is highly likely that there could be high chances of discrimination in terms of social class or race. This is mainly because some of the children could afford expensive and trendy clothes while others would have to make do with whatever they can find. The main disadvantage with this is that the children can start discriminating against each other in terms of what they wear; there can be classes of the poor and others of the rich. Of course, this is not a good prospect within the school set up, and that is why Wilde (para 2) feels that the children should be in uniform. This helps in bringing about the sense of unity and equality, since no one feel as the special one. The main reason as to why uniforms should be introduced at this lower grade is that the children are very honest and open. As such, they could, in their innocence, hurt the others without knowing that they are doing it through making comments that they take to be very genuine, but which hurt the others. In order to avoid such a scenario, the best thing should be to go for uniforms. They would bring a sense of equality and oneness, hence bring up children who appreciate and accept diversity that is obvious within the society.
It cannot be denied that buying trendy clothes can be an expensive affair. As such, if the children have to be going to school in the attires of their choice, there is a high likelihood that they could invest much into clothing, hence start a kind of competition within the school as to who dresses the smartest and who has the most expensive wears. Communities Online (1) dissected this issue and came up with the conclusion that unless the children at the tender age are well controlled, the issue of dressing can be a source of competition amongst the students. In the long run, they would pay more attention to their dressing at the expense of their education. Since their minds are young and may not have developed the sense of priority to maturity, there is the need to protect the children from falling into this trap. This is not hard, as school uniforms come in to solve the dilemma. Unifying them eliminates any chance that they could feel more superior or better than the others. As such, their focus would be shifted to education and how they can shine in it. Furthermore, the use of school uniforms reduces on cost since the parents and guardian do not have to fond any special attire for their schooling kids. All they need is to go to uniform’s shop and buy the clothing approved for the school (Supermedia, para 3).
The main reason as to why children are enrolled in schools is so that they can gain academically and be productive citizens in the future. As such, they need to be equipped with the skills that they need and also be disciplined in whatever they do. These traits and characters can only be developed within a school setting where the children can be taught to respect authority and deal with diligence in everything that they get involved in (K12 Directory, para. 4). The school uniforms help in achieving this goal. They make the children realize that they have a greater role to play within the society, and that they are being prepared for that role. As such, the uniform distracts their minds from other distracters such as fashion and trends. All they can concentrate on is their education, and they have to appreciate the fact that they have to comply to the set dressing code. This makes them responsible people who can respect and obey authority far beyond the schools. It can, therefore, be said that the school uniform not only makes the students concentrate on their education, but also learn to respect authority.
Though there are benefits associated with school uniforms, it cannot be denied that they are also associated with some disadvantages which are strongly cited by the opponents of school uniforms. For instance, it is said that school uniforms annihilate the freedom of expression for the students (Wilde para. 5). This is mainly because the students are not allowed to dress in the manner in which they feel comfortable. Rather, they are forced to comply with the set rules and regulations, which is the use of school uniform as the dressing code. Communities Online (para 3) also indicate that by enforcing the use of uniforms, the individual character is inhibited, making the individual appear to be who he/she is not. These concerns might have some weight but when looked at from a different perspective, it is obvious that they do not hold any water. When within the school compound, all the students are equal, and that is why they all fall under the umbrella of students. As such, uniforms serve to assert this fact that everyone within the school premises belongs to one fraternity; the learning community. Once the students go out of the school, they can express themselves in whichever way they deem best. As such, the use of uniforms can not be taken as an annihilation of an individual’s character. Rather, it is a way of ensuring that the identity of the school community is maintained.
In conclusion, this essay has dwelt on the issue of school uniforms, analyzing the debate as to whether children in grade kindergarten up to twelve should wear school uniforms. By use of extensive research and also the use of course materials, the paper has highlighted the importance of having school uniforms. The main advantages of the uniform is that it reduces cost of clothing, encourages discipline, makes the children focus on their academics and also facilitates unity within the school community. It has also indicated that there are some disadvantages associated with uniforms, chief among them being the annihilation of personal identity and also limiting the individuals’ freedom of expression. This essay, therefore, holds to the position that the children in grade kindergarten up to twelve should be in school uniform whenever they are within the school premises.
Works Cited
Anonymous. Lecture Notes, 2012. (Attached).
K12 Directory. ‘The Variable: Pros and Cons of School Uniforms.’ K12directoryofschools.com, Jan. 28, 2010. Web, 1st July 2012, http://www.k12directoryofschools.com/Articles/The-Variable-Dresscode-Pros-and-Cons-of-School-Uniforms.aspx
Online Communities. ‘School Uniforms – Now More Than Ever.’ Terrebonneparish.com, 1997. Web, 1st July 2012, http://www.terrebonneparish.com/local/educational/schools/uniforms/uniforms.htm
Supermedia. ‘Pros and Cons of School Uniforms for Kids.’ Superpages.com, 2012. Web, 1st July 2012, http://www.superpages.com/supertips/school-uniforms.html
Wilde, Marian. ‘Do Uniforms Make Schools Better?’ Great Schools, 2012. Web, 1st July 2012, http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/121-school-uniforms.gs
