Quality education is critical to the future of America?s children. However, we cannot educate our children in schools where weapons, gang violence, and drugs, threaten their safety. Many local school districts have made uniforms an important part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. Students resort to violence and theft simply to obtain designer clothes or name brand shoes. This instills a fear among the It is no secret that violent behavior has become a problem in public schools. For this reason more and more public schools are entertaining the idea of uniforms to get the minds of their students off of fashion and onto their education. Many parents and students support the uniform issue because they feel it makes all the students equal in the eyes of their peers and teachers. However, many parents feel that just like installing metal detectors, uniforms are a simplistic solution to a far greater problem. Some experts believe
uniforms promise to cut down crime and reduce violence, but only if we take away that students individuality and freedom of expression. What does this promise? Uniforms have been used in an effort to try an reduce crime, and at the same time, remove peer pressure amongst students to try to ?fit in? so they can concentrate on their school work. President William Clinton agrees with this saying ?If uniforms can help deter school violence, promote discipline, and foster a better learning environment, then we should show strong support to the parents that try them?.(21) By mandating uniforms in public school, school officials hope to see a reduction in crime and violence. According to statistics, there are notable decreases in school violence and illegal offenses after the enactment of a school uniform or standardized dress code policy.(Lewis)
Adopting a School Uniform Policy
The primary focus of this district is the education of our students. However, it would be irresponsible to overlook the fact that school also plays a crucial role in the social and emotional development of our district’s children. Because of this, any decisions that directly affect the students must be examined very carefully. The issue at had is that of school uniforms. Would our students benefit ...
Can uniforms really help in deterring violence and crime? Many parents and teachers say yes. Supporters of uniforms say social and economic classes would no longer be revealed by students? clothing and the school system will have more of a sense of community.(Nittel) Providing that a child?s clothes does make a difference in school violence, then uniforms are exactly what our children need. Some parents feel uniforms will put the students? emphasis on schoolwork instead of dressing ?cool?, and they will Almost five years ago, the Long Beach School District made headlines when it became the first school district in the country to make uniforms mandatory for its elementary and middle school students. According to Phoenix school officials in Long Beach, California, attendance and test scores improved, incidents of students fighting decreased by 50%, student crimes decreased by 36% and student suspensions decreased by 32% after they enacted a uniform policy.(Will) Also other there were other steps to improve student behavior. Increasing the number of teachers patrolling the hallways during class changes, were also taken by the district around the same time the uniform policy was introduced.
Dress codes were initiated in private schools as a standard. As violence, competition between students, and distractions from the educational system increased in public schools, administrators began to consider uniforms as a solution to the problem. In Baltimore, Maryland, school administrators found a 44% drop in assault and battery charges, a 50% reduction in assault with a deadly weapon, a 41% cut in occurrences of fighting and a 74% drop in sexual offenses. They also found drug abuse to be down by 89% and vandalism had dropped by 8%.(Stacey) These results and others caused many school districts to consider uniforms for their own schools. Uniforms seem to give students a sense of responsibility. It says that clothing is not that important. With this realization the students began to forget about their clothes and refocused their attention on education. Consequently their test scores and attitudes improved. One teacher stated that ? I have never seen so many children change their overall attitude in the classroom in just a matter of a few weeks.?
The Term Paper on A Uniform Code School Uniforms Students
... Instead of adopting a policy for mandatory school uniforms, several schools have adopted a mandatory dress code policy for teachers as well as students, which aims to ... AGAINST UNIFORMS While most parents and teachers seek to ensure the safety and security of their school children, some believe adopting a mandatory school uniform policy is ...
Studies show school uniforms are more successful in elementary schools, where students are not so intent on their individuality.(Stover) And, experts recommend
placing students in uniforms at a young age so they become accustomed to a program. This allows there to be no focus on material items and the children?s focus remains on education from the start. Stover(1990) states that most supporters of uniforms agree the program will not succeed unless school officials gain the support of a large majority of parents from the beginning. President Bill Clinton endorsed school uniforms in his 1996 State of the Union Address, and this endorsement was followed by the distribution of a United States Department of Education Manual on School Uniforms to the nations? This manual is used as a guide to help schools incorporate uniform policies and standardized dress codes into their extensive safe school programs. The decision whether to adopt a uniform policy is made by states, local school districts, and schools. For uniforms to be a success, as with all other school programs, the parents and teachers must be involved. The following information from Time Magazine, provides parents,
teachers, and school leaders in whether to adopt a school uniform policy. 1. Get parents involved from the beginning. 2. Protect students? religious expression. a. A school uniform policy must accommodate students whose religious beliefs are burdened by a uniform policy. 3. Protect students? other rights of expression. a. A uniform policy may not prohibit students from wearing or displaying expressive items, as long as they do not disrupt the rights of others. 4. Determine whether to have a voluntary or mandatory uniform policy. 5. When a mandatory school uniform policy is adopted, determine whether to a. This means parents give their children the consent to ?opt out? of the As a result of this manual, many local communities are deciding to adopt school uniform policies. California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia have enacted school uniform regulations Many large public school systems — including Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dayton, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Miami, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle, and St. Louis — have schools with either voluntary or mandatory uniform policies, mostly in elementary Many educators say that uniforms are more cost effective than regular clothing (LaPoint).
The Essay on To What Extent Should High School Students Be Allowed To
To What Extent Should High School Students be allowed to Exercise Freedom of Speech While on Campus I think that nowadays to deal with an issue of students free speech rights is a tough problem for High School administrators. The matter is that students free speech is protected by the First Amendment. Thus it means that students are allowed to exercise free speech while on campus. But what should ...
The average cost of uniforms is $65-75 per year for a set of three uniforms. They can be purchased at discount stores, department stores or uniform suppliers. Besides saving parents hundreds of dollars, school uniforms help to erase the lines between social classes. The uniforms help to create an equality between the have and the However, there are a number of parents, teachers, students, and agencies that strongly oppose the concept of standardized dress codes and uniforms. Unnecessary disciplinary actions on students often become counterproductive, creating rejection and sometimes rebellion against school officials. For these and other reasons the American Civil Liberties Union have sided with parents and students in the fight against uniforms in public schools. The American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU) adamantly criticized Bill Clinton?s school uniform ?experiment? because ?it like virtually every other uniform policy in the country, applies only to elementary and middle school students, and not to teenagers (Siegel)?. Their argument is that adolescence is a time when the student wants to express his or her individuality and therefore uniforms should not even be considered in the high school.
According to Loren Siegel, Director of the Public Education Department, and the American Civil Liberties Union, ? implementing mandatory school uniforms is dangerous because it gives the community a false sense of security. It is like putting a small bandage on an enormous wound, instead of attempting to find ways to truly deal with the bleeding.? By instilling a uniform policy, the ACLU feel that, students will become agitated by the uniforms and find other ways of expressing their individuality. The Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that clothing is a mode of self-expression and as such, protected under the First Amendment. Therefore, say experts, public schools must offer parents the right to decline to have their children wear uniforms. Those students
The Essay on College students should wear a uniform
When we were at elementary school until senior high school, we wore uniform as our identity. But when we go to college we took off our uniform and changed it into free style of clothes. Some people said that uniform is not good for college student because college students are mature enough to choose what they want to wear and also we will pay more to buy uniform. But I think wearing a uniform is ...
that do not wear them cannot be punished. ?For a public school uniform policy to be legal, it has to have an opt-out provision (Siegel)?. This means that every child has the right to a public school education, and that right must not be unconditional without compromise of a school uniform policy of standardized dress code. Lack of group identification is considered one of the significant reasons opponents of the school uniforms and standardized dress codes use. Lewis(1996) argued that ?uniforms prevent students from finding membership with other students with similar identities.? Critics complain that the uniforms will lessen children?s individualism and creativity, which infringes on his or her rights. If given a choice, it is hard to imagine that most or even many teenagers will opt to wear the uniforms. With all the wonderful statistics about how uniforms are helping to improve violence
, is there another side? Yes, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts reported that due to the new release of uniforms in Laurence High school, attendance of students has dropped rapidly and 600 students have been given detention and 200 suspended. This did exactly the opposite of what uniforms are ?suppose? to accomplish.
If policy makers are serious about finding solutions to the problem of school violence, maybe they should ask the real experts: the students themselves. The ACLU recently conducted a series of focus groups with high school students asking them what would help reduce violence in school. Uniforms did not make the list. Their suggestion: 1. Since school violence mimics that of society at large, schools should seriously
The Essay on School Uniforms Students Clothing Schools
Argumentation/Persuasion research School Uniforms Media stories about a nationwide school epidemic, in which assaults on teachers are frequent and students are routinely killed over designer clothing, have been constant over the past few years. These reports have placed pressure on schools and politicians to act quickly, before the situation gets out of control. In these post-Columbine days, ...
confront and discuss issues of racism and cultural conflict. 2. School entrances should be secured. 3. More extracurricular activities and clubs should be established. 4. Open-mike assemblies should be held to give students the opportunity to
5. Conflict resolution programs should be taught. 6. Programs to help students find part-time jobs should be established. 7. ?Safe corridor? programs should be supported to protect the safety of students as they go to and from school. Political leaders seem to be adamantly promoting uniforms. They are doing this while there are crumbling school buildings, overcrowded classrooms and decreasing education funds. Attractive, modern and safe school buildings, small class sizes, schools with well stocked libraries, new computers and an assortment of elective courses like music, drama, and art are the kinds of changes that would produce long lasting and dramatic improvements in student achievement. But by doing this that would require the government to get involved more than they want. So they next possible source is The ACLU argues that the government is trying to find a ?quick fix? to problems in the schools with the use of uniforms. They say that the solutions of the problems of school violence, low morale and low self-esteem, inappropriate appearance and more, should be found with the students themselves (Siegel).
Also, by adding increased police officers and teachers patrolling the hallways, the students would be better behaved. Adolescence is a time when young people want to express their uniqueness and individuality in many different ways, the most influential form of expression for them is fashion. ?While younger children may be amenable to uniforms — might even like them — teenagers are Norman Isaacs, the principal of Millikan Middle School in Sherman Oaks, California., has voiced opposition to uniforms, saying that ?students need to learn to make choices and decisions based on internal values, rather than functioning with arbitrary rules that set the limits for them.? Only then, he says, ?can they learn to think for themselves and develop self-discipline.? Others also argue that student dress serves as a ?barometer? of what is going on with the student and can signal problems such as drugs, gang membership, or sexual abuse. Uniforms would eliminate a warning system that lets teachers and administrators identify and rescue students who need help. Lastly, a uniform policy penalizes everyone instead of focusing on the small percentage of kids causing the Most reports on the uniform issue indicate that the elementary and middle schools are showing great improvement, however, by not using them in the high schools, where crime is worst, do uniforms help at all? There are no statistics on how uniforms are doing in high school.
The Essay on School Uniforms Students Schools Uniform
School Uniforms Currently in America an on going debate continues regarding a uniform policy suggested to public and private schools. This develops into a controversial issue because valid argument exist on both sides. Giving this issue much thought has lead me to believe that making school uniforms mandatory would help the school systems. School uniforms would help unruly classrooms, also ...
This is because no one is using them in public school. Townsend (1996, p?) explained that ?the older students get the less they will like the uniforms.? This is what kept the principal of Long Beach High and the board of education from instituting uniforms in the high school. ?We feared it would be an invitation to open defiance and It?s well-known that adolescence is a time when young people want to express individuality. So the thought of wearing uniforms in high school is one to be avoided. Seigel(1990, p ?) states that ?of course as several political cartoonist have pungently observed, teens are already in uniform — baggy pants, T-shirts and baseball caps worn backward.? But these types of ?uniforms? are clothes that the teens? chose themselves, and are not chosen for them. For these reason says Seigel, (1990, p?) school administrators and teachers know that teenagers will rebel against uniform policies; that is why they have been reluctant to put them in the high school level. Required uniforms present a real dilemma. If the junior or senior high school is a place that the students genuinely like–a place where they are respected, where they are proud of their achievements and those of others, and where they are consulted about the value of uniforms, they may well accept them.
(Howe II) In the earlier years, little children, who have not yet learned to question adults, will almost certainly accept them. But students in secondary schools without are likely to find ways to rebel against the Could uniforms work in the high school? According to Kate Dunnagan of Broughtan High this is not true. According to Dunnagan ?student bodies are developing and changing constantly. Students wear what is flattering and comfortable. It could be embarrassing to wear the same outfit as everyone else and look bad in it. The shape or design of a standard uniform may not be right for every individual.? It appears the reasons for not implementing uniform policies in the high schools are simple. Teenagers will reject them. No longer young enough to be persuaded, teenagers express themselves on how they feel, and to them uniforms feel wrong. Adolescence is when they discover who they really are, and what styles they like. They can not discover this by looking like each other day in and day out. So what does this then say to the elementary and jr. high students? That once they reach high school they won?t have to wear uniforms, and they can go back to their old ways? How does this help? It doesn?t. With this attitude crime and violence will only get worse. High school will become a place of freedom of uniforms, instead of the learning environment that uniforms are suppose to provide. Conformity helps students to behave better, learn, and achieve more in and out of the classroom (Forbes, Malcolm, p26).
The self esteem of a child is increased when he or she learns and feels equal to his peers. Little information was found regarding the thoughts and views of students themselves. However, last year students at Briton Middle school in New Jersey polled 5 senior classes, asking them how the felt about uniforms. One student responded saying ? This is just another tactic to try and remove more of our privileges.? (New Jersey Times, p23) In addition to parents, school officials and governments authorities having input, so should the students that will be wearing the uniforms. Problems at home, at school, at church, and public places occur when attire worn by children become a distraction and a disruption in their environment. When this occurs other methods must be devised to get the student?s mind off of material things and back to school work. These methods must begin with the parents. If parents monitor what their children wear then they can solve many problems that may occur. Are uniforms a good idea for your district? According to Dr. Hilfer, strict dress codes are not for everybody ? Some schools thrive on permissiveness and individuality, while others have to be more restrictive to contain a restless student body?.
Before making a uniform decision, he suggests that schools carefully consider their unique populations; what kind of message they want to send to their students; and whether or not the think their children will go for it. Dr. Hilfer warns, ?By instituting a uniform policy, schools are taking away kids? individuality — schools need to decide if that sacrifice is really worth It is apparent that no single program or action alone, will solve the problems facing public schools today. School uniforms and standardized dress codes must be a small part of a larger program to eliminate violence, competition, and distractions from education. Schools must incorporate dress codes along with other programs to help remove violence, and at the same time build self-esteem and school pride among the students and teachers. Finally, it will take the cooperation of parents, students, and school officials to make this program work. Ultimately, the goal for all us is to put the minds of students off of Polacheck, Karin, (1995, September 28).
Uniforms Help Solve Many School Problems. Long Beach Press-Telegram, (Online) 13 paragraphs. Available: http://www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/uniform/uniformp.htm. Stacey, Julie, (1995, August 22).
Today’s Debate: Dressing For School. USA Today (Online) 15 paragraphs. Available: http://www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/uniform.uniformg.htm. Siegel, Loren. Point of View: School Uniforms (Press release online).
American Civil Liberties Union web page, http://www.aclu.org/issues/student/pres.html U.S Department of Education, (1996).
Manual on School Uniforms. (Government U.S. House of Representatives. House Bill Number 2532 (Online).
Available: http://www.dos.state.fl.us/fgils/feds.html (No date).
Associated Press, (1995, September 9).
New Dress Code, Rule Shake Up Memphis School. The Chattanooga Times (Newspaper article), 18 paragraphs. http://www.hcrhs.hunterdon.k12.nj.us/english/willie/uniform3.htm http://www.bcsd.org/bhs/trap/oparts/march02.htm http://www.kidpub/School_Uniforms-Chelle.html http://inet.ed.gov/updates/uniforms.html http://www.aclu.org/congress/uniform.html http://inet.ed.gov/PressReleases/02-1996/whpr26.html
