I think pupils at middle schools should wear school uniforms because school uniforms are homogeneous and show no difference concerning the families economic. School uniforms might help to reduce violence in middle schools, because middle school pupils, who wear school uniforms often feel more as a unit and get along better among each other. Apart from these reasons I also feel, that school uniforms help pupils to represent their school and to separate them from other schools and pupils.
School uniforms are homogeneous and make no difference whether a pupil’s family is prosperous or not. Usually, especially in middle schools, it is easy to tell by pupil’s clothes if the pupil’s background is affluent or rather poor. For pupils, especially in middle schools it is important to be a part of the crowd. But to be a part of the crowd, also means to wear the clothes everybody wears irrespective of the price of these clothes. However, since not all parents are equally wealthy, it is not possible for everyone to own the same trendy clothes. Hence, it happens sometimes, that some pupils can afford more expensive clothes than others. A good example here is shoes. It is quite easy to spend over $ 150 for one pair of sneakers, even though they are not necessary, but merely a fashion trend. Although those high amounts of money for one pair of shoes are unnecessary, children of more affluent families feel they need to have these expensive shoes. Pupils whose parents cannot afford to spend as much money on shoes, are sometimes discriminated against by other “richer” pupils only because of their clothing; in this case because they don’t wear the same brand of shoes. School uniforms help to avoid this problem.
A Uniform Decision June 2003
Imagine being able to wake up every morning, roll out of bed, put on the same thing you wore the day before, and head off to school. Not only would you be able to do such a thing, but all of your friends were doing it, too! Sound too good to be true? Well, it's becoming more common in our society as school uniforms have gone beyond private schools to public schools. Uniforms have a positive effect ...
Because school uniforms now show no difference between “poor” and “rich” pupils, they also might avoid or at least reduce violence in middle schools. Pupils in middle schools who wear school uniforms often feel more at ease with each other and get along better among each other. School uniforms avoid discrimination among poor and rich pupils because they evade at least the envy of clothes, that “poorer” pupils can’t effort. Envy and jealousy often cause violence at middle schools. Therefore school uniforms are an easy way to avoid some reasons for violence at schools.
Another reason why I think middle schools should have school uniforms is that school uniforms help pupils to represent their school and also help to separate themselves from other schools and pupils. At some schools it is an honor to wear the school uniform. To wear a school uniform is a way of showing that one is a part of a group; it is a way to show that one is a member of something special. To wear a school uniform symbolizes that a person is a part of something different. You notice that especially at school teams’ games and it is a funny feeling, a special feeling of “school-spirit”, when the gym is filled with pupils that all wear the same uniforms. It simply forms a real unity.
Finally I think the idea of wearing school uniforms at middle school is a good way to form a positive school spirit and let pupils feel united and not separated only because of a more or less affluent background.
