Schooluniformsdebatefnds5050.weebly.com



The Benefits of Implementing School Uniforms In American Public Schools.Renata W F RodriguesUniversity of Colorado at DenverThe school uniform is a subject that has been ongoing for decades, whether or not it is a good option for public schools in America. School Uniforms came to attention after deaths of young people over clothing. Youth violence that frequently occurs over designer clothes and tennis shoes continues to be “one of the most pressing social problems facing the United States today” (Holloman, 1995). In 1996, President Clinton came with a Manual of School Uniform, supporting the use of school uniforms."If it means that teen-agers will stop killing each other over designer jackets than our public schools should be able to require their students to require school uniforms." “If it means that the schoolrooms will be more orderly, more disciplined, and that our young people will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside instead of what they're wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms." "It's tragic when young people without a balanced upbringing, without grounded values, without a secure education, wind up believing that it's all right to kill somebody for a pair of sneakers or jewelry or a designer jacket," President Clinton said, citing incidents of violence by teen-agers. (Allison Mitchell, 1996)He also said,” I think these uniforms do not stamp out individuality among our young people. Instead, they slowly teach our young people one of life's most important lessons: that what really counts is what you are and what you become on the inside, rather than what you are wearing on the outside”. (Allison Mitchell, 1996)After the first public school began using uniforms, there was a considerable increase in the use of uniforms, partly fueled by President Bill Clinton mentioning the benefits of school uniforms in his inaugural address in 1996, as indicated in a report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES):??Prior to the 1994-1995 school year only about three-quarters of one percent of students in the US were required to wear uniforms.??By the 1996-1997 school year, that number had increased about four-fold to 3 percent. ? A marketing research group, NDP Group, Inc., reported that school-uniform sales were valued at $900 million in 1999 and rose 22% to $1.1 billion in 2000.?( “Public School Uniform Statistics”, 2013)After 5 years, The largest and most prominent example of a school uniform policy experiment in the United States is?that of the Long Beach Unified School District, the third largest school district in California having 97,000 students in 90 public school programs, it reflects that school crime overall has dropped approximately 86%, even though K-8 student enrollment increased 14%. The five categories of school crime where comparisons can be made between 1993 levels and 1999 levels are as follows: (a) sex offenses down 93% (from 57 to 4 offenses); (b) robbery/extortion down 85% (from 34 to 5 cases); ( c) selling or using chemical substances down 48% (from 71 to 37 cases); (d) weapons or look-a-likes down 75% (from 145 to 36 cases); and (e) dangerous devices down 96% (from 46 to 2 cases;?LBUSD, 1999). … Analysis of attendance figures has also provided interesting outcomes for the uniform initiative. In the fourth year that school uniforms have been required in K-8 grades, the percent of actual attendance reached almost 95%, noted as the highest point in the 18 years that the district has maintained statistics. Middle schools also registered comparable improvements in student attendance reaching almost 95% (LBUSD, 2002). (as cited in Latham, 2012)Nowadays. 23% of the schools in the USA (including private school) has adopted the school uniforms on their dress code. The cities with the highest use of school uniforms in their public school are: New Orleans 95%, Cleveland 85%, Chicago 80%, Boston 65%, Miami 60% and Cincinnati with 50%. ( “Public School Uniform Statistics”, 2013)There are innumerable reasons school uniforms are beneficial to the school environment, such as, reducing focus on clothing, better self-esteem regards who they are, instead of what they wear, increasing safety and sense of belonging. According to U.S Department of Education, with Schools requiring uniforms, there will be no more competition over clothing, less or more expensive clothes,. Students will reduce focusing on clothing to determinate status and will focus more in learning. In class will be easier to focus only on the professor. Students will start to express their personality academically, they will be more comfortable to show their unique gifts without concerning just in appearance. It can also reduce violence at school, making it more difficult for students to identify other gang members, reducing fights over brand clothing and also it is easier to identify people that does not belong to the school environment. Requiring school uniforms, students will feel as part of a group increasing a sense of belonging. It will reduce social anxiety and fear surrounding bullying. (Campbell, 2013)According to Chloe Spencer (2013), a 15 year-old student, a uniform means students don't have to worry about peer pressure when it comes to their clothes. When everyone is dressed the same, worrying about what you look like isn't so important. There is no competition about being dressed in the latest trend, which would put a great deal of financial pressure on students and parents. Potential bullies have one less target for their insults; it's hard to make fun of what someone is wearing when you're dressed exactly the same.Linda Rondeau, assistant superintendent of educational services at Pittsburg Unified School District, who says, “Now, no one is looking at shirts with graffiti or wondering if what students are wearing is affiliated with a gang or worrying about someone’s designer sweatshirt”. Judy Hynt-Brown, principal at Maeola R. Beitzel Elementary School in Sacramento also believes that uniforms are beneficial saying that “classmates who are dressed alike are far less distracted”. “Students spend less time talking about and analyzing everyone’s dress.(Boutelle, 2008)??????????????? There are few negative feedbacks regarding this subject, such as Uniforms detract from a child's individuality. Students will always find ways to express themselves, leading to less desirable forms of expression such as tattooing and piercing. The main preoccupation is that whether uniforms smother students’ creative freedom of expression. (Boutelle, 2008). Jeffrey Warren, in another hand says, “Uniforms allow children the right to distinguish themselves by the deeds they’ve done, not the duds they wear”.?(Boutelle, 2008)Students should show their individuality and creativity by activities, sports, expressing thoughts. Going to school, it’s not about showing who you are by the clothes you are wearing, it’s about learning.Many parents also argues the pricing of uniforms, especially when they have multiple kids, stating they are costly. The majority of the parents, on the other hand, when uniforms are implemented in a school, they have a very positive acceptance for it.ConclusionIn this research, the content shows readers, teenagers, parents and everyone debating about school uniforms the statistical and psychological effects of the usage of uniforms implemented by School Boards. The learning environment seeks to maximize the best educational strategies in order to achieve their goals with students, they do not work for punishment or to disturb any of its communities, parents and students. School Uniforms caught the attention of once the US President, confirming the importance of its use across the Nation. The behaviors of humans can be easily manipulated by labeling them in different formats. The schools have the uniforms, which carries the implied message of better conduct at school, indicates reduction of violence, sex offense, concentration in class, reduction in formation of gangs, less robbery, less weapons and even better attendance at school. Humans act according to their overall “display”, it is only necessary a new haircut or even wearing glasses to change one’s behavior.Other psychological effects of the uniform were explored in this research such as uniforms reducing focus on clothing, increasing sense of safety, inputting the sense of belonging and also strengthening greater self-confidence in students. All these ideas were observed and documented in many years of uniform implementation and could be proved throughout better School Districts such as the Long Beach Unified School District, the third largest school district in California.The disadvantages are much smaller than the benefits of the school uniform system. As reviewed uniforms can be less costly overtime, being uniforms not brand names and can increase school academic achievements, better expression or real personalities inside students, their skills and opinions and even the decrease of bad behaviors. School Uniforms have a very big case in their favor and the public could have more hands on news and studies about all benefits it carries within.ReferencesBoutelle, M. (2008). Uniforms: Are they a good fit? Education Digest, 73(6), 34?37. Retrieved from , Leah.(2013) .Emotional Benefits of School Uniforms for Young Children. In Global Post. Retrieved from , Roy. ( 2012, April 3). School Uniforms Should Be Required."?Facts Plus Logic. FactsPlusLogic. Retrieved from , Alison. (1996, February 25). Clinton will advise schools on uniforms. The New York Times. Retrieved from "Public School Uniform Statistics." Education Bug, 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. Retrieved from Uniforms Statistics. (nd) In Statistics Brain. Retrieved from: . school-uniform-statistics/Spencer, Chloe. (2013, October 3) What is the Point of School Uniforms? [The Guardian]. Retrieved from 2013/oct/03/why-wear-school-uniform ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download