High School Uniforms (On Advantage Side)

High School Uniforms (On Advantage Side)

Introduction

The high School uniforms debate is an issue that affects both the private and public schools in the US, and many countries around the world. Central in this debate surrounds establishing the validity over experiments that support high school uniform as promoting conformity, and reducing indiscipline. This topic attracts most public discourse that has involved many advocates including the one time US president, Bill Clinton. The former US president suggested that uniforms reinforce pride in students by creating an environment conducive for learning. He also said Uniforms instilled discipline among high school students thus helps reduce incidences of violence, prevent drug and substance abuse, and tame behavioral problems that occur in the context of learning (Chittom 3).

This paper supports the proposal to allow school uniforms in high schools, which in some instances has been faulted for curtailing individual freedom, and for not contributing to an improvement in the learning in schools. It further explores the various debates surrounding the use of high school uniforms, particularly among educators to provide a balanced argument on the debate. For instance, it draws on previous studies that show high school students who use uniforms are likely to excel in school by drawing on the discussions that provide evidence connecting school uniforms contributing  to the reduction of behavioral problems in the classrooms. The discussion finally draws on the legal perspectives of the debate, particularly in relation to the First amendments provision of the constitution that raises issues of authenticity of allowing school uniform in learning.

School uniforms in the US were first associated with private rigid schools that made it mandatory for every student to wear them. The practice aimed at creating conducive environment for promoting learning, and was backed by religious participation aimed at instilling pride, academic excellence, allegiance, harmony, and parity in the student populace (Happel 92).

Public schools on the other hand, were reluctant to make it mandatory for students to wear uniforms, and instead chose to be transparent to all students. Perhaps this idea was supported by a section of parents and administrators who believed uniforms stifled the individual, and were unnecessary expensive to poor families (Happel 93).

Some critics opposed to use of School Uniforms cite the burden of cost passed to parents or care takers. Nonetheless, this argument does not fully factor other benefits associated with the uniform style. Here, it can be argued that school uniforms are not necessarily expensive, given their simple designs. For instance, Parents do not always have to buy them, since their design rarely changes, and their cost is always constant, making it ideal for parents to manage, and plan for them which are a relatively easier venture. Students who wear school uniforms are also saved the burden of aping their peers, which might require them to dress expensively to fit in the group or bow to the pressure of finding new sets of clothing.  Based on theses facts, high school uniforms should be allowed particularly in formal leaning since parents can plan for them and they are easy to manage (Sanchez 346).

School uniforms advocates suggests they are likely to prevent violence related to gangs in schools, which mostly use clothing emblem to identify their members. For instance, rival groups likely to exacerbate group conflict can be countered, making it ideal to curb truancy among students who can trespass in school. This argument supports the need for allowing school uniforms in schools, which are associated with discipline, and make students’ comply with rules given  they can easily be singled out hence are careful to  behave properly.

Brusna Research in 1988, published in the journal of Education Research, detailed the scientific findings that suggested that school uniform was not attached to academic success, managing behavioral problems, and promoting school attendance. In fact, the researcher argued against the use of school uniforms which was found to impair the academic achievement of students. The finding which appears to raise doubt over the role of school uniform in the learning environment was countered by another Researcher Bodine in 2002, who refuted Brusna findings, by suggesting that it was not comprehensive since experiential data proven otherwise. This paper takes the position that increasing research such as the one commissioned by Bodine provides evidence that high school uniforms impacts on academic excellence and instilling discipline among students.

School uniforms are widely accepted in many countries throughout the world that support the long held practice for many years. In the US, debate on the topic varies, and was slowly embraced at the onset. However, recent trends have seen many schools accepting the practice. For example, statistics carried by the National Center for Educational shows 12 percent of public secondary schools have  made it compulsory to incorporate uniform programs tracing back to the year  2011, and 2012. At the onset, only 20 percent of the schools in the country operating at the elementary levels had complied, showing a marked increase beginning  2003, and 2012, especially the requirements  that required  District schools to prescribe specifications for school uniforms. The evidence supported by statistics proves that school uniforms area common features embraced in schools, and will continue to be supported in formal leaning institutions that values discipline and conformity to rules.

This paper revisits the crucial evidence provided by Karen Walker, a professor from Lebanon College in Pennsylvanian. According to the scholar, evidence connecting uniforms to improved academic success was still not insufficient. Nonetheless, emerging proof supported by smaller number of discipline points to reduction in the number of problems reported, as well as referrals related to truancy from the time the idea of school uniform policy was implemented. However, the idea can be contested against other programs that run along the school uniform programs to examine how the school uniforms’ policy affects discipline, and school turnout. Important in this case is to engage in more research especially as shown by new studies that link policies  supporting  school uniforms to reducing truancy, which   will further  inform more findings  (Luscombe 4).

Anderson, Lumsiden, and White conducted Research on School Uniform to examine how they affected learning outcomes. And based on their findings, previous works offers little evidence that school uniform boosts motivation, and personal confidence. The explanation for their findings suggested the results were not to be generalized, given they mostly applied to less endowed schools. However, this does not offer conclusive evidence to refute the benefits of promoting school uniforms which require large surveys in all public and private schools to authoritatively inform the findings. School uniform still forms a very critical part of learning, which cannot be restricted in few schools to make valid conclusions as earlier r found by Anderson, Lumsiden, and White (Luscombe 5).

The school uniform discussions shift towards the cultural underpinnings of  the gang violence behavior, which often results from distorted self perception, and motivation that can sometimes lack among indiscipline students who do not wear school uniform. The credibility of such findings can nonetheless be disputed given they were mostly conducted in the elementary and middle level schools that require their students to wear school uniforms. Important findings on the topic  thus forms a critical area for further research, particularly  in the last two decades to help us understand the increasing  benefits of uniforms and how culture changes shapes their perception (Luscombe 6).

Anderson work in 2002 offers the foundation to help us understand what promoted the culture of school uniforms by offering four possible explanations to clarify the trend in America, and by the extension to the other parts of the world (Walmsley 5)

First, school uniforms have been known to enhance safety, probably because they are associated with conformity. Here, it can be argued that students that wear school uniforms are likely to be disciplined, given they fear appraisal, particularly when found to have engaged in lawlessness in the school environment (Walmsley 6).

Second, school uniforms are likely to develop the learning climate, possibly by the virtue that conformity to rules instills discipline among students who can dedicate themselves to academic excellence by showing devotion to learning. This leads to the third rationale for promoting school uniform, connected to promoting high self safety. Perhaps, this follows the explanation that school uniforms allows students to have a renewed sense of perception as opposed to seeking group identity, associated with  negative behaviors  reinforced by peers (Walmsley 7).

Fourth, school uniforms save poor families, who can be spared the burden to invest in new fashions such as the one promoted by their peers. This majorly results from the pressure to conform to groups ideals, which has its set of culture that encourages its members to behave or dress alike. Conformity is instilled when students wear school uniforms thus reinforces a positive self image given they are less likely to be distracted by outside influence hence helps them acquire the right attitude that encourage them to work hard in school (Walmsley 7).

Central in the School uniform debate is to examine the critics leveled against many claims.  For instance, those connected to gang violence, and other forms of truancy causing    indiscipline in schools associated with students who do not wear uniforms. Other behavior that affects learning behavior can also be interrogated especially those connected to changes in school uniforms. In general, this paper proposes further research that do not only rely on quantitative studies to explain clear cause of students’ behaviors, and those which can be studied better by incorporating qualitative techniques to measure attitudes to explain how school uniforms affects the learning environment (Walmsley 8).

Conclusion

The benefit of school uniforms are immense, and follows experiential research that connects the trends to promoting conformity, discipline, and reducing truancy, given this occurs in the school environment that strictly sanctions behavior, and discourages its members from lawlessness. Opponents of the school uniform debate relay on limited number of studies which are not conclusive enough to justify their position. Such  findings have been  proven wrong by many experiential researches that suggest school uniforms actually contributes to discipline in schools as well as promoting academic excellence.

Work Cited

Chittom Ginsburgand Lynn-nore Jil,”School Uniforms: An Overview.” Points of View: School Uniforms, January, 2015, 3p Great Neck Publishing. Salem Press Encyclopedia,

Happel, Alison. “Ritualized Girling: School Uniforms and the Compulsory Performance of Gender.” Journal of Gender Studies 22.1 (2013): 92–96. Print.

Luscombe, Belinda. “How Ugly School Uniforms Will Save Education.” Time. Time, 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

Sanchez, Jafeth E., Andrew Yoxsimer, and George C. Hill. “Uniforms In The Middle School: Student Opinions, Discipline Data, And School Police Data.” Journal Of School Violence 11.4 (2012): 345–356. Print.

Walmsley, Angela. “What the United Kingdom can teach the United States about school uniforms.” Phi Delta Kappan 92.6 (2011): 63-66.