The Controversial Issue on the Mandatory Wearing of School Uniform

Schools uniform is a standard set of clothes that is worn by a set of people, and contextually, they are worn by students in a school. Debates continue to be held on whether school uniforms should be mandatory for students or not. No one has ever denied the significance of wearing uniforms at schools as each and every schools has its own distinguished colours and images that make their uniforms stand out from a far in the midst of the other school uniforms.

However, the issue that students have to wear their uniforms when going to schools is still controversial. While many of the people believe that forcing students to wear school uniforms is a form of denying them their freedom and right to choose what they want to wear as well as they type, make and size of the clothing they cherish to put on. As for others they believe that school uniforms for students should be mandatory. Generally, those arguing supporting the idea of schools uniforms give their reasons, just as those who oppose strongly the idea of wearing uniforms.

School uniforms can be very helpful and convenient from the parents’ perspective. One of the reasons why they should be mandatory is to ease the burden given how cost effective school uniforms are in nature. There is no intense and much shopping needed when picking out school uniforms. Due to their distinguished nature, it is easy to shop for school uniforms in the minimum time possible. At the same time, since everyone wears the same color and clothing in schools, not much money needs to be spend and thus, parents hardly strain, in this context.

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With regard to shopping, most of the malls offer back to school specials compared with other stores where most of the school teens do their shopping for clothes. Making school uniforms mandatory for all students reduces or eliminates completely the chances of bullying. Most of the bullies in schools pick out other students based on the type of clothing they were. In the event they are both wearing the same colours in the uniforms, there is a less chance that many students will be picked out to be bullied as they all would look the same. School uniforms help in the establishment and provision of an environment which harbors the strengths of the bullies (Brown & Kelvin).

Having students wear school uniforms in schools and having it as a compulsory outfit erases the established differences in social classes. Normally, most of the teens and kids in a significantly higher social class tend to wear the up to-date clothing from the expensive stores and malls. On the other hand, the children of the poor, whose parents are in a lower social class, tend to wear the out of trend clothes from the local shopping stores. Personally, I have experienced this problem before, coming from a lower social class; I could not afford the trendiest expensive outfits worn by some of my fellow classmates. This could trigger me so much and ended up envying them wishing I could be afforded the same. At times it could triggers thoughts to steal them, so that I can walk in the high pedestal they walk in. Therefore, when the school uniforms are made mandatory, both children from the various and different social classes are brought together. Every student wears the same clothes, in colour and in quality, baring few circumstances where the quality differs depending on the tailor. This does not make any significant difference in the overall feeling amongst the students. No one is capable of knowing which social class the other student is from, thus enhancing harmony, bring them together at the same pedestal therefore eliminating any chance of division based on social classes (Killen).

In the schools where uniforms have been made mandatory to every student, they look more formal, organized and well together than those who wear casual clothes to school. The schools where uniforms are not mandatory, have the children not caring any bit how they will come out publicly therefore putting the image of the school in disarray. There is a high chance you will find most of the students with sagging pair of trousers with inner wears showing. These casual outfits normally have fancy and inappropriate logos on them, thus giving the school and bad reputation as well as a bad image. Among the students with a designated colour or set of school uniform, students tend to focus more on their performance in academics thus leading to marked improved in their grades. This means, they are presented well and much better in academic perspective that schools where uniforms are not encouraged or mandatory.

Rebuttal

This controversial subject on if school uniforms should be mandatory can be viewed from the fashion perspective or standpoint. Most of the uniforms demanded in schools may never suit or match someone’s taste in the sense of fashion as well as his or her physical body. Especially in schools where students have variance in race, there could be problems developing as a result. For instance, in a situation where the school uniform is a sleeveless pinafore with a belt around the waist. Not forgetting the useless badge on both shoulders. Such clothing is designed for those who cut a petite figure with respect to their physical outlook. It may look perfect and fitting to some. What About those who are relatively short with huge bodies cutting out flabby figures? Even though it is a personal problem and perspective, there are many other students who face the same predicament. Many of the students have designed their outfits to match their bodies much better thus ridiculing the importance of having school uniforms. Therefore, students should be allowed to wear what fits their bodies better, and what suits their tastes and preferences (Denno). Regardless of this being a personal reason, indubitably I am not the only one who faces this.

Generally, school uniforms are quite a good rule to impose on students. Even though the argument of violating the right of one’s expression will never come to an end, the positives or advantages of having school uniforms mandatory for students outweigh the argument that school uniforms should not be mandatory. When a school or any academic institution implements the mandatory school uniform rule, chances are high that they have eliminated or done away with cases of bullying among the students. No students will be picked out by others based on what they wear. It is also worth noting that given school uniforms eliminate the division amongst students by social class, it must be added that it reduces cases of theft, given some students may be jealous of the expensive trends donned by the high social class kids. It should be noted that students with a formal outfit in their school life have their concentration more in their academics that those with casual outfits as they could be captivated in the latest trends as far as clothes are concerned, thus taking their efforts far away from academics. Finally, a school with a mandatory school uniform is more formal that a school that encourages casual outfits. The perception and the image that both sides from the divide cut is valleys apart, with those with school uniform more appealing to the eye as well as the general public. To sum up everything, making school uniform mandatory serves the fact that the uniforms are much different from other casual outfits as they continue to teach on the obedience towards the rule of governing law hence promoting discipline. Brown, Lionel H., and Kelvin S. Beckett. “The Role Of The School District In Student Discipline: Building Consensus In Cincinnati.” The Urban Review 38.3 (2006): 235-256. Web.

The main objective of this article is to show the process of implementing a particular code of the behavior of the students in the schools in Cincinnati which played a crucial role in the reduction of the number of suspensions as well as expulsions. I use this article to argue that having school uniforms mandatory will reduce the cases of bulling among the students. “Constitutional Law Freedom of Expression: Enactment and Enforcement by School Authorities of Reasonable Dress and Grooming Code Regulations Does Not Violate a Student’s Constitutional Rights,” Brooklyn Law Review 38 (1972): 802–10. This case King v. Saddleback Junior College District, it was formally held that an individual’s code of dressing does not violate the equal protections of rights. Contextually, students should be allowed to dress according to their preference.

Denno, Theodore F., “Mary Beth Tinker Takes the Constitution to School,” Fordham Law Review 38 (1969): 35–62.

This article represents the view that the rigid structure of schools or the system of education should change to accommodate the expression of students. It is used to show that students should not be cowed in to submitting to the demands of the curriculum; rather their expression should take precedence.

“High School Student’s First and Fourteenth Amendment Rights Were Not Violated by School

Board’s Ban of T-Shirts Depicting a ‘Ghoulish and Creepy’ Rock Star Marilyn Manson, Federal Appellate Court Affirms,” Entertainment Law Reporter 22 (December 2000): 18. The Court of Appeal upheld that the board of the school was right to bad casual outfit which was vulgar and offensive. To avoid such cases, this article is used to argue for the legitimization of school uniforms being mandatory.

Killen, Rob, “The Achilles’ Heel of Dress Codes: The Definition of Proper Attire in Public Schools,” Tulsa Law Journal 36 (2000): 459–86.

Killen, in this article, argues that uniform policies help in the achievement of set targets and goals. In this context, with school uniform, students concentrate in their academics thus achieving their academic goals and objectives.

Klahr, Gary P., “The Legal War on the Young Continues,” Arizona Attorney 30 (July 1994): 15 19, 34.

This article argues that specific dress codes and especially school uniforms do not conform well in this era and that they deny the subject their freedom and rights to expression. Mahling, Wendy, “Secondhand Codes: An Analysis of the Constitutionality of Dress Codes in the Public Schools,” Minnesota Law Review 80 (1996): 715–42. Wendy proposes that there is the need to provide the students with a suitable learning environment that will help them achieve their academic goals. Therefore, legitimizing the school uniforms.

Reeves, Clifford Lee, “The Personal Appearance of Students—The Abuse of a Protected Freedom,” Alabama Law Review 20 (1967): 104–13. This article by Reeves argues that enforcing mandatory school uniform on students is constitutionally invalidated and therefore students should be allowed to express themselves in their dressing codes.

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. Web.

This study sought to examine how school uniforms affect behavior. The author noted that there was a decrease in the cases of bullying with an increase in the confidence in the students. I use this article to put across the point that school uniform improves discipline as well as the overall formality of the students and the school in general.

Stover, Del, “The Dress Mess,” American School Board Journal 177 (June 1990): 26–33.

Stover reveals that schools imposing mandatory school uniforms is in accordance with administrative policies and adds that it is legal for schools to make such moves. In this paper, this article is used to note that it is the role of the administration to give every student a conducive environment without disturbance, thus, school uniforms are legitimate.