School uniforms: examining perspectives on a social issue

¶ … social problem from both sides: School Uniform

School Uniform

Looking at a social problem from both sides

The practice of requiring students to wear uniforms at public schools has become more common in recent years. A quarter or more of the nation's public elementary schools, and 10 to 15% of middle and high schools, now require uniforms, nearly double the percentage from 2000 (Weiss, 2006). An admittedly small study of public high schools in Ohio found that schools that required uniforms generally had lower suspension rates, higher graduation rates and fewer discipline issues (Weiss, 2006). In the wake of 9/11, many school districts wished to instate uniforms for the practical purpose of differentiating between students and 'outsiders,' as well as to reduce school violence in general (Kelly, 2006). Even before 9/11, no less of an authority than Bill Clinton advocated low-cost school uniforms as a way of fostering greater discipline in the public schools (Bennett, 1998).

But just as quickly as the trend has escalated, it seems to be dropping off. "In California alone, where the trend took off, at least 50 schools have abandoned uniforms in the last two years. In and around Salt Lake City, 16 of the 40 schools that once required uniforms have dropped them. School officials report defections in Florida, Kansas and New Hampshire" (Zerinke, 2002). There is also the issue of student rights, as the courts have ruled that so long as student's clothing is not disruptive, their expression cannot be curtailed (Applebome, 2007). Some schools have tried to make uniforms voluntary, but with mixed success, given that this creates a divide between students who opt in or out of the uniform policy (Lewin, 1997).

Pro: School Uniforms

What will I wear today? What will I learn today? In a school without school uniforms, students are more likely to ask the first question of themselves, rather than the latter. By allowing students to focus on learning rather than appearance, school uniforms perform a vital educational function. Required uniforms reduce competition based upon appearance and income, enabling less physically developed or attractive students to distinguish themselves upon their academics rather than beauty or flashy clothing. In one district that mandated uniforms, the superintendant explained: "I don't want haves and have-nots...I want kids to come to school and just be here for academic success, and I want teachers to be able to teach' without dealing with the distractions that clothing can create...Because we're here for teaching and learning" (Weiss, 2006).

Uniforms also can help make schools safer, in districts where gang violence is a problem. Schools can select uniforms that make it difficult to carry concealed weapons, or display gang affiliations. Having students wear uniforms may also work against unconscious teacher biases against oddly-dressed students, or students from poorer backgrounds. The uniforms may thus guard against educator's prejudices which could result in more consistent and higher expectations for students (Weiss, 2006).

Students often have jobs in which they must wear uniforms, and they willingly do so to achieve a financial profit -- why not an educational profit? They participate in extracurricular activities where they are required to wear uniforms. Many students will have to adhere to professional dress codes when they mature, and uniforms are no different. Finally, for parents who are increasingly strapped for dollars and time, they are a "time and energy savings for parents" (Weiss, 2006). On a more holistic level, uniform policies may indirectly affect school environments and student outcomes by providing a visible and public symbol of commitment to school improvement and reform (Weiss, 2006).

Con:

In theory, it might seem like school uniforms provide a more focused academic environment. One 1998 study used empirical data to assess the claims made by advocates of uniform. The findings indicated that student uniforms had no direct effect on substance use, behavioral problems, or attendance. Contrary to common wisdom, the authors found a negative effect of uniforms on student academic achievement, even when controlled for socio-economic variables (Brunsma & Rockquemore, 1998, cited by Weiss 2006). The study, originally published in 1998, concluded that 10th-grade public school students who wore uniforms did no better than those who did not in attendance, behavior or drug use (Weiss, 2006).

School uniforms also deprive students of a vital form of self-expression. It is demeaning to suggest that students use their appearance merely to display their wealth or sexuality. For example, one Dearborn, Michigan student used his appearance as a way to politically protest the Iraq war when he wore an anti-Bush t-shirt. The school prohibited him from doing so, but he finally won the right to do so, after an appeal to the state's supreme court: "I wore the shirt to spark discussion among the students on an issue I cared deeply about....I haven't decided when I'll wear the shirt again, but now I have the confidence of knowing that I have the right to wear it" he said ("Judge Rules in Favor of Michigan Student's Right to Wear Anti-War T-Shirt to School," ACLU, 2003).

When public institutions require students to wear uniforms as a mandate of participation in a public educational community, what sort of image of a free society are we creating for a nation's young people? Uniforms are a Band-aid solution; rather the real concern should be addressing the problems of school violence and underachievement

Conclusion

When I embarked upon my research, I admit that as a student I was personally adverse to the idea of wearing a uniform, but I expected the research to support the 'pro' argument. However, I wear a uniform for work, and I know that when I enter the workforce I must wear a uniform, so I was not entirely unsympathetic to the 'con' side. What surprised me, however, was how little real statistical evidence existed to back up the idea that uniforms contributed to superior student performance. There was a great deal of emotional rhetoric supporting uniforms, but nothing to indicate if the use of uniforms actually generated a more academically-minded student body and facilitated progress. The arguments about school violence made sense, but there was no correlation between the use of uniforms and reduced rates of school violence, except in very small studies that did not control for economic variables.