Uniform debate: Students dressed in uniform are better perceived by teachers and peers. | School Uniforms

The School Uniforms Debate – DebateUS

Pro Arguments

School uniforms lead to fewer discipline problems

Nevada Today 4/23/13 Claudene Wharton “College of Education researchers conduct study on impacts of school uniforms” https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2013/school-uniform-study

Jafeth Sanchez, research assistant professor, and George “Gus” Hill, associate professor, designed a 49- question survey to which approximately 1,350 students responded during the schools’ first year of implementing a uniform policy. The students were seventh- and eighth-graders at Vaughn and Pine Middle Schools in Reno and at Sparks Middle School in Sparks.

At Sparks Middle School, discipline and school police records were also studied. Compared to the year prior, discipline referrals were reduced by about 10 percent the first year the uniform policy was implemented. Additionally, school police data showed a 63 percent reduction in police log reports during the first year of implementation. Other decreases were noted in reports of gang-related activities and student fights, along with graffiti, property damage, battery and administrative assists.

School uniforms decrease crime rates

The Daily Gazette 5/22/15 Hamza Noor “Uniforms cut down on bullying, make schools safer place”

https://dailygazette.com/article/2015/05/22/uniforms-cut-down-bullying-make-school-safer-place

I believe that school should have school uniforms because they are good for deterring crime and increasing safety for the students, and after reading this, you will too. A report from Long Beach, California, shows an obvious decrease in crime after having school uniforms. It shows that reports of assault with deadly weapons dropped by 50%, fighting incidents went down by 51%, possession of

weapons (or weapon “look-alikes”) decreased by 52%, sex offenses were cut by 74%, robbery dropped by 65%, possession of drugs went down by 69% and vandalism was lowered by 18%. If all these bad things happened in your school, wouldn’t you want school uniforms for safety. These factors really affect safety.

School Uniforms allow staff to quickly identify intruders, who may present a danger

Sandusky Register 8/27/14 Sandusky Register Staff “School Uniforms Help Prevent Bullying, Make Them Worthwhile” http://www.sanduskyregister.com/story/201405110021

Roughly 160,000 children miss school daily due to to fear of attack and or intimidation by other students. Because everyone would be dressed the same, students would not be bullied because of their clothing. In addition, uniforms promote safety because if an intruder walked into school, it would be easier to spot them because they would not be wearing the uniform.

School uniforms reduce bullying

School uniforms decrease bullying related to clothing

Sandusky Register 8/27/14 Sandusky Register Staff “School Uniforms Help Prevent Bullying, Make Them Worthwhile” http://www. sanduskyregister.com/story/201405110021

Roughly 160,000 children miss school daily due to to fear of attack and or intimidation by other students. Because everyone would be dressed the same, students would not be bullied because of their clothing. In addition, uniforms promote safety because if an intruder walked into school, it would be easier to spot them because they would not be wearing the uniform.

School uniforms make it harder for bullies to identify students who don’t fit in

#bTRU2u blog 29 June 2017 “Attitudes to school uniform”

Research shows wearing a school uniform helps to reduce bullying

Uniform makers Trutex has linked up with charity The Diana Award, established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, to launch anti-bullying campaign #bTRU2u and to support The Diana Award anti- bullying ambassadors programme.As part of the campaign it commissioned research from 1,318* teachers, parents and pupils on their attitudes to school uniforms.

The study found nine out of ten teachers (89%) believe school uniforms play an active role in reducing bullying. 95% say uniforms help students “fit-in” and 94% believe parents and the local community and even potential students look with pride on a school where pupils wear uniforms.

It found that schools with strict uniform rules report that potential bullies find it harder to identify targets which are historically children who do not quite fit in. A standard dress makes for a level playing field and removed pressure on children to wear the latest fashions or designer labels which can highlight inequalities between students who come from different family backgrounds.

School uniforms increase attendance and graduation rates

Campus Safety Magazine January 18 2006 “Study Says Uniforms Increase Student Attendance, Graduation Rates,” https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/study-says-uniforms- increase-student-attendance-graduation-rates/

Requiring students in urban public high schools to wear uniforms results in increased attendance, higher graduation rates and fewer student suspensions, but it does not improve academic performance in reading and math. Those are among the results of a new study conducted by a researcher at Youngstown State University (YSU).

“Uniforms alone do not improve student reading and math proficiency test scores, but they do help in addressing problems with discipline and attendance in a school building,” said Virginia Draa, the YSU assistant professor of human ecology who conducted the study as part of her dissertation for a doctoral degree in educational leadership.

Draa surveyed school administrators and examined proficiency test scores and rates of attendance,

graduation, suspension and expulsion between 1994 and 2002 at 64 high schools in Ohio’s eight largest

school districts, six of which have uniform policies.

School uniforms allow students to focus more on their studies, not what they are wearing

Education Update October 2015 Allison Torres Burtka “Are School Uniforms a Good Fit?” http://www. ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education- update/oct15/vol57/num10/Are-School-Uniforms-a-Good-Fit%C2%A2.aspx

Uniforms contributed to a positive school culture at Van Nuys, and nearly every parent supported their adoption. “It helps in the classroom,” Diaz observes. “Students are focused on the instruction, not what other students are wearing.”

Lakia Wilson, a counselor at Spain Elementary-Middle School in Detroit, agrees that uniforms “keep students in a student mindset.” They also cut down on competition. Kids don’t have to worry about not having the $200 jeans that their friends have, which is better for their self-esteem, she says.

The Detroit Public Schools dress code policy specifies the types of clothing and colors that students must wear. Wilson believes that “for the most part, when they look the part, they act the part.”

Students wearing uniforms do not feel that they need to keep up with the clothing other students are wearing

Education Update October 2015 Allison Torres Burtka “Are School Uniforms a Good Fit?” http://www. ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education- update/oct15/vol57/num10/Are-School-Uniforms-a-Good-Fit%C2%A2.aspx

Uniforms contributed to a positive school culture at Van Nuys, and nearly every parent supported their adoption. “It helps in the classroom,” Diaz observes. “Students are focused on the instruction, not what other students are wearing.”

Lakia Wilson, a counselor at Spain Elementary-Middle School in Detroit, agrees that uniforms “keep students in a student mindset.” They also cut down on competition. Kids don’t have to worry about not having the $200 jeans that their friends have, which is better for their self-esteem, she says.

School uniforms promote equality among students of different economic status

City Press 2017-09-03 Panyaza Lesufi “School uniforms mean equality, not sameness” https://www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/school-uniforms-mean-equality- not-sameness-20170901

Kids do not go to school worried about what to wear or whether their clothes are cool. All they have to concentrate on is doing well in class. That should be the main focus of any school. Indeed, uniforms

eliminate the “fashion show” in school and are much cheaper than fashionable clothes. We know that some schools in gang-ravaged communities have made school uniforms an important part of an overall programme to improve school safety and discipline. School uniforms are a good way of ensuring that all children are seen and treated equally.

School Uniforms level the playing field

Room 241—Concordia University-Portland blog October 10 2013 Brian Gaten “School Uniforms—Potential and Problems https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/curriculum- teaching-strategies/school-uniforms-potential-and-problems/

For the most part, school uniforms, can help eliminate the wealth gap between students. For families of means, dressing their children for school often turns into a public fashion show of the latest and most popular clothing styles. While that is certainly their prerogative, we cannot forget that reinforcing economic differences drives students further apart when schools should be drawing them closer together.

Wearing uniforms enhances school pride and unity

School uniforms create a sense of unity

Room 241—Concordia University-Portland blog October 10 2013 Brian Gaten “School Uniforms—Potential and Problems https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/curriculum- teaching-strategies/school-uniforms-potential-and-problems/

Uniforms also help build a sense of order and structure in a school. Having students dress the same creates an initial appearance of unity that is a key component if the school wants to fashion a common ethos and culture among its students. This is why private and religious schools require that the children share common dress expectations. These expectations then spiral up into higher and higher levels of collaboration and shared identity.

School uniforms build school pride

School News January 27 2015 Patricia Clarke “Uniforms Promote Pride in the School”

Uniforms promote pride in the school

While there have been debates in many countries over the years about the pros and cons of school uniform as opposed to mufti, most schools in New Zealand opt for a uniform. There are a number of reasons for that, one being to promote pride in the schools. Principal of Bayfield High School in Dunedin Judith Forbes says she sees that as one of the main benefits of a uniform.

“For the students, it promotes a sense of pride, both in themselves and in their school, it gives them a sense of identity with the school,” Mrs Forbes says.

Wearing uniforms enhances school pride and unity

Room 241—Concordia University-Portland blog October 10 2013 Brian Gaten “School Uniforms—Potential and Problems https://education. cu-portland.edu/blog/curriculum- teaching-strategies/school-uniforms-potential-and-problems/

Uniforms also help build a sense of order and structure in a school. Having students dress the same creates an initial appearance of unity that is a key component if the school wants to fashion a common ethos and culture among its students. This is why private and religious schools require that the children share common dress expectations. These expectations then spiral up into higher and higher levels of collaboration and shared identity.

School News January 27 2015 Patricia Clarke “Uniforms Promote Pride in the School”

Uniforms promote pride in the school

While there have been debates in many countries over the years about the pros and cons of school uniform as opposed to mufti, most schools in New Zealand opt for a uniform. There are a number of reasons for that, one being to promote pride in the schools. Principal of Bayfield High School in Dunedin Judith Forbes says she sees that as one of the main benefits of a uniform.

“For the students, it promotes a sense of pride, both in themselves and in their school, it gives them a sense of identity with the school,” Mrs Forbes says.

School uniforms save money

Greatschools.org June 11 2018 Marian Wilde “Do uniforms make schools better?”

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/school-uniforms/

After a school uniform policy was implemented in three Nevada middle schools in 2008 and 2009, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno, set out to find out what 1,350 seventh and eighth graders thought about the change. The vast majority — 90 percent of students — reported that they disliked wearing uniforms. However, other data showed more nuanced results. For instance, 54 percent of students agreed that they still had their identity while wearing a uniform, and 50 percent agreed that uniforms saved their families money. But only 41 percent of students agreed that there was less gang activity at their school after uniforms were required. However, when the researchers looked into school discipline and local police records and compared them to the prior year’s data, discipline referrals were down 10 percent, there were 63 percent fewer police log reports, and graffiti, fights, and gang-related activity were all down.

Parade August 1 2016 Leah Ingram “How School Uniforms Can Save Money”

https://parade.com/496380/leahingram/how-school-uniforms-can-save-money/

According to a 2013 survey from the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), 77 percent of respondents estimated the average cost of school uniforms per child, per year, was $150 or less.

According to the National Retail Federation, in 2013 parents spent close to $231 per child on back-to- school clothing. In 2016 that number has gone up. Back-to-school clothing purchases are expected to be more than $235 per child. New shoes add about $130 to the tab.

Going back to that NAESP survey, 86 percent of parents surveyed believed that having school uniforms makes shopping for back to school a more budget-friendly endeavor. And based on the numbers above, I believe it.

Con Arguments

Most students oppose uniforms

Students will choose not to go to schools that require uniforms

South Bend Tribune April 25 2017 Christian Sheckler “Washington High School may do away with uniform policy” https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/education/washington-high-school-may- do-away-with-uniform-policy/article_ac8ae0b5-b2d9-582c-8c1b-a8f24752be00.html

Citing opposition to uniforms among students, teachers and parents, a study committee recommended Monday that the South Bend Community School Corp. board of trustees reverse the uniform requirement for students at Washington High School, which has seen the steepest decline in enrollment of the district’s four high schools.

“In a world where open enrollment exists, we need to think about how a uniform policy plays into students not enrolling at Washington,” said Washington Principal Byron Sanders, who co-chaired the study committee. “If uniforms have any role in decreasing enrollment, I need to be responsive to that.”

The majority of students are against uniforms

Kids.lovetoknow.com Michele Meleen M.S.Ed “What do kids think about school

uniforms?”https://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/What_Do_Kids_Think_About_School_U niforms

The vast majority of kids don’t want to wear school uniforms. According to one districtwide survey in Volusia County, Florida, nearly 70 percent of students said they were against a uniform policy. The reasons why kids don’t want to wear school uniforms are diverse and include the following.

School uniforms restrict students’ freedom of expression

All individuals have the right to express themselves freely, including in school

Opposing Views December 19 2008 ACLU Nevada “School Uniforms are Inefficient and Unnecessary” https://www. opposingviews.com/category/school–uniforms–are– inefficient-and-unnecessary

The Constitution is so important to our daily lives that we ask public officials – and in many states, public school teachers – to take an oath to uphold the Constitution as a requirement of holding an office of public trust. Our public schools are more than just an educational necessity – they are our one shot, as a society, at inculcating the most important American values for the future citizens and leaders of our country. And perhaps no value is more crucial, and more uniquely American, than diversity of thought and expression, as reflected in that empowering first guarantee the American people saw fit to include in our Bill of Rights: the protection of the fundamental freedoms of speech, religious thought, press, or assembly.

School uniforms endanger individual liberties

Washington County Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise Dec 5 2013 Chris Rhoades “Counterpoint: School uniforms hinder students’ expression” http://www.enterprisepub.com/opinion/columns/counterpoint–school–uniforms– hinder–students–freedom–of–expression/article_77c3461a–5dfe–11e3–864b– 0019bb30f31a. html

There are certainly many positives to the idea of school uniforms. On the surface, it might be easy to get behind the idea. However, it also begins the trip down a very slippery slope of endangering individual liberties, expression and personal style. If we start mandating that all kids wear the same clothing to school, where does it stop? Will haircuts need to be the same? Will everyone carry the same backpack, same lunch box, have the same design for their pencils? While those questions may seem silly today, it may be more of a real thought than we’d like to think in the future if all schools start mandating exactly what their students wear. Allowing kids to wear what they want allows them freedom of expression. Something that this country is founded on. And while we might want to discredit the youth’s right to express themselves because they are young, we should not.

School uniforms are harmful to poor students

School uniforms put pressure on disadvantaged families to buy clothes they cannot afford

The News Herald 9/29/15 Lindsey O’Brien and Tawana Roberts “Area school districts implement uniforms, dress codes” http://www. news-herald.com/general- news/20150929/area-school-districts-implement-uniforms-dress-codes

In a public school district, however, purchasing a school uniform can become a financial burden for some families. According to Ohio Revised Code, school districts are required to assist “economically disadvantaged students to obtain uniforms.”

School Uniforms do not erase socioeconomic differences

Baltimore Sun December 23 2007 Madison Park “School uniform poll bares generation gap” http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2007-12-23/news/0712220222_1_mandatory- uniforms-school-uniforms-harford-county-public

[a sociology associate professor at the University of Missouri] Brunsma counters that argument, saying, “More-affluent families buy more uniforms per child. The less affluent, if they can’t afford uniforms, they have one” he said. “It takes two months for this to get washed, re-washed and to have things spilled on it. It’s more likely to be tattered, torn and faded. It only takes two months for socioeconomic differences to show up again.”

School uniforms are often very expensive

The Independent 24 February 2015 Adam Sherwin “High Price of School Uniforms Leaves Children at Risk of Bullying” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/high-price-of-school- uniforms-leaves-children-at-risk-of-bullying-10065734.html

Current school policies risk dividing pupils into the “haves and have-nots”, leaving those without the right kit at risk of bullying, according to the charity’s research. The findings, based on a poll of around 1,000 parents, found that 95 per cent of mothers and fathers think school uniform costs are

“unreasonable”. An analysis by the charity suggests that nearly 800,000 pupils go to school in poorly fitting uniforms because their parents cannot afford to keep buying new items, while a further 400,000 have been sent home for wearing “incorrect” clothes. Around a quarter of a million children are said to have had their school chosen for them based on the cost of its uniform.

School uniforms undermine students’ right to self- expression

Students express themselves through their clothing; denying this does not allow them to develop their personalities

Public School Review April 6, 2018 Grace Chen “Public School Uniforms: The Pros and Cons for Your Child” https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/public-school- uniforms-the-pros-and-cons-for-your-child

The opponents of public school uniforms, as outlined by the ACLU’s argument for the First Amendment, argue that uniforms stifle a student’s need for self-expression. By denying students the opportunity to fully express their unique personality through the clothing they select, individualism is unable to develop to its fullest capacity. When children select their own clothing, they are able to develop confidence and independence, characteristics vital to personality development and adult success. Denying students the ability to express individualism and belief in a sub-culture, whether preppy, hip-hop, punk, or jock, could stymie the students’ transition from childhood into adulthood. Controlling the socialization process could harm the student as an adult, as they are not prepared for the real world, where they will indeed by judged by their appearances.

Students should be able to explore their personalities and individuality through clothing

Parentmap.com September 25 2013 Andrea Dashiell “School Uniforms: Conformity vs. Creativity” https://www.parentmap.com/article/school-uniforms-conformity-vs- creativity

Barbara C. Cruz, Ph.D., a University of South Florida professor and author of School Dress Codes: A Pro/Con Issue, points out, “We each have an external persona, and that is manifested through what we wear or how we wear our hair. And adolescence is a time of self-exploration, self-discovery, identity development — kids are testing out who they want to be. ”

School uniforms teach conformity

Baltimore Sun December 23 2007 Madison Park “School uniform poll bares generation gap” http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2007–12–23/news/0712220222_1_mandatory– uniforms-school-uniforms-harford-county-public

Troy Shuman, a senior at C. Milton Wright High School in Bel Air, said uniforms would be “teaching conformity and squelching individual thought. ””Just think of prisons and gangs,” he said. “The ultimate socializer to crush rebellion is conformity in appearance. If a school system starts at clothes, where does

it end?” Many students agreed, and so did their formal representatives. The Harford County Regional Association of Student Councils voted unanimously to oppose mandatory uniforms, saying they lack educational value and suppress individual expression.

Pro and Con: School Uniforms

© Monkey Business Images/Dreamstime.com

To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, and discussion questions about whether students should have to wear school uniforms, go to ProCon.org.

Traditionally favored by private and parochial institutions, school uniforms are being adopted by US public schools in increasing numbers. According to a 2020 report, the percentage of public schools that required school uniforms jumped from 12% in the 1999-2000 school year to 20% in the 2017-18 school year. School uniforms were most frequently required by elementary schools (23%), followed by middle (18%), and high schools (10%).

The first recorded use of standardized dress in education may have been in England in 1222, when the Archbishop of Canterbury mandated that students wear a robe-like outfit called the “cappa clausa.” The origin of the modern school uniform can be traced to 16th Century England, when the impoverished “charity children” attending the Christ’s Hospital boarding school wore blue cloaks reminiscent of the cassocks worn by clergy, along with yellow stockings. As of Sep. 2014, students at Christ’s Hospital were still wearing the same uniform, and according to the school it is the oldest school uniform still in use. When Christ’s Hospital surveyed its students in 2011, 95% voted to keep the traditional uniforms.

School uniforms in the United States followed the traditional use of uniforms established in England and were generally limited to private and parochial schools.  One exception was found in government-run boarding schools for Native American children, first established in the late 1800s, where the children, who had been removed from their families, were dressed in military-style uniforms.

According to figures released in 2018 by the National Center for Education Statistics, the total number of public schools nationwide requiring students to wear school uniforms increased from 12% during the 1999-2000 school year to 21% during the 2015-2016 school year. In 2015-2016, 25% of public primary schools enforced a uniform policy, as did 20% of public middle schools and 12% of public high schools. A higher proportion of schools located in cities had mandatory uniforms in 2015-2016 than schools in suburban, town, and rural areas. Mandatory uniforms were far more prevalent in “high-poverty” schools (in which 76% of students were eligible for reduced-cost or free lunch programs) than in “low-poverty” schools.

Among the US cities with the highest use of school uniforms in public schools are Philadelphia (100% of schools), New Orleans (95%), Cleveland (85%), Chicago (80%), Boston (65%), and Miami (60%).  The number of schools with “strict dress codes” has also increased, from 47% in 2000 to 57% in 2010.

• School uniforms may deter crime and increase student safety.
• School uniforms keep students focused on their education, not their clothes.
• School uniforms create a level playing field among students, reducing peer pressure and bullying.
• Wearing uniforms enhances school pride, unity, and community spirit.
• School uniforms may improve attendance and discipline.
• Uniform policies save valuable class time because they are easier to enforce than a standard dress code.
• School uniforms prevent the display of gang colors and insignia.
• School uniforms make getting ready for school easier, which can improve punctuality.
• School uniforms can save parents money.
• Most parents and educators support mandatory school uniforms.
• Students’ legal right to free expression remains intact even with mandatory school uniforms.
• Students dressed in uniform are better perceived by teachers and peers.
• Students can express their individuality in school uniforms by introducing variations and adding accessories.

• School uniforms restrict students’ freedom of expression.
• School uniforms promote conformity over individuality.
• School uniforms do not stop bullying and may increase violent attacks.
• School uniforms do not improve attendance, academic preparedness, or exam results.
• The key findings used to tout the benefits of uniforms are questionable.
• School uniforms emphasize the socio-economic divisions they are supposed to eliminate.
• Students oppose school uniforms.
• Uniforms may have a detrimental effect on students’ self-image.
• Focusing on uniforms takes attention away from finding genuine solutions to problems in education.
• The push for school uniforms is driven by commercial interests rather than educational ones.
• Parents should be free to choose their children’s clothes without government interference.
• School uniforms in public schools undermine the promise of a free education by imposing an extra expense on families.
• School uniforms may delay the transition into adulthood.

This article was published on May 3, 2021, at Britannica’s ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source.

Debates – Insch.Ru

We will explain what debates are, what types of debates exist, their goals, structure and other characteristics. And the rules that govern them
Debating uses words to convince the other, not violence

What is debate?

Debate is an organized juxtaposition of ideas and points of view between two or more people, at the end of which they must reach some agreement or middle ground through the organized and peaceful presentation of their arguments. Discussions are usually oral, although they may also take place in writing through appropriate communication platforms, provided they form a structured conversation

Throughout human history, debate has been the preferred form of exchange in formal, academic, or political settings

In which people use the word to express their opinion, objection, or point of view in the hope of convincing others, rather than force themselves on them . In fact, to keep the debate organized, there is usually a moderator who sorts out the queues and ensures mutual understanding

Many thinkers have studied debate and proposed models of exchange, from the ancient philosophers and political orators of Greco-Roman antiquity, to modern ones such as Karl Popper and politicians such as the Americans Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. Douglas. So, for example, in modern legislatures, debate is used to pass or abolish the laws of decision-making

Debate is also often a part of teaching methods in schools and other academic institutions. This is because it combines an in-depth study of the subject matter of the dispute with oratory skills that allow one to present one’s arguments persuasively

Characteristics of a debate

A debate is characterized by the following:

• It consists of an organized and reasoned exchange of ideas and/or points of view .
• It can take place between two or more persons orally or sometimes in writing.
• Has a moderator to evenly distribute speaking times and queues, keeping the discussion in order.
• Argumentative confrontation takes place on the basis of a pre-agreed set of rules or norms for debating.
• Debates are usually watched by spectators. Depending on who was more eloquent in their arguments, the audience can choose the winner.
• The purpose of the debate is to come to some conclusion from the ideas put forward.

Types of debates

Informal debates are usually not agreed in advance.

There can be many different types and styles of debate, depending on a set of rules or norms that are agreed upon in advance. However, depending on whether there is an official set of rules for the conduct of debates, or whether they are set spontaneously and improvised, we can distinguish between formal and informal debates, respectively

• their observance. In these debates, forms must be carefully followed, and the topic for discussion is usually very clearly defined.
• Informal debates: characterized by argumentative freedom, they are usually not agreed in advance and do not have formally established rules. They also usually don’t have a moderator.