Essay Sample: Should Schools Wear Uniforms?

Teens around the world waking up groggy dredging to go to school every day of the week. Put yourself in teens shoes, in an environment where they are placed in a hierarchy system you can't control. Where other people around you place you on that system. All you want to do in that environment is be higher up in the grading ladder. The people in that same ladder don't really care about who you are and what you do at the end of the day, but you still strive for more in this ranking. We all know it's there but we don't necessarily talk about it. Recently, there has been controversy surrounding wearing school uniforms. Not everyone is aware of it, but wearing school uniforms creates a healthy learning environment. Before you can expect your students to succeed academically, they should also feel safe both mentally and physically in our schools. 

Most important of all, the biggest factor of not having a healthy learning environment is bullying. For the students to respect each other especially in today's world with social media where most kids are fast to judge somebody on their appearance. Keith Metcalfe, Deputy Head Master Elect at Harrow School in the United Kingdom raises the issue of not wearing school uniforms. While doing extensive research on school uniforms, Marin Wilde did a study for Greatschools.org where they “Nine out of ten teachers believe school uniforms play an active role in reducing bullying. 95% say uniforms help students fit-in, 94% of parents and the local community believes that uniforms give students an opportunity to take pride in their school.” Most students' biggest rubbuttle against school uniforms is the clothes they wear defines who they are as a person and it gives themself self expression. While that statement initially sounds solid there is lack of proof defending if students lack self expression wearing uniforms, but proof uniforms are proven to actually make students more creative and collaborative in the school environment. 

There is no question that uniforms create a level playing field among all students. When all students are dressed alike, competition between students over clothing choices and the teasing of those who are dressed in less. This shows how school uniforms will be a benefit in any school. Given this information, school uniforms should be mandatory for all students so that they have a better education and they feel more comfortable and equal so instead of worrying about what they are going to wear in the morning and how other people portray them. Students are too stuck thinking about what other students are thinking about them. Students would be more professional and confident and create a sense of unity in their school. This can explain why almost every work environment requires uniforms, because it's the most convenient way to dress every day and to identify who is in that company and makes the employees feel a part of the organization.

Take the case and point, according to the National Retail Federation, this past year, parents spent more than $235 per child on back-to-school clothing. New shoes add about $130 to the tab. For example, Bill O’Chee, Australian politician, writes, “Ditching school uniforms would not only cost parents more money, and would be a bad idea all around. In fact, school uniforms are as important as student laptops in the education experience.” According to Bill O’Chee school uniforms are just as deep as wearing clothes. It goes to show it's also a smart expense and would save parents money. As mentioned in the article Uniforms create a feeling of oneness and belonging. Everyone can be on the same team. As on athletic teams, uniforms are worn for immediate identification and to inspire a feeling of ‘Unity’ as a team. Put on your team uniform and you suddenly become more than yourself, you are a part of a team. A sense of loyalty emerges from inside, as does an extra effort to perform at the student’s best.

As has been noted, yes bullying will always be a thing in schools you can't entirely fix, but this is an essential building block to slow down rather than doing nothing about it. Many proponents suggest that all schools should implement school uniforms. Based on this information, one can conclude that school uniforms build a sense of belonging and unity and schools should be a professional environment so why not dress more professionally. From these examples above one can infer that school uniforms are the best option in today's society. Each school in the district determines independence, providing variation making students feel more welcome and a part of the school. By including student and school fixed-effects you'll find evidence that uniform adoption improves attendance in secondary grades, while in elementary schools they generate large increases in teacher retention. So next time you are at a school board meeting or know of one bring up this controversial topic in your local community. I'm calling on you to make school uniforms a regular requirement for every school for the better of all students.