Many students get referrals for what they wear to school, but this is not the case when students are required to wear school uniforms. School uniforms are a big discussion about student education, and there are many reasons whether or not students should wear them.
Reduces Bullying
Without school uniforms, the potential for children to tease and make fun of one another is increased. People use clothing to express themselves; children are no different in this regard. Sadly, when a child expresses themselves in a different way to everyone else, it can create a point of difference between one child and another. Again, these differences can be amplified by socioeconomic disparities between one child’s family and another.
Easy Morning Routine
As any parent knows, weekday mornings can be chaotic. It can be tricky enough to get yourself ready for work without having to worry about how your child is getting on too. That problem is amplified if your child doesn’t have a school uniform to put on each morning, as they take their time to decide what to wear. In the end, it could take away from what is important – your child’s studies.Uniforms remove one more thing from the ‘to-do’ list of moms and dads every day.
School uniforms restrict students’ freedom of expression
However, there are also reasons why students should not wear school uniforms to school. “When students have to wear the same outfits, rather than being allowed to select clothes that suit their body types, they can suffer embarrassment at school. Child and teen development specialist Robyn Silverman says that students, especially girls, tend to compare how each other looks in their uniforms: “As a body image expert, I hear from students all the time that they feel it allows for a lot of comparison… So if you have a plus-size body, a curvier body, a very tall body, a very short body, those girls often feel that they don’t look their best.” A study by researchers at Arizona State University found that “students from schools without uniforms reported higher self-perception scores than students from schools with uniform policies.” Some students also find uniforms less comfortable than their regular clothes, which may not be conducive to learning.” Students need to feel comfortable in the clothing that they wear so that they can focus on their schoolwork.
School uniforms can be expensive for parents
Keeping a child in school uniforms may be more expensive for parents and guardians than buying regular clothes would be. Often, uniforms are only available from a limited number of suppliers and the lack of competition (and captive market) keeps prices high. Or, a uniform will include pricier items like blazers and dress shoes, which some families might struggle to afford because they are expensive for some parents.
As you can see, the research on school uniforms is mixed. While school uniforms can reduce bullying and give an easy routine it can also have negative things like being expensive for parents and can not give students freedom. What do you think? Should schools enforce uniforms?
School Uniforms Pros and Cons – 13 Arguments For and Against, 18 May 2023, https://school-uniforms.procon.org/.
“Should Students Wear Uniforms?” TIME for Kids, 26 November 2019, https://www.timeforkids.com/g56/debate-should-students-wear-uniforms-2/.
