Cooper 1
Kamryn Cooper
Mrs. Beckett-Willis
Eng 11136
15 September 2018
Dressing Diversities in Public Schools
Whether or not students should be forced to wear school uniforms is causing mass
controversy in many public schools. School officials are undecided on whether wearing school
uniforms will actually benefit schools, harm schools, or have no effect at all on schools. Many
people believe that school uniforms prevent students from expressing themselves, while others
believe school uniforms will help bring students together. Public schools should require students
to wear school uniforms because this will allow students to focus more of their attention on their
learning.
Requiring students to wear school uniforms will allow them to be more attentive in
school. Students may sometimes forget their purpose for attending school because they are
focusing on things such as making sure their outfit for school is just right. Danielle Dreilinger
says, “School uniforms make schools safer for students, create a ‘level playing field’ that reduces
socioeconomic disparities, and encourages children to focus on their studies rather than their
clothes.” If students were required to wear school uniforms, it could help them to focus more on
their studies and possibly improve their test scores because they will limit the amount of time
students spend selecting the perfect outfit to wear and increase the amount of time they spend
either studying or resting.
Cooper 2
Wearing school uniforms also takes students’ attention off what their peers might have
on. “When all students are wearing the same outfit, they are less concerned about how they look
and how they fit in with their peers; thus, they can concentrate on their schoolwork” (Caruso).
Some students care so much about their peer´s opinion that it causes them to stay up late and
wonder what they should wear to school. This issue gets worse inside the classroom because
students start focusing on what other students have on rather than paying attention in class.
Therefore, requiring students to wear school uniforms will take students’ attention off of their
clothing and place it where it needs to be so that they can be more attentive during class. Then,
all of those little distractions related to what students are wearing will decrease and give students
one less distraction to worry about so that they can focus more of their attention on being a better
student. School uniforms will help students focus more on their academics, which also helps
them focus more on school activities and exhibit their school spirit.
Wearing school uniforms also helps students display their school spirit. School uniforms
designed to match the school’s colors are similar to athletic uniforms. Students have no problems
with wearing jerseys and t-shirts designed with their school colors, but they often disagree when
a suggestion is made for them to wear a school uniform in their school’s colors. “Academic
achievers these days wear letter jackets like the jocks do. The cheerleaders, the drill team, and
band members all sport uniforms, proud members of their group, representing the bigger
organization of the school. So what's wrong then with an academic uniform?” (Brunsma). Not
only do wearing school uniforms help students display school spirit, but it also allows students to
fit in with their peers.
Cooper 3
School uniforms also help students feel a sense of belonging. “Students in uniform
reported significantly more positive perceptions of belonging in their school community than
reported by students in the standard dress group” (Weiss). Wearing school uniforms helps bring
out the positive side of students because it helps them to feel as though they fit in the school
community. Unlike regular clothing, school uniforms help students to feel more togetherness.
When students feel like they fit in and are accepted, they have more positive perceptions of
school. Like feeling a sense of belonging, there are other positive advantages to wearing school
uniforms. School uniforms help cause less social division.
Some students are often picked on because they cannot afford name brand clothing.
According to administrator Debra Carter, “When all students are dressed alike, it helps turn
children´s focus onto something better than out-dressing one another.” Students sometimes
forget what their main purpose for attending school should be. Some students think their
attention should be on having a fashion battle with their fellow classmates as oppose to learning.
This leads to competition among students and causes divisions between certain students and the
entire school. “School uniforms reduce division between students” (Carter). So many students
fear going to school because they know that they will be bullied because of the type of clothing
they wear. School uniforms would put an end to this unnecessary bullying and division because
everyone will be dressed the same. In order to reduce the amount of bullying and competition,
schools could eliminate this issue and make students wear school uniforms. Not only do school
uniforms reduce the amount of division and bullying in schools, it also decreases the amount of
gang related issues in schools.
Cooper 4
Wearing school uniforms will help stop gang members from wearing gang-related
clothing to school. Students should come to school to learn, not to promote gangs or represent
gangs. “Uniform policies can prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at
school in order to encourage a safe environment” (Wheeler). Some students believe being in a
gang is “cool” because it makes them feel like they have a place in something or some type of
authority. School uniforms will prevent the promotion of any gang colors because everyone will
be dressed the same. “School uniform policies with regard to dress codes are expected to reduce
school violence, prevent discipline issues, and improve in school safety” (Bulgaria 7). School
uniforms will help decrease the amount of gang related fights in schools and they also help with
safety issues by helping administrators notice intruders. Because of the many gang related issues
that happen in schools, school uniforms should be in full effect. No one will be able to disagree
on gang related colors. Also, everyone including students and administrators will quickly be able
to notice school intruders if every student is wearing the same colors.
Students in public schools should be authorized to wear school uniforms. Uniforms allow
kids to work towards building a connection with one another and also their school. They begin to
see that they all are there for the same reason, which is to receive an education. They stop
competing, bullying, and wrongly persuading one another and come together for the benefit of
everyone. This togetherness and focus on learning that comes from wearing school uniforms
creates smarter and well behaved students capable of serving their school in any way.
Cooper 5
Works Cited
Brunsma, David, "School Uniforms: Should public Schools Require Uniforms?"Should Students
Wear Uniforms? Two Friends Face off in the Debate." Scholastic Scope, vol. 66, no. 8,
May 2018, pp. 24-25. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=129308331&site=ehost-live.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, High
School Teachers, on the Internet at
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm (visited
September 09, 2018).
Bulgaria, Sofia, “Comparative Education Society,” 7 "School Uniforms: Should public schools
require uniforms?" Issues & Controversies, Infobase Learning, 24 Feb. 2016,
http://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=1999.
Caruso, Peter, “Individuality vs. Conformity...School Uniforms." ProCon, edited by ProCon.org,
2018. Credo Reference,
https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/procon/school_uniforms/0
Carter, Debra. Personal Interview. 10 September 2018
Dreilinger, Danielle, "School Uniforms” "School Uniforms." ProCon, edited by ProCon.org,
2018. Credo Reference,
https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/procon/school_uniforms/0
Weiss, Jennifer, “Do Clothes Make the Student”Should Students Wear Uniforms?” Scholastic
Scope, vol. 66, no. 8, May 2018, pp. 24-25. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=129308331&site=ehost-live.
Cooper 6
Wheeler, Jay, “Letters to the Editor: School Uniforms Discourage Gangs”"School Uniforms:
Should public schools require uniforms?" Issues & Controversies, Infobase Learning, 24
Feb. 2016, http://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=1999
