Implementation of school uniform policy is not easy. Court battles have been fought to stop it. The matter is even made political. Despite this, it is hard to ignore the various advantages that this policy brings to schools and students.
1. It dramatically reduces offenses in school
Most studies show students in uniform attract less physical fights, discipline referrals and police reports. Meanwhile, schools get to see a decreased rate in vandalism and gang related activities. This tells us that school uniforms save lives and eliminate much headache tied to monitoring students through other expensive methods.
One of the main arguments of the anti-uniform group is that children should be allowed to express themselves in school through fashion. This is the opposite of what reality shows. In schools, students who dress with such objective are usually shunned. Good example of this is someone choosing to go goth. In school, this person is forced to be with handful of those who make the same choice. None can avoid criticism from the teachers. As for the rest, they go for what is in vogue. The truth is that very few kids understand the connection between fashion and expression. They want to get along with each other through blending. This is best done via uniform.
3. It kills criticism and discrimination
Uniforms can shut off judgments. As mentioned before, children wish to blend in with their peers. This is because they do not want to be criticized and discriminated. In schools, you will find people who are very much open about the fact that they make friends based on on the price tags their clothes have. In fact, according to our history, uniform policy was implemented somewhere in the 70s to stop violence related to designer clothes and gangs. What all this means is that normal clothes bring in judgments that children are scared of. To still push normal clothes on them, thus is nothing more than child abuse. Uniforms free them from this nasty thing.
4. Schools can free themselves from worries about certain clothes
Normal clothes do force schools to have policy on what students can wear. That is why, nationwide, they ban hats assuming them to be symbols of gangs. Teachers can have their own policy also right in their class rooms. We had a math teacher who actually threw t shirts at girls coming to his class in tank tops. None of them is necessary when uniform policy is implemented.
You can buy a few sets of uniforms and wear them for years. This way it is possible to save a lot on clothing. But that is not all. In today's time, schools are trying their best to make uniforms as affordable as possible.
6. It saves normal clothes from damages
The less one wears his favorite clothes the more he saves it from damages. Maybe most students understand this logic, but peer pressure ovrrides it. Those who are concerned about it will always find uniforms as the best shield. Good thing is that the schools around the world are now moving towards fabrics that are stain resistant. Plus in our country, schools are trying their best to make uniforms as affordable as possible.
7. It saves time
Uniform cuts the time needed to get ready. This means students get to sleep a little bit more in the morning or eat better breakfast.
8. It helps students focus on education
Once the worries about what to wear each day is gone, students finally get to actually study with much ease. Let’s remember children are sent to school for education.
9. It can clean up the image of the school in public
People interpret the quality of a school based on what uniform its students wear. There is no way to avoid it since media does cover news about schools. No student wants to be associated with the one that has bad reputation. They know uniform will get them identified. Because of that, it is likely for them to personally take precaution to not tarnish the name of their school. This can show up in the form of effort to maintain good grades and behave properly in public especially when they are still in their uniform. This is a win-win situation for both students and the school.
10. It keeps strangers out of school
In a school that has no uniform, employees are left to play detective to keep strangers out. Have you ever tried overhearing them? I did once after school. One employee went heavily confused about a guy who just entered the premise. She did not know what to do. She was suspicious that he was not from our school. But she could not just directly go to him. The solution she had was to ask other employees if they ever saw him there before. No one seemed interested in creating a scene for which they decided to just watch his moves. Something like this can be solved just by the simple introduction of uniform. Some people think that strangers can still get inside by wearing one. The truth is that nowhere school uniform is sold with easy access. Even the design is made distinct to prevent imitation.
11. It makes field trips easy to manage
Nobody wants to be lost, but it happens. Both teachers and students are aware of this. Detection is not simple especially when students are in their casual clothes near children of their age not belonging to the school. Surely, teachers can memorize all the faces, but that does not eliminate the danger of students losing their group in the crowd. This is where uniform works as the best secure option. Teachers no more have to memorize faces. They are free to focus on the main goal of the trip. And when some students are left behind they can manage to get inside the group again by tracking their classmates’ uniform.
12. It turns student body into a warm family
Uniform sends out the message to students that they are all part of a big family. Most friendships become lifelong. Even if you have a bad history with someone you just don’t find yourself continuing with it. In fact, even after graduation, you can’t cut off the attachment you will grow while in school.
13. Implementation is becoming more democratic
The mixture of technology, marketing and growing respect for students' taste has made implementation of uniform policy more democratc than ever. To design the uniform by keeping style in mind, schools can now easily get advice from designers. They can even directly approach Tommy Hilfiger. Moreover, many big stores now participate in the program for which students no more have to worry about their uniforms going out of stock. Ordering is possible online. Some schools now allow students to individually choose the fabric type they are comfortable with.
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