Free to look like me
From Eduwiki
Brianne, Jamie, Debbie J., Matt
Uniform = Uniformity
uniformity noun 1. a condition in which everything is regular and unvarying 2. the quality of lacking diversity or variation (even to the point of boredom) 3. the state or quality of being uniform; overall sameness, homogeneity, or regularity: uniformity of style.
Mandatory uniform rules enforce conformity, which hinders creative abilities and limits personal expression. Legal reasons against uniforms
Supreme Court case- unconstitutional to impede the freedom of expression in students In Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School (1969), the court said that a student's freedom of expression in school must be protected unless it would seriously interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline
New Jersey-as recently as 2007 two elementary students wore Hitler youth buttons to school in protest of the recent adoption of school uniforms. The boys were suspended from school and their parents sued the school for violating their first amendment right. The court ruled in favor of the two boys stated that if the issue went to trial the parents would have won (Violation of free speech)
Beyond the obvious usurpation of parents' and students' rights to make decisions about clothing, forcing all kids into identical uniforms inhibits their need to express their individualism. Even preschoolers need to be granted some autonomy and choice regarding the clothes they wear. As kids grow older, the power to choose how they physically present themselves in everyday life becomes more crucial to their sense of independence and self-confidence. Would you have wanted to wear a uniform as a teenager?
Children should be allowed and encouraged to express their individuality in school as well as the larger society. Grunge, hip-hop, gothic, J.Crew. They're all styles of dressing - each proclaiming its own sub-culture's codes and values. Forbidding adolescents to express themselves through clothing and hairstyles prevents a healthy transition to independence and freedom from their parents and other adults.
The stylish, personalized "uniforms" kids choose allow them to assert their uniqueness and power in a world controlled by adults. We should understand and appreciate these developmental needs.
Financial Strain
According to USA Today, parents spent an average of $185 per child purchasing non-uniform clothing in 1998, compared to an average of $104 spent per child to purchase school uniforms.
Many parents don't have the money to provide regular clothes AND three to four school uniforms every year. What a burden!!!!
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, schools with 50 percent or more minority enrollment were more likely to require student uniforms than those with lower minority enrollment.
The monitoring of which students are in uniform takes some time from teachers, but administrators have to be persistent and keep extra uniforms at school for students who don't wear them.
Most students will alter the uniform anyway, to be more unique. Where does the line get drawn?? It's up to the particular administrators and the vision of the school. It's not consistent from school to school.
Students that transfer from a uniform school to a non-uniform school have missed out on the social growth and have to catch up, adding more stress to the new school atmosphere.
According to the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988- student uniforms have no direct effect on substance use, behavioral problems, or attendance. Contrary to current discourse, the authors found a negative effect of uniforms on student academic achievement. Uniform policies may indirectly affect school environments and student outcomes by providing a visible and public symbol of commitment to school improvement and reform.
Notre Dame's Department of Sociology produced a study in 1998 concerning school uniforms. Their findings using 10th grade students showed that uniforms have no direct effect on "substance abuse, behavioral problems or attendance." (Brunsma, 1) It also claimed a negative effect on student achievements for those students considered 'pro-school'. (Brunsma, 1)
In the 1996-97 school year, three percent of the nation's public schools had mandatory school uniform policies.
Motivation, commitment and parental involvement are the most important factors in scholastic achievement.
