Emma Jacobs, writer for The Guardian, publishes this argument, regarding school uniforms being more of a priority than children’s education, to shed some light on the school uniforms situation in schools. Jacobs opens up the article with Bradford’s act of sending home around 200 students in one week just for uniform infringement. But, Jacobs argues, the clothes the sent home students were sent home for were not random clothing but simple things like “they were wearing trainers or the wrong cut of trousers.” But, was sending these children home for not having the pristine uniform worth depriving them of their education?
The reason for school uniforms was so that kids wouldn’t pick on other kids because of fashion or trends. Although, Jacobs points out that uniforms keep kids from expressing their individuality. She continues to say, “It takes more than stipulating the right shad of blue shirt to eradicate bullying from schools.” Jacobs stresses that teens are going to find any reason to bully other people if they really wanted to.
Uniforms are also used to “help set high academic standards,” but Jacob disagrees with that claim by giving an example of how Finland’s schools “top international league tables and don’t have school uniform.” The United Kingdom, unlike Finland’s schools, use uniforms but don’t share outstanding academic results as those of Finland.
Pertaining to education, Jacobs states how non-uniform schools are allowed to dress comfortably for major tests, yet schools that enforce strict dress codes still have to wear “a suffocating top button.” “Who knows? I might have got an A* in math if I’d been in my onesie,” jokes Jacobs.
Jacobs addresses the issue all students have with their teachers spending so much time enforcing the school’s dress code that they are taking time away from educating the students academically and put more time educating the students on how dyed hair is a major distraction in the learning field. “Uniforms may work for police officers, soldiers and neo-Nazis, but they have no place in schools,” Jacobs exclaims. She is quite passionate against the idea of students sense of style being a distraction to other students. She ends the post by paraphrasing her main point of the post with, “Kids should wear what they want, their schools should let them – and then everyone could get on with some actual learning.” Schools are meant for learning, and by the title that Jacobs provides, she believes that children should not be sent home for what they are wearing to school because that would defeat the purpose of learning at school.
When I had to wear a uniform I felt not judged by my classmates. I liked how I didn’t have to worry about what outfit to wear the next day and the day after that. Even though I agree that it may take away the opportunity for students to express their individuality but it decreases the amount of bullies in school.
I agree with the article. I always thought that by enforcing dress codes, administrators were actually causing more of a clothing problem than fixing it. Dress codes usually target girls more than boys which causes anger among a school’s female population. I believe that the only dress code a school should have is not to come to school naked and that’s it. This way the rule can be equal among genders.
I feel like uniforms are ok. I had to wear uniform when I was in high school and I didn’t mind it so much. I could wear the same the thing and no one would notice. Although, it was annoying at some points, because administration was always checking if everything was in order. I do agree it does stop people from expressing themselves, though.
I personally loved wearing a uniform! I actually miss wearing my purple panther shirt each day. Wearing uniform made me feel comfortable and equal to everybody else. I think is ridiculous how many school send kids home because there not wearing the right color shirt or because their wearing jeans instead of khaki pants. What does the type of clothes you wear have to do with getting your education? It is like suspending a kid, suspending somebody just means they are going to miss out in their classes and be behind, their still going to have to go to school once suspension is over.
I personally did not attend a school with uniforms required, however I did receive the constant reminders of school dress code policy. If I can remember correctly, my teachers would literally spend the first 10 to 15 minutes of class getting after students who were incompliance with the dress code. Teachers would take the time to point out everything that was wrong, from the too short shorts to the distracting hair color. It was very irritating going through that same routine everyday until we finally actually started class for academic reasons. I could only imagine how much worse it would be with uniforms. Schools enforce on dress code way more than they need to. Overlooking the true reason we are there, which is to actually learn.
I feel that having uniform are okay, but I personally like to dress in whatever I feel most comfortable with. Literally I have spent over hundreds of dollars on polo shirts, and now I don’t even where them in high school or college. Personally I think that everyone has their own style, but not all have the right style when it come to the public eyes. Sure the school has its own dress code rules and the students at that school chooses not to obey them, but they just don’t want to look at someone nipping or ass falling out of their clothes. To the uniform or education thing, they should be allowed to wear what they want, if they are not causing a distraction or running some stripper show in school.
During my time at high school, dress code was becoming more lenient each year. Although I wasn’t a fan of dress code, but I understood the underlying factor that dress code came with. When schools use dress codes it allows students for them to all have the same type of clothes which negates the problem of kids getting bullied for not having high priced clothing and being poor.
Personally i didn’t mind wearing a uniform everyday, but id much rather be in regular clothes. The article brings up a point that uniforms “helped set high academic standers”, which i think is a bunch of trash. Sure there are schools that have high academic records, but that doesn’t mean that its all the uniforms doing. Back in my high school, teachers would do the same as said in the article and send students home just because they had the wrong pair of pants. I believe its a sad day when the administration focus more on the look of the school rather than our academic prowess.
Since I was in elementary school, the debate of whether or not there should be school uniforms has been ongoing. From experience I know what’s it like to have to wear uniforms and not having to. Although at my high school we didn’t have uniforms, there was still a strict dress code that was enforced. It was annoying because it was mostly aimed at the female student body. I agree that uniforms do not affect the learning environment because clothes don’t affect the mind, but the opportunity to express individuality does.
I never attended a school with mandatory uniforms, but I hated how biased the school dress code was! Girls were expected to dress more conservatively than guys, because we were monitored so closely!!! Guys could come to school wearing Chubbies, but when girls wore shorts, we would get sent straight to the office! I did love having he freedom to express my style through my clothing, though. It was more so, with conditions on it. My friends and I would envy the students who attended California high schools, because they got to dress however they wanted to. I say dress how you want, but just know that being judged is inevitable!