Notes on School Uniforms

I had to give a five-minute speech on any educational topic, and I picked school uniforms because I want to put my students in uniforms. Here are the notes from my speech:

Intro

I had to wear school uniforms once in fifth grade when I was at the British school and once at a public school in San Francisco when I was a little younger.

Cons:

• Students may not like the uniform

·       Students have to deal with not liking things for the rest of their lives, like homework and having to work longer hours, or being asked to take off their hats for the pledge.

• Cost more than regular clothes

·       Especially if it is in a private school, cost is often either not an issue or just another price to the school. Otherwise, it is a valid point and parents should have the option of financial aid and/or being able to send their students to a school that does not require uniforms.

• Student identity can be lost and diminish self-expression

·       The point of uniforms is not to suppress the students in any way but to instill the idea that everyone should be on equal ground and that school is a serious matter

• Lesson in lack of choice

·       This very much could be a problem, but there are other ways to promote choices in school. And since the focus is more on schoolwork, other forms of expression can be realized in the classroom.

• Idea of uniforms does not match well with the real world

·       This is somewhat true except that wearing a uniform and showing students how to dress appropriately and formally in the real world.

Pros:

• Affect behavior in a positive way

·       For a school, this should always be a priority

• Easier to dress for school

·       Spending a ton of time on an outfit is not an appropriate use of time, especially at a school where students should be spending the maximum amount of time worrying about schoolwork. This way, students look put together and nice without having to spend a ton of time on it.

• Easier to enforce dress code

·       Obvious plus

• Focus on the person instead of what they are wearing

·       There aren’t distractions or negative comments based on what a student looks like

• Makes students learn to look professional

·       A skill that will come in handy in the real world, where, in my opinion, many workers no longer find looking professional a priority

My experience:

• ·       I never felt repressed
• ·       Easier to get ready every day
• ·       I think it’s beneficial to give students the opportunity to dress in normal clothes around each other sometimes – events or extracurriculars