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Private Schools Should Have Their Students Wear Uniforms

My Arguments 1. Uniforms may increase a student’s self esteem because they do not have to worry constantly to be better dressed than those around them. [1] Many kids are discouraged by the fact that they don't own, or cannot afford some of the clothing other kids can. Uniforms put all kids at the same level, and takes that much more stress off the students that cannot afford the latest "fashion". [2] By implementing uniforms confidence is boosted and negative peer pressure is eliminated. Over 75% of schools that implemented school uniforms noticed a drop in peer pressure. [3] 2. Uniforms improve learning by not allowing kids to be distracted. Clothes can be a huge distraction when you are in the classroom, especially if you are bored. Kids always want to know what others are wearing and even judge other students over it. Uniforms eliminate this problem and helps kids to stay focused in class. 3. Uniforms show that everyone there with you is part of your school. It shows you are all part of a team. It promotes school spirit and shows that everyone there is "on the same side". [4] This togetherness helps to eliminate division among students at the school and reduces bullying; giving a sense of community is beneficial to the mental well being of a student. [5] 4. Uniforms help the school faculty to quickly identify who is part of the school and in the end could actually help in keeping strangers and potentially dangerous people off the campus. This helps to make students feel safer at school. School uniforms may also eliminate gang and clique symbols bringing about a feeling of safety and togetherness. Safety is very important when increasing the amount of students who enroll in a school. 5. Bullies like to pick on kids who are lesser than them, and therefore tend to pick on kids who do not wear quality or popular clothes. [6]By implementing school uniforms this problem is solved. School uniforms encourage discipline through neatness, order, and equality among students. [6] 6. School uniforms encourage creative forms of self expression. Since students lose the ability to express themselves in certain ways through the clothes they were, they will be more likely to express themselves through things such as their personality, academic performance, clubs, and sports. It pushes students to put themselves out there. 7. School uniforms reduce violence and student behavioral problems. [7] Long Beach, California District School held a study comparing violence and behavioral problem rates among students before and after uniforms were implemented. In the five years following the implementation of school uniforms there was an 86% drop in violent assaults. Vandalism cases dropped from 1409 to 106. [8] The U.S. Department of Education also found that school crime decreased 36%, sexual offenses decreased 74%, and fights between students dropped 51% after school uniforms were implemented.[13] Almost 80% schools that implemented school uniforms noticed an improvement in student discipline. [9] Schools that implemented school uniforms also showed to have a higher graduation rate and attendance rate than schools without school uniforms. [11] [12] School uniforms have helped improve schools, as emphasized by one study that finds that “various benefits to wearing uniforms were reported, including decreases in discipline, gang involvement and bullying; and increases in safety, eases of going to school, confidence and self-esteem. Additionally, school police data showed a 63 percent reduction in police log reports during the first year of implementation. Other decreases were noted in reports of gang-related activities and student fights, along with graffiti, property damage, battery and administrative assist. “[10] Contentions Controllable Factors vs. Uncontrollable Factors My opponent brings up that since uniform implementation eliminates the bully’s ability to focus on things like your clothes, they may instead bully someone for something they cannot control like their personality or how they look. This is not a problem of school uniforms. The problem rests in the bullies, not uniform implementation. By eliminating free dress, bullies cannot attack someone for a controllable factor, which would be what clothes they wear. Eliminating it has a plethora of other benefits but one is that it beings all students on the same level to eliminate this form of controllable factor bullying. Uncontrollable factor bullying however, can never be stopped. That sort of bullying would mean that bullies will always find a way to bully someone, even if all controllable factors are eliminated. At this point, the problem rests in the bullies and not by any other external means. If bullying gets that bad it is up to the school to put a stop to it the central problem, which again would be the bullies and not any external factor that may be a victim to bullying. Takes Away Creativity This is a small price to pay for the plethora of benefits that uniforms create. In addition, by implementing uniforms students are forced to be able to express themselves in different ways, whether it be through personality, clubs, or other things. In addition, private schools gain no benefit from allowing students free dress, but they do benefit from having students wear uniforms. [1] http://everydaylife.globalpost.com... [2] http://www.eduguide.org... [3] https://www.dickies.com... [4]http://www.greatschools.org... [5]http://www.frenchtoast.com... [6] http://www.parenting.org... [7]http://www.calvaryschoolkc.com... [8] http://www.davidsonacademy.com... [9] http://www.buzzle.com... [10] http://www.unr.edu... [11] http://www.19actionnews.com... [12] http://www.uh.edu... [13] http://www.psmag.com...