Pro vs. con view
Topic space viewSchool Uniforms are a Good Idea.
Major oops! I did the wrong side! So let me restart. Uniforms show school spirit, and if you don't like your Uniforms show school spirit, and if you don't like your school because it has uniforms, than go to a different one! Also, YOU will not be the one taking care of the payment. The school covers that, and the kids can express their individuality by doing stuff with their hair. So, good luck! =)
School Uniforms Are Good
Thanks for the response. Of course I'll accept you as my opponent! First off, I don't think that school First off, I don't think that school uniforms are good because I feel that students are not able to express themselves well and that they would be more comfortable studying in an environment where they feel they can be themselves instead of being forced to wear a uniform. I understand that by wearing school uniforms, we are symbolising that all the students are the same but what we should be trying to do instead is to show them that despite their differences and cultures, they are all attending the same school and doing the same thing together. Schools should try to teach students that they can be different and still work together in harmony instead of forcing children to wear the same thing and try to make students see that they are all the same. They should let students embrace their differences and show them that despite these differences, they are all still one. Third, I don't think that school uniforms are good for everyone because some of them may be insecure about their bodies. For example, certain school skirts are quite short and this may cause girls who are insecure about their legs to feel uncomfortable studying in their uniform. Religious beliefs also play a part. Some religions do not allow the legs of girls to be exposed and sometimes require certain areas to be covered. This may be a problem for students who want to study in a certain school and are not allowed to because their religion does not allow them to wear the uniform that the school requires them to be in. Fourth, a particular uniform is not always flattering on every body. A certain uniform will not fit every student perfectly and this may lead to them being taunted by their peers. So this may also lead to bad behaviour. Once again, I say that students should feel comfortable in their own clothes and should not feel out of place in their school environment as this may distract them from their studies. They may be self-conscious about who is watching them and what others think about them, leading them to be unfocused during lessons. Fifth, uniforms can be quite costly. Poorer students may not have sufficient money to pay for their school uniforms and may have problems buying new ones when they grow out of their old ones. Wearing their own clothes would allow them to study without spending extra money on uniforms and instead wear what they already have.
School Uniforms Shouldn't Be Required
Sigh...I've already won this six times. Nevertheless, everyone forfeited at least one round of my 5 serious debates, and Ajab seems to have never forfeited, so I trust that he'll become the first debater to not forfeit one of my serious School Uniform Debates. I define "required" as "forced, mandatory". You may start on round one. MY OPENING STATEMENTS/ARGUMENTS In the adult world students have to make their own choices and school uniforms exclude that "training excercise" of having to choose what clothes to wear. [1] School uniforms send out a sense of anti-individuality that goes against our personal liberty and freedom of expression. A nation should not go against its beliefs. It would not really matter if this was not in the constitution in the first place, but seriously--the constitution is the basic belief of America, and breaking it is a big blunder! [2] Although school uniforms can bring a sense of unity among students, the unity is too robot-like! As shown in source [3], a parent openly states "I believe we should...advance independent, creative thinkers -- not standardized, uniformed thinkers." Frudden said. "To do anything less is to do our children and our society a disservice." In addition, school uniforms are simply a band-aid on school violence. In fact, in a study published in The Journal of Educational Research, the authors concluded that requiring students to wear uniforms has no direct effect on substance abuse, behavioral problems, or school attendance. Further tests proved the students they studied who were required to wear uniforms actually scored lower on standardized achievement tests than did a comparable group not required to wear them(Brunsma, Rockquemore). [4] This only supports the fact that because uniforms do not allow creativity through expression of clothes, and Albert Einstein once said "Creativity is intelligence having fun", this study highlights Einstein's fact and proves both of my argumemts to be correct. In other words, not only do school uniforms have negative impacts as demonstrated, this study also strengthens my argument about the uniform restricting students' creativity. (Einstein's quote is in source [5]) As shown from source [1], parents are unsatisfied with the school uniform prices, indicating that school uniforms don't exactly save parents money. They would not complain if the school uniforms actually saved money! This shows school unforms are a financial burden for poor families, and morever, are an unfair additional expense for parents who pay taxes for a free public education. To demonstrate this, on average clothing costs $72.00 per month. [6] In contrast, school uniforms can go all the way up to $156 for boys, $140 for girls, approximately twice as much as money spent in a month. [7] And if the school uniform gets too small or ripped...well, the cost is doubled! This just shows how unfair the cost of school uniforms is. People usually judge other people based on the clothes they wear, I agree, but a person's clothes really have nothing to do what goes on. If someone isn't very smart or physically capable they will still get bullied regardless of the fact that they look the same as everyone else. In other words, bullies can still persist, teasing other students concerning their mental ability instead of physical. Kids might be more likely to be made fun of if they are overachievers. Likewise, kids who struggle academically, or kids with mental disorders, might become easier targets for bullies. [8] Furthermore, not everyone bases people on their clothing. Sure, nobody's like the Beauty from "Beauty and the Beast", but everyone can see some desirable traits underneath the ugly face! (No offense, Mr. Beast) There are even more ways for bullies to get to other students if they wear uniform. One example is if a child doesn't feel comfortable in his uniform, his silent cues makes him more likely to be victimized by students who would prey on his insecurities. [8] This actually makes sense, as some students do not dare stand up against these school rules and their poor ability to fight back is practically a lure for bullies! In fact, even those who stand up can be annoying. Without school uniforms, obviously nobody would complain about their lack of freedom. However, in source [9], even though the author completely dismisses the victim and says "Mike DePinto is wasting time", this only shows the further complications that school uniforms bring. If school uniforms weren't required in the first place, Mika DePinto would have been happy and not have rebelled. Another example is presented way back in source [3]. Again, if school uniforms weren't required, there would be no need for the arguing over the emblems and all these complex problems would be solved. Onto you, con! SOURCES 1-3 IN MLA CITATION [1]Brosnan, Peter, and Alexis Brindley. "What Not to Wear: A School's Dress Code Limits Clothing Styles and Colors." Current Events, a Weekly Reader Publication 28 Mar. 2011: 7. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.Web. 10 Feb.2014." [2]Fetzer, Kent J. "School Uniforms Stifle Freedom of Expression." Salt Lake Tribune [Detroit] 18 Apr. 2002: F2. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.Web. 10 Feb.2014." [3]Dolan, Maura. "CALIFORNIA; Court Rejects School's Shirts; Judges Say Requiring Students to Wear the School's Motto Is a Free-Speech Violation." Los Angeles Times [Los Angeles] 15 Feb. 2014: AA3. Elibrary. Web. 21 Feb. 2014." [4] http://www.gate.net...; [5] http://www.goodreads.com... [6] http://www.loweryourspending.com... [7] http://www.classroomuniforms.com... [8] http://www.ehow.com...
school uniforms should be banned
Educational focus is important, but that's why students go to school, so how they dress is usually not the top priority. Uniforms are expensive. They cost hundreds of dollars, and when students grow out of them, families need to buy more. How students look and feel about themselves compared to their peers will still happen with uniforms. Only instead of outfit choice, which can easily be changed, students with uniforms will worry about other aspects of their appearance. Some examples are body shape, height, weight, etc. Growing adolescents need to express themselves to be able to develop their individuality. Making them look like everyone else (clothing wise) will only cage in their creativity. My stance on this issue is Pro, because I believe school uniforms should be banned for the following reasons above, and for more reasons I shall put into detail as the debate develops.
School Uniforms, on Balance, are Beneficial
Introduction: I'd like to thank the Instigator of this debate for posting a great constructive case and now it is my turn to do mine. I, Con, will be taking the side that School uniforms, on balance, are not beneficial, meaning I if it is proved beyond a reasonable doubt that uniforms do not bring benefits, even if there is no harm proved, then I have proved the topic and therefore should win. School uniforms are a burden, a hassle, and expensive from years and years of personal experience. Burden of Proof: Since the Instigator has not placed a burden upon himself, I'd like to take the opportunity to give her a 3-pronged burden that she must prove in order to win this debate. 1) School uniforms are an affordable solution to a multitude of problems. 2) Their benefits outweigh the harms (hence "on balance"). 3) Evidence and hard statistics prove Pro's case without false causation or logical fallacies. If any fragment of these branches are left unproved, then I advise the voters to vote for me. Arguments: Argument 1: Overpriced Many school uniforms are not beneficial towards kids, their families, and their financial states since they are brutally overpriced for their quality. I can definitely say this out of my personal experience of attending a private school since preschool that requires uniforms. For non-formal days, one must wear a collared shirt, pants/shorts, and a belt (shoes not included in uniform but must be a certain color). On formal days, students are required to wear an oxford shirt, a blazer or v-neck sweater, a tie, dress shoes, black socks, and long pants. According to True Grits, a uniform provider to many including us, a pair of pants (65% polyester) costs $39.95, shorts (65% polyester) $37.95, shirts (65% polyester) $27.45, blazers (100% polyester) $141, v-neck sweaters (100% acrylic yarn) $40.95, and oxford shirts (40% polyester without collar sizes) $30.45 [https://www.truegrits.com...]. These articles of clothing are outrageously priced considering they are made mostly out of polyester and acrylic yarn, two extremely cheap discount designer fabrics. The same style polo shirt can be found for $8 at Target and is made with 100% cotton [http://www.target.comp...] Pro says that uniforms financially help people. This argument proves otherwise. Argument 2: omg lexus, but what about the freedomomom of expersion? Whether the supreme court says it or not, I say it"school uniforms (on balance) are not beneficial because they take away freedom of "expersion" as Lexus likes to put it. One of the best portals for students to express themselves is clothing. If a student is a goth, he/she can wear black clothes. If a student is a golfer, he/she can wear golf clothes. If a student is a sports fan, he/she can wear a jersey. Heck, even If a student is a serial killer, he can wear a creepy mask. These are all examples of freedom of expression, something that everybody has somewhat of a right to. To prove this through the use of evidence, in a common case known as Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, the Supreme court ruled in favor of school uniforms saying "it can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." Another case resolved by the US First Circuit Court of Appeals is Richards v. Thurston, where the court ruled that "compelled conformity to conventional standards of appearance" does not "seem a justifiable part of the educational process." [ahcuah.com] This argument is impactful because, with self-expression comes a multitude of benefits. The 6 main benefits are becoming happier, having an opportunity to help others, gaining a form of release, self-discovery, influencing others, and helping you connect with others you might not normally connect with. [http://glambistro.com...] Argument 3: Key Findings of Proponents Are Inaccurate Many proponents of this case try to prove that school uniforms are beneficial by citing a piece of evidence from the Long Beach School District to prove a direct correlation between uniforms and less crime. First of all, this piece of evidence is a case of post hoc ergo propter hoc, meaning "after it, therefore because of it". In short, this is a false cause because there are plenty of other variables than uniforms that could have affected the crime rates. Perhaps the DA's office established a new program to lower crime rates, there is no way of knowing whether uniforms actually caused a drop in crime rates. The second part of this argument is that the study itself quotes "it is not clear that these results are entirely attributable to the uniform policy". They admit to a false cause, further disproving much of the common proponent case. Conclusion: Thank you for reading my speech.
School Uniforms Shouldn't Be Required
COUNTER REBUTTALS 1. Dangit man, dangit. Why are you so good? I have to drop this point due to no rebuttal availible. 2. Actually create unity? Perhaps there's too much unity. Source 3 within round one states a parent complains... "I believe we should...advance independent, creative thinkers -- not standardized, uniformed thinkers." Frudden said. "To do anything less is to do our children and our society a disservice." 3. Reload the page once you're on it and it will work. 4. See point three for the link. Military has to fight the enemy, be heartless to the opponent, courageous and loyal to the country. School prepares you for jobs. You don't necessarily have to fight enemies in your furture jobs so....no. Military ideas do not apply to school. 5. Unfortunately I must half-drop this point. I can't rebut the fact that uniforms cost less than clothing as a whole. However, there's a reason that school uniforms are cheaper--once again, you can express more if you choose your own clothes. And also, it must be noted that if there are multiple school-age children in a family, then the cost of school uniforms is huge. Since different schools start around the same month and time, the parents will be forced to garner enough money to spent a huge amount in a very short period of time, in contrast to a big amount in a long period of time. In addition, if school uniforms get ripped or harmed, then a replacement would cost just as much, putting lots of burden on poor families. 6. Sigh....I suppose bullying does have a negative effect which must be prevented at all costs. However, is this one less way really work the trouble? (See point 7 below) I don't have to say why it's absolutely necessary, just that there's more negative effects to having school uniforms than not having school uniforms. Since I dropped so many darned points, I will have to construct some more. 7. Students will always find ways to express themselves, leading to less desirable forms of expression such as tattooing and piercing. I mean, nobody likes getting their freedom of expression restricted. Source [9] within round one just demonstrates this. And I just noticed that my opponent has completely failed to refute this point. Sorry I brang this up in the second-to-last round, but this is an important point that must not be avoided! (Which my opponent managed to somehow avoid without my notice) This also supports another point about how enforcing rules about uniforms is difficult, since, if students riot and complain along with their parents, complications will cause court cases, which schools don't want. Again, source [3] within round one demonstrates a court case that caused massive complications. If students don't like school uniforms, the policy can be extremely time-consuming and may not even work out! In addition, older students are more independent and feel the need for diversity and individuality. Because only about 19 % of all public schools had a uniform policy, and school uniform policies are extremely difficult to enforce, it would be much easier to not require school uniforms at all. [1] 8. Even if the Student does not feel the school uniform restricts their freedom of expression, there is still the case of wearing the school uniform. Kids are very picky about what they feel comfortable wearing. Some kids are opposed to buttons, zippers and restrictive clothing, while others may be sensitive to particular materials. Some children are also uncomfortable wearing certain styles of clothing. For example, many firls do not like to wear skirts or dresses, which most girls' uniforms require. A picture highlighting the fact that girls have to wear skirts as school uniforms No uniform can suit all children. In conclusion...Although I have dropped two points and half-dropped another point, I revived and strengthened an argument within the first round which my opponent forgot to refute, and added another strong argument! The resolution is upheld. [1] http://www.educationbug.org...
School uniforms should not be allowed in schools
Thank you for the debate. I will present my main arguments on why I think that school uniforms should be in schools and are overall beneficial. 1) School uniforms in fact save time and money. So much time is wasted with students sorting out what clothes to wear on what day. The demand for a variety of clothing pieces is reduced to just the ones that meet school policy. Yes initially uniforms do cost some money but parents save in the long-run. Students don't need a constant closet of clothing combinations to wear to school. The uniform does it all. Uniforms therefore save both time and money. 2) School Uniforms equal the inevitable variety of social class If there is no uniform then students who come from families of lower economic status may be embarrassed about their cheap clothes they have to wear to school. The uniform fixes this problem. Students don't have to be embarrassed if they can't afford the latest clothing trends. If every student wears identical clothing i.e a uniform then the social status division is much less of an issue and therefore more beneficial to the student. This also potentially reduces bullying. 3) School uniforms improve student safety. When students are required to wear uniforms, the wearing of gang symbols or colors becomes harder, and therefore, reduces student risk and danger. Also a uniform means that baggy clothing is not allowed, so there is less opportunity to hide weapons or drugs in clothing. Therefore school violence is reduced. School theft is also less of a threat, because there is no ability to steal sneakers, expensive jackets etc. To back this up, schools where uniforms are required have seen a 95 percent decrease in crime, 90 percent decrease in suspensions, and vandalism on school property decreased by 69 percent. Source: (www.educationbug.org) I feel that uniforms are very beneficial to students. They protect them, make them feel equal and are very convenient even if the students don't realize it.
Ban School Uniforms - Junior
School uniforms contribute to the sense of school unity
School Uniforms
I thank my opponent for replying to my debate. My opponent states that, "people don't want to wear uniform because they have to wear it. If they were allowed to wear what they want then they would soon get bored of it." Look at almost any school where people are not forced to wear a uniform. Do they wear uniforms? No. Do you know why? Because they don't like uniforms, whether they are enforced, or not. If you bring up the point of JROTC, they only wear it once a week, which is different from a full time uniform. My opponent then states, "you should be proud of the school you attend and should be willing to wear part of the uniform so as people know which school you go to and that you are proud to. " I am not proud of my school. Not at all. Why should I be forced to wear the uniform? The only reason I don't trandsfer to a different one is because of certain classes only offered at this high school in my area. If you want to wear you school colors of red and gold (or whatever they may be) then go right ahead. I have no problem with that. That is your CHOICE. However, when it becomes a mandate, not a choice, then I have a problem with that, as it takes away my right to expression of self. Also, if people know what If they were allowed to wear what they want then they would soon get bored of it." Look at almost any school where people are not forced to wear a uniform. Do they wear uniforms? No. Do you know why? Because they don't like uniforms, whether they are enforced, or not. If you bring up the point of JROTC, they only wear it once a week, which is different from a full time uniform. My opponent then states, "you should be proud of the school you attend and should be willing to wear part of the uniform so as people know which school you go to and that you are proud to. " I am not proud of my school. Not at all. Why should I be forced to wear the uniform? The only reason I don't trandsfer to a different one is because of certain classes only offered at this high school in my area. If you want to wear you school colors of red and gold (or whatever they may be) then go right ahead. I have no problem with that. That is your CHOICE. However, when it becomes a mandate, not a choice, then I have a problem with that, as it takes away my right to expression of self. Also, if people know what school you go to, and they hate all members of that school, because they got beaten by them in a sports game or something, you could get beaten up for wearing that uniform. I await my opponents next argument.
School Uniforms should be allowed in Shcool
You have stated that school uniforms violate freedom of expression, and that is the only thing you have used as evidence for your whole argument. I agree with that uniforms violate the freedom of expression. But your conclusion is not very strong. You have said,"if you implement uniforms on all schools, people will begin ignoring the laws because if the government can break it, then they can." I do not believe the federal government will ever force all the school districts to wear school uniforms. It has always been and will be more of a school-based thing. The statement I have just made proves your whole conclusion wrong. And also, many of the disputes concerning school uniforms in court have to do with gang behavior. In Oleson v. Bd. of Education of Sch. Dist., a high school student has presented the case of the male students not being able to wear earrings because it relates to gang behavior. The government sided with the school because the school provided substantial evidence of gang presence and activity and the resulting violence in the schools there. The school and government made the right decision, in this case, because their decisions repressed gang behavior. Now there are also reasons to promote school uniforms. There are also many healthy reasons to enforce school uniforms, such as reducing peer pressure of wearing high-quality clothes, identifying intruders, diminishing social barriers between students, and many more. This is why I promote school uniforms.
