• CON

    Hello Today there are 2 rounds 1. acceptance 2. body...

    this house will ban school uniforms

    Hello Today there are 2 rounds 1. acceptance 2. body Definition Ban: Not allow School Uniforms: A special kind of clothing that is worn by all the members of a group or organization in school no forfeiting or you lose (judges should be aware of that)

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/this-house-will-ban-school-uniforms/1/
  • CON

    In the 1970 case Richards v. Thurston (3-0), which...

    School uniforms

    School uniforms restrict students' freedom of expression. The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees that all that all individuals have the right to express themselves feely. The U.S. Supreme court Stated in Tinker v. Des Moines independent community school district (7-2, 1969) that "it can hardly be argued that ether students or teachers shed their constitutional to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." In the 1970 case Richards v. Thurston (3-0), which revolved around a boy refusing to have his haircut shorter, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that "compelled conformity to conventional standards of appearance" does not "seem a justifiable part of educational process." Clothing choices are "a crucial form of self-expression," according to the American civil liberties Union of Nevada, which also stated that "allowing students to choose their clothing is an empowering message from the schools.

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/School-uniforms/53/
  • CON

    If schools are worried students will show up to classes...

    School Uniforms

    Creativity is dying. School age children are at the point in their lives where they are trying to figure out who to be in this world we live in. Wearing a uniform takes away their individuality and essentially their creativity too. Some may argue that uniform codes prevent bullying. Sadly, they do not. There will always be that one child who because of their own insecurities, will choose to pick on an innocent classmate. This will go on with and without a uniform policy. If schools are worried students will show up to classes wearing inappropriate clothing, there is a solution to this as well. Schools can replace uniform codes with dress codes. Instead of making children wear uniforms, simply instill guidelines for appropriate and classy attire.

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/School-Uniforms/75/
  • PRO

    Kids can be readily identified in outside activities In a...

    Public School Students should wear School Uniforms

    Thank you Evidence is only to be presented when asked for I will first be presenting my arguments, then refuting my opponent's arguments. First, some definitions. Public School- K-12 Schools run by the US federal government 1. Makes people equal in the eyes of others, thus stopping bullying Some schools when they add uniforms it changes the way the students act, for example on the kimatv news the school system in yakima started to use uniforms. After each school started to use uniforms the bullying rate when down by 50%. People may be poor or rich. Income disparity is a huge problem in today’s public school system. People are bullied and teased based on the type/condition of their clothes. With kids, there would be none of that. No one will tease or bully anyone because everyone is wearing the same uniform The impact that will come from this discovery will be huge, this is because kids a tormented by name calling and other types of bullying everyday and it ruins their lives. Bullying can cause suicidal and traumatic problems which is detrimental to students. 2. Stops Inappropriate clothes to be worn to school CEPI says that uniforms stops gang colors This is good because gangs won’t be able to communicate thus keeping gangs from committing crimes The Impact is that because gangs won’t communicate, they can’t commit crimes making the world a better place Less people die from gang related crimes, saving lots of lives 3. Kids can be readily identified in outside activities In a field Trip, if the whole school is wearing a uniform, then if the kid wanders off, the teacher will recognize him/her in a huge crowd because of his/her clothes. US Department of Education says that the uniforms can help teachers identify their students easier. This will keep the students from getting lost and thus keeping them safe. If the school has uniforms, then the kids will be safe. They cannot wander off and get into trouble or danger. This is especially beneficial for younger kids. Now, to my opponent's arguments My opponent talks about how it violates rights. However, some things, you need to give up for a better life. I would rather feel safe and give up a few rights. In fact, I would rather stay alive instead of dead with the ability to express myself. Obviously, life is much more important than the right to express oneself. Limiting the right to express oneself is not going to kill every child in the US.

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/Public-School-Students-should-wear-School-Uniforms/1/
  • PRO

    The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that...

    School uniforms should be banned

    First of all, school uniforms restricts a student"s right to express themselves. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." [1] Yet, some schools still enforce students to wear clothes that mostly represent their school, but not their students themselves. Also, in several Supreme Court cases such as Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) , the Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 favor that "It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate" [2] which other cases had similar decisions as well. Therefore, uniforms should be considered a boundary to an individual"s personality and identity. [1] https://www.law.cornell.edu... [2] http://www.uscourts.gov...

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/School-uniforms-should-be-banned/7/
  • PRO

    I'm interested in hearing someone's opinion on this...

    School Pupils Should Be Required To Wear School Uniforms

    I was shocked to see that one of the most contested opinions on DDO were that pupils should have to wear school uniforms. I'm from the UK -- most schools require a uniform to be worn -- and this isn't even considered a debatable issue. I'm interested in hearing someone's opinion on this topic. School pupil: Any student below the age of 16 You will be Con -- against school uniforms. I'll start this off with a quick list as to why I believe uniforms are beneficial. 1. Creates a school identity/team spirit 2. Kids can focus less on fashion and trends, and more on education 3. Rich or poor, everyone is equal 4. Sets the pupils up for adult life; office jobs, uniformed work, dress codes etc. 5. Kids do not need to 'express themselves' through clothing; this is not appropriate in many jobs 6. Kids wandering out of school without permision can be easily identified and the school informed -- this prevents possible abductions and other incidents where the child can blend in without bring detected

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/School-Pupils-Should-Be-Required-To-Wear-School-Uniforms/1/
  • CON

    Let us ignore a blatant disregard for individualism here....

    Mandatory School Uniforms are beneficial to schooling

    I find it interesting that my opponent cautions to "keep personal bias out" when he has assumed the USA as the situation of his entire argument, in addition to citing two conservative - family values based sources. However his point is well taken. Then my opponent brings up a set of wondrous statistics - according to him the institution of school uniforms in Long Beach, California caused "overall school crime decreased 36 percent. Fights decreased 51 percent, sex offenses decreased 74 percent, weapons offenses decreased 50 percent, assault and battery offenses decreased 34 percent, and vandalism decreased 18 percent." This would be great - if it was because of the school uniforms. It wasn't. Several educational professionals noted that "it was curious" that school uniforms were cited as being the reason for the crime rate drop when "a $1 million grant from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation for the improvement of teaching methods" was entirely disregarded. Hmm, teachers vs uniforms, I wonder which could be more effective. (1) In fact, a University of Notre Dame study conducted on the fact "belies the claims that uniforms improve discipline: Our findings indicate that student uniforms have no direct effect on . . . behavioral problems" (1) Now my opponent excuses the cost of school uniforms, another extra cost for parents - or, as my opponent notes correctly, on the already financially burdened school system. This in addition to the cost of casual clothes, which readers will know from life experience (remember being 16) are going to be worn in lieu of uniforms at any time a student is not in school or returning home. Gavin de Becker is yet another celebrity writer whose credibility is Oprah Winfrey. The topic he does speak to is fear in America and, especially after Sept. 11th 2001, he does it very effectively. "Let's take Dress codes and uniforms can make school more about the learning and less about the symbolic individual expression of fashion. Students are left to communicate through language as opposed to clothing, style, designer names, bandanas, or gang colors. Dress codes help make everyone a student, as opposed to some kids being rich, some being tough, or anti-this, or pro-that. It is unifying-as the word uniform implies. Other places young people visit will still allow personal expression through fashion, but just as some professions wear business attire, and police, nurses, and firefighters wear uniforms, the school uniform is emblematic of what one does. At school, kids are there to be students." Let us ignore a blatant disregard for individualism here. What de Becker forgot to mention is that there are plenty of ways for students to separate themselves with school uniforms on. Necklaces, hair colour, length, and a variety of other characteristics are enough to create cliques if that is what students want. Who is to say that speaking doesn't create differences between students? Far more so, in fact, than does what one is wearing. But this leads us to my main point, which is that in real life students will have to deal with people being different. Not necessarily after graduating high school either. In fact, there is no reason that things couldn't go the other way - students who have unwashed uniforms, or individuals outside of school might be treated worse because they do not have uniforms. Individualism. This is a core and too often disregarded part of humanity. People will be different (see above) and it's up to us to show the youth of our society how to be tolerant of each other in present and future. What if students encounter a highschool dropout on the way back from school? What about people from other schools? What about weekends? Won't gang members recognize each other regardless? This is interesting because it relates to totalitarian societies as well - anyone who even attempts to be an individual at any time is discriminated against, Stalinist Russia, Nazi Germany, you name it they all had uniforms and they were proud of them and anyone who didn't was evil. This is in fact a strong argument against private schools generally - one of the main functions of school is to integrate different people in different parts of society and teach them to tolerate one another. In private schools, especially ones with uniforms, this often does not happen and it is worse with religious schools, where individuals are taught their religion and not exposed to different cultures or views of them. As for the workplace, my opponent's entire argument is focused on the idea that A) Individuals are ALL going to go to post - secondary institutions where conformity is seen as important and B) Inhibits other forms of expression. First of all, very few jobs are public service, so I see little relevance there - those that want to go into public service will have that mind set, but seeing as how few individuals are police/fire/ambulance see little relevance here - a minority of us will also end up wearing bandanas and playing guitar :) - should everyone in school have to because a few do? But then we go to business, where I can make a similar argument. Small business and individual entrepreneurship are core capitalistic values, and since we're dealing with this debate in a somewhat Americentric/capitalistic way I think my opponent has undermined his own argument - the individualism that my opponent is really fighting against is very necessary in capitalism. In fact, small businesses employ at least half of all Americans (3) and someone, somewhere, some individual began those businesses and they were an individual, and those they employ may wear uniforms or, often, they may not. My opponent has now said two contradictory statements - that clothing causes disparagement between individuals AND that it stops them from voicing opinions - which is it? Or shall we speak to the truth of the matter which is that usually nobody cares? I say usually because clothing can represent something else - a rebellion against the norm, the kind of individualism which is, as I have mentioned, critical to capitalism and, of course, democracy. One of the few similarities between the two is that both are focused on new ideas, and clothing can be a way to represent that just as speech can. Speech is more effective, but nobody merely does not put up their hand in class and question something just because of the shirt they are wearing! This is what separates an authouritarian society from a libertarian one, a closed minded one from a productive one. If students are taught in school, through the implementation of school uniforms and various other pointless and often excessive rules introduced in school that they cannot be individuals and that that isn't important, then that is what they will believe as adults. I despise the designer label thing as much as the next guy - uniforms won't take that away, there is a life outside of school for students, where I would say they do a good part of their learning. If we teach the youth of our society that they all must conform to the same standards or be picked on by teachers and fellow students alike then they will grow up to be less interesting, less creative individuals and the economy will suffer. One last thing - is my opponent planning on consulting students? How about parents? And if not, when does school go from being something society gives to it's younger members to being a kind of mandatory service age 7 - 16, and why make it seem more that way when many already think that way? Given the evidence, as well as the fact that in viewing and voting on this rational debate our viewers have already shown that they believe in individualism and individual thought, I urge them to vote against. 1) http://www.gate.net... 2) http://www.barnesandnoble.com... 3) http://usgovinfo.about.com...

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/Mandatory-School-Uniforms-are-beneficial-to-schooling/1/
  • CON

    its unrelated to getting your oil changed but you will...

    School Uniforms

    I'm going to be honest I don't think the color of the clothes I wear effects the fact that I have drugs on me and if my school has violence or not. People are the same no matter what you wear. Its like saying "hey did you know if you get your oil changed you will have a flat tire? " its unrelated to getting your oil changed but you will get a flat tire most likely because most people get their oil changed when they are about to have a trip and that's when you get a flat tire. Also I don't know if you count vapes as drugs but now in 2018 there is sooooo many vapes at my school is unreal That would not change whether we wore school clothes or not(which we do). Just because people changed and there have been more awareness for school shootings and presentations about drugs over 2 years and it just so happens that over those 2 years they decided to have uniforms over those two years is NOT related at all.

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/School-Uniforms/85/
  • PRO

    Alright so first of all there are some schools out there...

    Should their be school uniforms

    Alright so first of all there are some schools out there that have a community very different from one and another, that includes a poor to rich scale. If poor children wore very old and dirty clothes to school while the rich wore designer brands can you guess who would get picked on? I have heard a story about this school (I will keep it's identity secret) where on mufti day (where you get to wear what you want to school) the poor children would not want to go, why? Because they will be picked on of course! We must keep the mental health for our poor students well, healthy! Before you go rambling along about how the school should implement systems to keep bulling to a low, those never work! Trust me I have been there and done that even with uniforms I cannot imagine what would happen if we did not have uniforms. So put your uniform on and lets go to school!

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/Should-their-be-school-uniforms/1/
  • CON

    Also, if everyone is wearing the same thing you might not...

    School Uniforms

    What if you could never wear your choice of fashion to school ever again? You would never hear compliments on your shirt because every one is wearing the same thing. Clothes helps you express yourself, sometimes, you can tell a person's personality with their choice of fashion. Rips in your jeans can mean your reckless. Skirts or dresses show your inner sweetness. Baggy shorts can mean your a gangster. Your choice of fabrics may not always express yourself, but, what about shopping? School is almost everyday. Those shopping freaks cant do what they love. What if there is that special someone? You won't impress them with an everyday drag uniform. My point is that school wouldn't be half as fun wearing uniforms. Also, if everyone is wearing the same thing you might not be able to tell your friends apart from your enemies. You buy clothes for how they look on you, but also if their comfortable. What if your school uniform is really itchy? What if your usual daily wear is a comfortable sweater. You won't be used to the change. Your skin might be damaged. I'm kind of dragging on now, so ill finish.

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/School-Uniforms/31/