For
school dress codes whether it is a school uniform or strict rules, there are
always two sides to the argument. According to the U.S.
Department of Education, in 2014, 23 percent of all public and private schools
have a uniform policy (Statistic Brain). Many public school have began adopting
uniforms and strict dress codes to prevent gang violence, diminish economic and
social barriers between students, and improve the learning environment.
Although strict dress codes and uniforms may do that, the other side of the
argument is that uniforms can be costly, freedom of expression and
individuality does not exist, and it could hinder the students’ life after
school in society.
Diminishing
economic and social barriers
Having a uniform in a public school
diminishes the economic and social barriers between students. If
students are required to all wear the same uniform, then there will be no judgment
about what other styles or brands students are wearing.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, 47 percent of
parents and 90 percent of teachers strongly agreed that uniforms in public
schools have “addressed the peer pressure issue of ‘fitting in’ by wearing
specific brands” (Statistic Brain). With a school uniform in place, cliques
based upon social and economic status will no longer exist.
Improving
the learning environment
It cannot be proven that having a
strict dress code or uniform will improve a student’s learning due to different
curriculums, although the attendance rates are much higher than schools that do
not have dress codes. According to the Long Beach Unified School
District, suspensions have decreased by 32 percent since acquiring a uniform
dress code (Education). 35 percent of parents and 81 percent of
teachers has also strongly agreed that school uniforms have improved the
learning environment (Statistic Brain).
Work Cited
"The Reality of School Dress
Policies." Education.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
"School Uniform Statistics." Statistic
Brain RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
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