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Cassie Hubbard
Professor Skutar
English Composition 2089
17 April 2014
Benefits for the Implementation of School Uniforms
Hello, and good evening. My name is Cassie Hubbard and I am a Secondary Education
Life Sciences major at the University of Cincinnati. I graduated high school a few years back
from a suburban, public high school in the small town of Milford, OH. I came to the University
of Cincinnati to study education and to become a teacher because of my passion for high school
aged children and the journey each of them embarks on in a secondary educational setting. I
have always had the best intentions in mind for my future students, as any promising educator
would agree. I have the best intentions in mind for my future students, and very high hopes for
future generations of students to come. Hopes for prosperity and success, and for a secondary
experience in which they find out that high school can be a fun, memorable stage in their lives
even with all of the homework and testing that comes along with this experience. Tonight I
propose an idea that will bring each of these aspects of student life together. Tonight I propose
that the implementation of school uniforms in public schools will reward an entire of spectrum of
people, from the student body to parents, teachers, and administrators. Yes, the implementation
of school uniforms will even have its advantages for the parents and guardians of high school
students. By the end of our time together time my hope is that you will see how the
implementation of school uniforms will have social, behavioral, and academic benefits for
parents, teachers, and most importantly the students.
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“Increased student learning and positive attitudes towards school through enhanced
learning environments, heightened school pride, and reinforced feelings of oneness among
students” (Brunsma 2001). I think we as parents, teachers, and students can all agree that these
aspects of student life are what we strive for in a secondary educational setting. According to
David L. Brunsma from the Department of Sociology at the University of Alabama, all of these
are crucial aspects of any student’s high school experience. In the following message I will
propose how each of these aspects of student life are more attainable with the implementation of
school uniforms. This is one controversy that has been around for years and is still being
debated for current generations of public school students. There has always been support
regarding the implementation of school uniforms and throughout this time I will expand on the
research that suggests these benefits will not only impact the student body in a positive way, but
will also benefit the parents, the administration, and the school as a whole.
First and foremost, I would like to present on the positive impact of uniforms on the
students. With the implementation of school uniforms students automatically become more
unified as a body. Research suggests that there is heightened school spirit when students are
united. This unison can stem from sports teams, school events, and yes, even from school
uniforms. School uniforms have a way of neutralizing the playing field among students. It
seems that the social rankings among students begin to fall away as a result of having one less
aspect of student life to compare to one another.
This notion of comparison among the student body is dramatically lowered with the
implementation of school uniforms. This is essential for the well-being and self esteem of our
future students. I think we have all experienced times in our lives when we realize there will
always be someone who is “better” than us, or at least by society’s standards that is. It is as if we
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are continuously battling social standards, comparing ourselves with one another, and doing what
we can to further our standing in society. There are always obstacles we must face when battling
these social standards. Of these, the one I remember most vividly from my experiences is the
constant struggle to fit in.
When I was a high school student, my friends and I were always concerned with what we
looked like. Our appearances and attire were top priority at the time. I know that it may sound
trivial now, but the reality of it was that thoughts about how our exteriors were presented to our
peers consumed an immense amount of our time and energy. Life as a high school girl was like
one long, drawn out competition to have the cutest, most expensive, and fashionable clothes. It
is easy to see now that each of us were simply hiding behind an unauthentic façade, disclosing
the parts of ourselves that really mattered. The parts of ourselves that had sustenance, like who
we were as people, our interests, hobbies, and ideas about real world matters, and our true
individualistic identities were all masked behind materialistic pieces of clothing and accessories.
I remember how one very close friend of mine had even resorted to skipping classes
several times throughout the school year because she wasn’t happy with her outfit choice or felt
dissatisfied by her appearance. I believe, however, that these current truths about high school
students struggling with self-image and comparison issues can be abated. I believe that the
implementation of school uniforms would have put an end to many of these ongoing struggles
when I was in high school. I also believe that school uniforms have the potential to abate these
struggles that are still apparent in public schools today.
With the implementation of school uniforms, students will not have to be worried about
what he or she will wear to school that day, what clothes and brands are in or out, or if the outfit
they are wearing looks good in the eyes of their peers. Eliminating thoughts of comparing
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ourselves to one another is nearly impossible, considering it is a part of human nature, but I think
we should do what we can to minimize what we know is causing negativity among the student
body. School uniforms are one simple, convenient way to do this. We have an opportunity to
try something new, something that is foreign to most public schools, but has the potential to
bring about considerably great advances in these schools. This is my opinion and I believe we
should give these school uniforms a try, even if only a trial run, to allow the opportunity for
school uniforms to prove that they do indeed have the ability to improve public high schools in
abundant ways.
Furthermore, we should be taking into consideration the disadvantages of keeping school
uniforms away from public school curriculum. What happens if we continue on without the
implementation of school uniforms? Without any change how will any progress be made within
the public school system?
A scholarly article of the University of Cincinnati library presents information on the
benefits of school uniforms stating that school uniforms promote a more conducive learning
environment and eliminate fashion competition, among other things (Weston 2010). As students
are incessantly comparing themselves to one another and social rankings are being assigned to
each individual, there are more than just feelings of depreciation in the hearts of our students. As
a matter of fact, just the opposite occurring in another section of the student body. Feelings of
righteousness are evolving in the egos of the students who are repeatedly praised and made
admirable for the materialistic items they possess. Out of these feelings of righteousness stems
thoughts and ideas of superiority over students who may be less privileged or have a unique
outlook on ranking. Once students emanate this kind of superiority, bullying and isolation arises
among the student body. Bullying has been seen in schools for as long as I can remember.
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Reasons for bullying are abundant, but one that I have seen the most in my experience is putting
down another student because one person believes that he or she is better than the other. In turn,
it has been found that the ranking a student receives is based on where they come from and what
they have and therefore, causes this belief of righteousness. School uniforms can minimize these
beliefs and students will be seen as equals. A journal of educational research actually found that,
“uniforms affect students’ safety by lowering student victimization and decreasing gang activity
and fights (Brunsma 2001).” Bullying will be one less distraction from the relevant parts of the
school day. Without the distraction of what to wear, who to impress, or which bully to avoid
students will be able to focus more on the positivity found throughout their secondary
educational career, including furthering their academics, joining a club, or trying out for a sports
team.
In addition to uniforms providing unity among the student body, dressing in a
professional manner will reflect how the students behave and their attitudes about school.
Students wearing a school uniform tend to have better overall behavior than students who do not
wear a uniform (Brunsma 2001). School uniforms essentially act as a pre-professional
experience. Most students who desire to pursue a career in business, education, or even in the
medical field have to dress professionally everyday during the work week. This way, school
uniforms prepare students for what they might experience in a possible career choice down the
road. After all, isn’t the key purpose of secondary education to prepare our students for the
future?
It also makes sense that school uniforms can have a positive impact on student behavior.
With all that we have seen, heard, and experienced thus far it is clear to see the overwhelming
influence that a style or dress can have on the way a person carries themselves. Teachers and
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administrators of schools that are planning to implement school uniforms have hopes that with a
more professional dress code, the students behavior may be modified with an increase in the
maturity levels as seen through the student body as a whole.
So far we have focused on the benefits of school uniforms for the students but there is
also much to be said about the advantages of school uniforms for teachers, administrators, and
parents as well. The implementation of school uniforms has benefits for more than just the
students. The administration will also be impacted in a positive way. Schools that do not require
uniforms but still enforce a dress code must also be responsible for making sure that students are
abiding by the dress code. Many court cases, including the famous Tinker v. Des Moines
Independent Community School District (1969), that debate whether or not they could
“reasonably forecast that the student expression would cause substantial disruption” (Hudson,
2002) because of their clothing could be avoided with a clear standard of how the students
should dress. Teachers and other staff members would not have so much to monitor with the
implementation of school uniforms. This means that there is one less aspect of the school day
that authorities throughout the school have to worry about remaining in control of. Teachers will
have that much more time and energy to focus on lesson planning, teaching, and making
improvements in the classroom.
Another benefit of school uniforms for the teachers is the positive influence that a
student’s appearance has on the teacher’s expectations. There has been an observable difference
in the standards that teacher’s have for students who look and dress properly and conservatively
in the high school setting. As a result of these higher expectations, student achievement is rising.
Students are motivated by the standards set by their teachers. As a high school graduate and
current college student, I can vouch for those who know what it is like to measure out the
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teacher’s expectations of our work and commitment to their class and adjust to the amount of
effort it is going to take to meet these expectations. More easily said, high expectations lead to
high achievement. Students are more likely increase work input and participation in a class if the
standards are attainable, but still provide a challenge for them. Higher expectations can peak
student interest on a subject or topic of study. If standards are too low, the students become
uninterested and are therefore more likely to only do the bare minimum for that teacher’s class in
order to simply get by with a passing grade. These are the kind of expectations that lead to poor
work ethic. It has become a part of my mission as a future educator to avoid this discouragement
of the students, and rather, encourage them to reach their fullest potential.
Additionally, I can understand why research is suggesting that teachers set higher
expectations for students with a well put together appearance. It makes sense that teachers hold
students to a higher set of standards according to their dress because of the correlation between
how people behave in professional dress versus how people dress in a less than casual sense.
Teachers will have an overall improvement in achievement when the entirety of the student body
wears a professionally looking school uniform. Therefore, if school uniforms are helping to
increase these standards, and student achievement, it is easy to see the benefit that will come of
them.
The third party that benefits from the school uniforms is the parents and guardians of the
students. It is exceedingly likely that most mornings will become easier without arguments
about what the child is wearing or efforts geared toward trying to find some article of clothing so
that he or she can wear it. I have personally experienced a few rough mornings when I was in
high school and my mom didn’t like the outfit I was wearing. There was also the issue of not
being able to find what I wanted to wear that day and even another issue of blaming my mom for
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not having what I wanted to wear clean or ready to be worn. I know from first-hand experiences
that if all I need in the morning was my school uniform, routines would have been carried out
much more smoothly.
Another benefit for the parents and guardians applies to the financing of school uniforms.
When students already know what they will be wearing during the upcoming school year,
parents are not required to go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe each year. Although, for me,
I always enjoyed going school clothes shopping every fall, it would have been much more
economically sound for my parents if we didn’t have the need to do so. A student can be easily
outfitted with easy-care, long-lasting uniforms for about $150 a year. This includes 10 to 12
items. From here, students have the choice to mix and match the items each day of the school
week and have saved themselves and their parents money that could be used for school supplies
and fees, sports and extracurricular activities, and even extra spending money on the weekends.
Although thus far I have only revealed the benefits for the implementation of school
uniforms, it is known that for every issue in education, there is always more than one
perspective. One issue that has been around for years and is still being debated is, in fact, the
implementation of school uniforms in public schools. Perhaps the most prominent counter
reaction to school uniforms is the limited self-expression for the students. Others would argue
though, that students still have all the time after school and on the weekends to express
themselves how they choose. With uniforms, students find ways to express themselves
creatively, rather than through their clothes- through the arts, music, sports, personality and
academic achievement. School uniforms have the potential to increase student involvement
throughout the school and extra curricular activities.
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This aspect of school uniforms has even more advantages within itself. As students
become more involved in activities that allow them to express themselves, it is likely they will
start leading a healthier and happier lifestyle. Arts, music, sports, personality, and student
achievement are all positive traits of student life. Within these groups and activities students
have the opportunity not only to express themselves, but also to connect with one another, build
community and friendships, and excel in additional aspects of their lives. School uniforms will
promote community, involvement and yes, even self-expression. As you can see, it is important
to see all sides of an argument, even the cons have the potential to be turned into pros.
It was also made clear in Canady v. Bossier Parish School Board that the intention of
school uniforms was to “increase test scores and reduce disciplinary problems throughout the
school system, and is in no way related to the suppression of student speech” (Hudson 2002).
The goal of schools, administrators, and parents is not suppress the student body or promote
conformity of individuals, but to reap the true benefits of school uniforms. In fact, I would say
that the majority of these groups of people are actually more interested in this intention of
increasing test scores and reducing disciplinary problems than the students even realize.
Often times, students have the impression that parents and teachers are constantly
searching for ways to control the lives of young people. When school uniforms are offered into
conversation, sometimes the first thoughts for students include concerns about what may be
wrong with what they are wearing or ideas that uniforms are limiting the paths to expressing
themselves. I think if students were completely informed about how much school uniforms can
improve their secondary educational experience, they would be more open to the idea. I also
believe that it is noteworthy to consider completely informing parents and teachers about the
effects of school uniforms, as this is equally important for adults that are involved in the
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students’ lives as well. It just so happens that this topic of discussion is more appealing to
parents, teachers, and administrators than it is to the students. Therefore, I would like to suggest
displaying school uniforms to students in a new light, in a way that is appealing to students.
After all, these are the people who will be wearing the uniforms. Every school is different from
the next, but the possibilities for school uniforms are endless. I have seen some schools have
contests among the student body to design an appropriate, yet fashionable uniform for the
students to wear the next year. This idea invites students to participate in the decision-making
process of the school while also working together and collaborating on a design that will be
accepted and liked by their peers. Although this might sound like a daunting task at first, I
believe that students will enjoy the time they spend on this project. Moreover, the idea of school
uniforms becomes more accepted by the students and may even generate excitement among the
students and their peers.
As we begin to wrap up the time that we have here tonight, I just want to reiterate to you
the whole reason I am speaking out in support of school uniforms. I believe that school uniforms
can have an exceedingly positive impact on our young people today and on the generations of
students to come. As I have mentioned throughout the night, public school uniforms have the
potential to unite our youth, stimulate the minds of students, and increase academic standings in
schools all around while also aiding our teachers, administrators, and schools. This is my desire
as a future educator, to unite, ignite, and advance the public school system. I hope that after all
of this, you too can share in this as the parents, teachers, and administrators of our youth. Now is
the time to spark innovation and change in the public school system, so let’s allow school
uniforms to catalyze this revolution.
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Works Cited
Brunsma, D. L., & Rockquemore, K.A. (2001). “Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance,
Behavior Problems, Substance Use, and Academic Achievement.”
The Journal of Educational research, 92. Retrieved from
http://faculty.unlv.edu/sloe/Courses/
Brunsma, David L. “Uniforms in Public Schools: A Decade of Research and Debate.”
Review by: Anthony Troy Adams Contemporary Sociology , Vol. 35, No. 6 (Nov., 2006),
pp. 634-636.
Hudson, D.L. (2002, April 1). “Clothing, Dress Codes, and Uniforms.” Retrieved from
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/clothing-dress-codes-uniforms
Kolb, A., & Boyd, H. (2009, Sep 14). “Require school uniforms?” Scholastic News, 78, 7.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/212829542?accountid=2909
“School Uniforms.” (2011, 09). Storyworks, 19, 26-27,T7. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/899806585?accountid=2909
“Should school uniforms be required?” (1998, Dec 14). Scholastic Scope, 47, 4.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/212834380?accountid=2909
Tarshis, L. (2011, Nov 21). “School uniforms: Awesome-or awful?” Scholastic Scope, 60, 22-23.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/905836524?accountid=2909
West, Charles K., et al. "Attitudes of Parents about School Uniforms." Journal of Family and
Consumer Sciences 91.2 (1999): 92-6. ProQuest. 4 Mar. 2014.
Weston, A. (2010, Sep 12). “School uniforms or not?” McClatchy - Tribune Business News.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/750247559?accountid=2909
Wilde, M. (2013). “Do Uniforms Make Schools Better?” Retrieved from
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http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/121-schooluniforms.gs?page=all