Turner-1

Williamson D. Turner
English 1301-1
st

10/7/13
Fall Research Paper
School Uniforms: Constructive or Oppressive?
Today, around 14 percent of schools across America choose to impose mandatory
regulations regarding clothing on their students. Dress codes only specify what cannot be worn
but, school uniforms are a set of clothing that each student at a particular school is
required to wear(Current Issues). It usually consists of a shirt that identifies the school that a
student attends, and a pair of pants for boys and a skirt for girls. These uniforms are intended to
induce better behavior, fewer distractions, and reduced bullying between social classes in the
classroom setting(Boyd). The implementation of uniforms into public schools began 1994 with
the Long-Beach School District in southern California (Portner). Since then, uniforms in the
public schools system has become more and more common, even becoming community policy in
some areas. But while many parents feel that forcing children to wear uniforms stifles
individuality, most school administrators claim that school uniforms will reduce bullying and
peer pressure in schools.
School administrators insist that school uniforms provide excellent tool for improving
student performance in the classroom. A survey from the NAESP yielded results that suggest
that uniforms lead to a decline in the number of disciplinary problems that seem to be a problem
in the majority of schools (Daniels). Fewer disciplinary ultimately means that there will be more
classroom instruction time for all of the students involved because the teachers have less
distractions that they have to deal with.
Turner-2


Instituting uniforms in public schools also helps relieve some of the social stresses
that are placed upon students that come from families that arent necessarily as well off as
the families of other students. Students whose clothes and other possessions arent as expensive
or as popular as those of their classmates, are persecuted more often than not in the public school
system. This type of bullying often leads to more serious offenses by both the bully and the
victim. But uniforms allow for students to come to and not have to outwardly reveal the fact that
they arent as fiscally fortunate as some of their peers. Requiring students to dress alike cancels
out a large amount of the intimidation and supposed inferiority associated with having less style
or popularity than other kids (Daniels).
Uniforms also benefit schools by making it hard for students to display signs that
may be offensive to other people. Mark DePinto from Bayonne New Jersey was prevented
from displaying inappropriate images of the Hitler Youth organization on his uniform by the
dress policy of his school. DePinto claims that the picture was supposed to be a profound
statement about what happens when young people are pushed into something that they cant
control. While DePintos claims may have more credit than is admitted, using Nazi Party
organizations to make a statement in a school setting is not constructive for a learning
environment (Kelly). Kelly goes on in his article to express that the lawsuit that resulted from
this issue was frivolous and could have been avoided. The schools policy caused a lot of turmoil,
but at the same time the dress code made immediate action within the school possibly. This swift
action that is made possible is a direct benefit of school uniforms because it gives schools a less
obstructed way to deal with inappropriate symbols that may be present in a school setting.
Some people argue that school uniforms contradict the idea students should be able freely
express themselves. Kent Fetzer refutes the idea that school uniforms always induce better
Turner-3


behavior. He claims that if this was the case, soldiers wouldnt go absent without leave nor
would prison fights be a problem. Fetzer also claims that the message that is sent by school
uniforms is not consistent with the morals that children are taught from elementary school and
onward. Every student at some point was likely told that they were special and that everyone is
different. Forcing every student to dress exactly alike all of the time directly contradicts the idea
that everyone is different and some would go as far as to say that uniforms advocate society
sameness which makes being different a bad thing (Fetzer).
School uniforms and related policies possess the power to limit diversity if not kept
in check (Haynes). Uniforms disallow the public display of religion or other beliefs. Not
allowing students to represent who they are can be a crippling blow to the social learning
process. Students tend to learn about the world by observing the world around them. But when
everyone around a student suddenly becomes the same, several possible opportunities to learn
from someone different, goes away.
In addition to the above issues, uniforms create a need for parents to purchase items
that may not be fiscally attainable for them. Some parents, like Laura Bell- a parent in
Indianapolis- feel that forcing kids to wear uniforms also infringes on the rights of the parents by
forcing them to buy goods that they may not have wanted (Motsinger). As a result lawsuits over
money have become commonplace in uniformed schools.
Each side holds its own faults and weaknesses as far as feasibility and actual yield are
concerned, but both sides also harbor strong evidence as to why the other is wrong. School
uniforms can help improve performance in the classroom, but they can also create and lower
quality of learning and diversity.

Turner-4


Works Cited
Boyd, Hannah. School Uniforms. Education.com, Friday Sept. 20, 2013 Web.

Daniels, Stephen. "School Dress Codes Are Necessary and Constitutional." Students' Rights. Ed.
Jamuna Carroll. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. From
"Student Dress Policies: The Success of School Uniforms and Dress Codes." Findings
(May 2001). Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.

Fetzer, Kent J. "School Uniforms Stifle Freedom of Expression." School Policies. Ed. Jamuna
Carroll. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Erosion of
Freedom." Salt Lake Tribune 18 Apr. 2002: F2. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.
29 Sept. 2013.

Haynes, Charles. "School Dress Codes Limit Students' Freedom of Expression." Students'
Rights. Ed.

Jamuna Carroll. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "T-Shirt
Rebellion in the Land of the Free." First Amendment Center. 2004. Opposing Viewpoints
In Context. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.

Kelly, Mike. "School Uniforms Do Not Stifle Freedom of Expression." School Policies. Ed.
Jamuna Carroll. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from
Turner-5


"Squabbling Over School Uniforms." Record 10 Dec. 2006: O01. Opposing Viewpoints In
Context. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.

Motsinger, Carol. Ironing Out Policies On School Uniforms, USA Today, Friday Sept. 20, 2013
Web.

Portner, Jessica. "The Return of School Uniforms." School Violence. Ed. Kate Burns. San
Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Contemporary Issues Companion. Rpt. from "Uniforms
Get Credit for Decrease in Discipline Problem." Teacher Magazine 15.21 (14 Feb. 1996).
Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.bstract 5

"School Uniforms." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010.
Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.