School Uniforms: Yes or No?

br 5 School Uniforms : Yes or No ? School Uniforms : Yes or No Issues of school safety , student performance and morale have reignited the debate over whether or not school uniforms , like those used for centuries in private schools , should be adopted for use in public schools . Controversy surrounds the question as to whether or not mandatory school uniforms in public schools exert a positive influence over academic performance , the reduction disciplinary enforcement , and positive allegiance to school communities , or whether or not such policies simply incite egregious behavior . '93Few things in

life are as clear as adolescents ' seemingly innate drive to assert their independent judgment of social affairs[ .] they are prone to express a degree of doubt about the many potential futures they are bound--and often compelled--to endure '94 (Hoge , Foster , Nickell , and Field

In addition to tis controversy , questions loom over the issues of Constitutional freedoms , cultural and ethnic biases , and rights of free-expression . '93School dress codes and mandated school uniforms may seem like godsends to parents who are attempting to negotiate the treacherous shoals of adolescent culture and identity formation[ .] such policies raise a multitude of issues and problems that call for[ .] prudent school governance policies '94 (Hoge , Foster Nickell , and Field

OPPOSITION '92S VIEWPOINT

Advocates of school uniform generally specific criteria upon which their favorable opinion of school uniforms is based . Though these criteria are seldom reinforced by objective data or demonstrable evidence , the argument for school uniforms appeals to an intuitive sense of and control and represents the enforcement of a highly visible measure of action . This final point may be the most overlooked and potentially important aspect of school uniforms : that use

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of them demonstrates in a highly visible fashion the intention to restore and continuity to the educational process and venues in question . Other supposed benefits of school uniforms adhere to an admirable set of desired school-conditions : '93lowering student victimization , decreasing gang-activity and fights , differentiating strangers from students in school buildings , increasing a supporting and positive attitude toward learning , heightening school-pride and identity and conformity to organizational goals '94 (LaPointe , Holloman (Brunsma , and Rockquemore

In addition to the hoped-for benefits of uniforms , proponents of school-uniforms in public schools generally cite specific , important criteria as to what constitutes a school-uniform : '93clothing can be considered a uniform when it (al ) serves as a group emblem (b certifies an institution 's legitimacy by revealing individuals ' relative positions , and (c ) suppresses individuality '94 The specificity in this distinction is intended to serve an administrative function of hierarchy identification and enforcement : '93The presence of uniforms in schools automatically implies a two-tiered hierarchical structure--those who wear uniforms (subordinates ) and those who do not wear uniforms (superiors '94 (Brunsma , and Rockquemore

PERSONAL POV

As mentioned , most , if not all of the above-mentioned assertions are unsupported by factual evidence , but are the result of prima facie determinations which have a superficial basis . The desire to outwardly...