Should American public schools mandate uniform dress code?

[SentinelMind]

Question, what do you guys think? I personally think use of uniforms in public schools (K-8 at least) would help improve the level of discipline and respect for education in public schools. I've heard other arguments like "kids have civil rights"..etc...which I think is stupid.

 

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

In K-12th, all I had was uniforms. It was much better than buying clothes now like I have to in college. I vote yes.

 

[Darthphere]

Question, what do you guys think? I personally think use of uniforms in public schools (K-8 at least) would help improve the level of discipline and respect for education in public schools. I've heard other arguments like "kids have civil rights"..etc...which I think is stupid.

I think it's stupid that you think uniforms would improve discipline. If anything, it will cause more rebellion in teenagers.

 

[Kebab gud]

schools uniform cause an increase in rape..

Fact..

 

[union_jak]

They have uniforms here in the UK. It rules out the danger of being picked on for wearing cheap brands or whatever, but the bullies just pick up on jackets, bags and shoes etc.

The teachers spend all their time making the boys put their ties on, tuck their shirts in and the girls have to have a specific length skirt.

 

[Symbiotic]

I think it's stupid that you think uniforms would improve discipline. If anything, it will cause more rebellion in teenagers.

Agreed. And I would know. I am one.

 

[Yurka]

f*** dress codes, they only enforce them on attractive girls, but they dont have the balls to tell the fat girls to cover up there stomachs that are pouring over their skirts or pull up their pants to cover their giant thongs.


Uniforms would be fine since I'm out of school now.

 

[SentinelMind]

I think it's stupid that you think uniforms would improve discipline. If anything, it will cause more rebellion in teenagers.

When you dress differently and formally in an environment, you're less likely to be disruptive. It works on a subconscious level.

 

[chamber-music]

uniforms do nothing. I wore one all through school and it didn't make kids more disiplined or rebellious. The reason the school gave for having them is so kids don't get bullied for not wearing the latest fashion brand/style or whatever.

Uniforms mmake little difference really. In the UK most schools have a dress code and since you wear a uniform since you start school your used to itt by high school.

 

[SentinelMind]

uniforms do nothing. I wore one all through school and it didn't make kids more disiplined or rebellious. The reason the school gave for having them is so kids don't get bullied for not wearing the latest fashion brand/style or whatever.

Uniforms mmake little difference really. In the UK most schools have a dress code and since you wear a uniform since you start school your used to itt by high school.

Well, I think that reason alone is a good enough reason. Take the pop culture clothing obsession distraction out of the classroom.

 

[Logan's Runt]

Well, I think that reason alone is a good enough reason. Take the pop culture clothing obsession distraction out of the classroom.

But its still there. Like someone said, jackets, shoes, accessories, etc. There will always be a venue for 'class' distinction.

 

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

In my HS, all we could wear from the bottom down was pants...& we had the occassional jeans day.. Other than that, it was a polo shirt with the school logo..But that part was optional.

 

[SentinelMind]

EDIT: To Logan

^any reduction is a significant reduction. At what expense is that reduction not worth it? Shoes and accessories is better than t-shirts, jean brand names, etc....

 

[Darthphere]

When you dress differently and formally in an environment, you're less likely to be disruptive. It works on a subconscious level.

No, it doesn't. Anytime you force a child or teenager to do something, it's going to cause problems.

 

[Spider-Fan]

No. Clothing is a form of self-exression, so when I am sending kids to public school, uniforms should not be needed. Private schools can do what they want, but public schools should not have uniforms.

Kids may make fun of clothes, but if you give them uniforms, they'll just find other stuff to make fin of. It is life.

 

[Kelly]

Depends on if you are talking "uniforms" or "standardized dress".....

As far as discipline, the schools that have uniforms, probably did not have a major discipline problem in the first place....

In the school district I teach in.....when "standardized dress" was implemented....

1. Tardies decreased...
2. Discipline referrals decreased...

Grade wise, not much change....but usually things like that take time, usually the first things you see change in are the things I put above....

Standardized dress is simply a choice of colors in Polos and Slacks....then on Fridays, jeans, and whatever are allowed.....

The schools that have faired better in this change were schools where the teacher's first went to standardized dress, and then the following year...the transistion was pretty smooth....

I do not see uniforms as a viable alternative for ALL schools......but for schools that are the economic level of my school as far as the families, standardized dress can help in many areas.....

 

[Darthphere]

No. Clothing is a form of self-exression, so when I am sending kids to public school, uniforms should not be needed. Private schools can do what they want, but public schools should not have uniforms.

Kids may make fun of clothes, but if you give them uniforms, they'll just find other stuff to make fin of. It is life.

Exactly. If you look like a ****ing ogre, you're going to made fun of, uniform or not. And you can still tell who the poor kids are with uniforms anyway.

 

[Logan's Runt]

EDIT: To Logan

^any reduction is a significant reduction. At what expense is that reduction not worth it? Shoes and accessories is better than t-shirts, jean brand names, etc....

I'm only speaking from the experience of how rampant it was at my school, with uniforms. The amount of damage it did in the way of the 'haves' and the 'have nots' was not insignificant.

 

[Darthphere]

In the school district I teach in.....when "standardized dress" was implemented....

1. Tardies decreased...
2. Discipline referrals decreased...

Grade wise, not much change....but usually things like that take time, usually the first things you see change in are the things I put above....

I fail to see how uniforms or standardized dress would cause a decrease in those two areas. I mean, I fail to see the connection.

 

[Kelly]

No, it doesn't. Anytime you force a child or teenager to do something, it's going to cause problems.

In the beginning sure....but if you start, as our school district did at the elementary level, and then moved up.........its not that big of a deal anymore........

 

[SentinelMind]

No. Clothing is a form of self-exression, so when I am sending kids to public school, uniforms should not be needed. Private schools can do what they want, but public schools should not have uniforms.

Kids may make fun of clothes, but if you give them uniforms, they'll just find other stuff to make fin of. It is life.

I disagree, I really don't think clothing for the Kindergarten - Eighth grade student is a "form of self-expression". Sports, art, music...that's self-expression that requires talent and work. The clothing is just a expression of your parent's wealth, since the kids don't work and just mimick pop culture and peer pressure.

The argument I'm hearing is..."well, yes, it will make some changes, but its not worth it"

 

[Darthphere]

In the beginning sure....but if you start, as our school district did at the elementary level, and then moved up.........its not that big of a deal anymore........

Teenage rebellion is something that's going to happen. I wore uniforms in elementary school and I hated wearing uniforms in middle school. Hated it. I mean, go to any middle school when the last bell rings and you'll see more than half of the boys take off their polos to reveal their oversized Tupac shirts underneath.

 

[SoulManX]

schools uniform cause an increase in rape..

Fact..

Really

 

[Darthphere]

I disagree, I really don't think clothing for the Kindergarten - Eighth grade student is a "form of self-expression". Sports, art, music...that's self-expression that requires talent and work. The clothing is just a expression of your parent's wealth, since the kids don't work and just mimick pop culture and peer pressure.

The argument I'm hearing is..."well, yes, it will make some changes, but its not worth it"

No the argument from me at least is "it won't change ****."

And you know what, I grew up pretty poor, and my parents couldn't afford the Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger clothes, or the football and basketball jerseys, but I was brought up to have some pride and I was never really jealous of those kids that had parents who could afford such clothing items. I think we need to stop coddling these kids and infuse them with an ounce of self respect and stop this "they won't be picked on if they're all wearing the same thing" garbage.

 

[SentinelMind]

I fail to see how uniforms or standardized dress would cause a decrease in those two areas. I mean, I fail to see the connection.

Well, who's problem is that? Don't let the evidence impact your prenotions. It seems obvious that dress code does impact the way students subconsciously treat the institution or environment they reside in. It may not be significant or life-altering, but that's worth it in my opinion.