The arguments often put forward by some people against the use of school uniforms is that it hides the student’s identity and doesn’t allow them to showcase their style and unique personality. The opposing school of thought have found this line of reasoning outrageous.
The question is, are school uniforms beneficial? What are the advantages that the school uniforms will offer to students, parents and teachers alike?
These are the questions we intend to tackle in this article.
Let’s get right to it then!
Advantages of School Uniforms
1. Reduces academic distractions
With the use of school uniforms, there will be less academic distractions as students will be less focused on the latest fashion trends. More than too often, you see students panting after the latest fashion and clothing. School uniforms eliminates this phenomenon. Instead of engaging in competitive fashion and looks, the attention is now focused on studies, appearance and the individual identity.
2. They make an easier morning for parents and guardians
Preparing kids for school is no easy task, coupled with the daily chores that the parents and guardian has to battle with in the mornings. You have to prepare the child for school; taking a shower, brushing their teeth, combing their hair, checking mails, doing laundry and other things. With all these, the last thing a parent would want is the task of choosing the right clothing for their kids. As easy as it may sound, parents know too well that it’s not so easy.
The uniform eliminates this extra stress as it makes the process of getting dressed easier and faster. Both the child and the parents knows exactly what to put on the child. The only question will then be which of the uniforms is clean.
3. Builds a sense of community
A classroom is often made up of students of different backgrounds and socio-economic scale. That is life for you, just as it is in the outside world beyond the classrooms. By using uniforms, a sense of community and belonging is built up as unhealthy competition is kind of eliminated. Thus, uniforms helps students identify with each other, and helps foster compassion and equality as clothing would have been a major course of competition.
Overall, there will be more successful classroom activities as the school will have the culture of being focused as a group rather on just an individual.
4. Ameliorates violence and student behavioral issues
Several studies have shown that implementing the use of school uniforms can reduce violence and behavioral problems in schools. The school district in Long Beach California was the very first in the United States to institute a compulsory uniform policy. Five years following the policy saw a drop in crime rate to a staggering 86%. Incidence of battering and assault dropped from a whopping 319 to 82 cases and vandalism also dropped from 1, 409 to 106 incidents.
Uniforms also makes it easier to identify and fish out outsiders who are not part of the campus.
5. It helps focus on other forms of individual self-expression
The use of uniforms helps students focus on and express themselves individually and academically, rather than just dwelling on the outward appearances. Hence, there is a better way of rating and expression using personality and academic achievements rather than mundane things like the latest fashion trends. This will go a long way to producing better students and invariably a better community and country.
So, we have all seen it. School uniforms hold some immense benefits and should be encouraged rather than dissuaded. The use of schools uniforms will bring more benefits to students and the nation rather than the lame arguments that some schools are putting forward.
