“If it means that the school rooms will be more orderly and more disciplined, and that our young people will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside, instead of what they’re wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms.” [Bill Clinton, former president of the United States, Long Beach, CA 1996]
School uniforms is an issue which has caused a lot of debate in the last few years. Many students feel they lose their identity when everyone is required to wear the same clothes to schools. Others feel a school uniform makes students equal. Many teachers and school administrators are looking to a school uniform or a uniform dress code as a means for instilling a feeling of discipline in the classes as well as an atmosphere of learning.
Some English students have recently come out in support of school uniforms. According to a survey of 1,300 teens, 67% of the boys and 52% of the girls prefer wearing uniforms to school.
So, as a new or seasoned teacher, where do you stand with regard to the uniform debate? Here are some pros and cons to help get you started.
Reasons For Wearing School Uniforms
- It helps save time in the morning
- It stops feelings of jealousy
- It helps reduce discipline problems – teachers can teach and students can learn.
- It sets the tone for a proper work attitude
Reasons Against Wearing School Uniforms
- It takes away students’ freedom to make decisions
- It hurts the need for self-expression
- It stops students from feeling unique and special.
- Students don't want to wear what everybody else is wearing.
At a recent lesson, the topic of school uniform was presented to the class and the students were asked to do the following:
- Survey different classes in your school to find out if the students are for or against school uniforms. Present your findings to class.
- Decide in pairs or in groups, decide what kind of school uniform you would want. Present your ideas to the class.
New teachers were amazed at the enthusiasm for the topic, but many students were and continue to be against school uniforms. New teachers identify with the fact that the teenage years are a time when young people try to express their identity in many different ways, especially through fashion. The students claimed that school uniforms, or any set dress code can only hurt this need for self-expression.
Over to You
You may not have all what it takes to change a school policy, but it is important to know what sides your students are on in order to get a feel of the students' opinions.
Dorit Sasson - Hello! I'm an ESL instructor, teacher diversity coach and writer for the educational markets who writes on English language learners ...
