Uniforms
The constitution gives all citizens freedom of expression. Which means people can express themselves however they want. In the Tinker vs. Des Moines supreme court case, it rules that students shouldn’t lose their right of freedom of expression at schools. Having kids wear uniforms basically violates that case. Students can’t express themselves through clothes if there is a very strict dress code or if they have to wear uniforms. There are few pros to wearing uniforms, but there are a lot of cons to them. For example, they cost too much, they don’t let kids express their creative side, and students just don’t like them at all.
First off, in my opinion, schools should be more focused on the education of the school rather than what the kids are wearing. Clothes don’t really affect how the students learn. I mean if they’re in comfortable clothes, then that might help them pay attention a little more, but it’s not like if you put on a uniform, it’s automatically going to make you smarter. So what’s the point of them? Uniforms cause a lot of of controversy. One example is that it can be sexist. Some schools only require girls to wear skirts and boys to wear pants. Uniforms can also lead to religious discrimination. Kids might have a certain way of dressing based on their religion, but they can’t dress the way they want because of uniforms.
One of the main reasons why uniforms are a bad idea is because they’re uncomfortable. Everyone wants to be comfortable in what they’re wearing and uniforms eliminates that option. Kids are comfortable in different and specific types of material and clothing. Uniforms keep kids from choosing what clothes fits their comfort needs. Children need to feel comfortable in order to learn better. Kids can’t learn better or pay attention when they’re sitting fixing their tie every two seconds or
Clothes is the best way for a kid to express themselves. It lets them show their creative side and their personality. Schools wants and encourages kids to be individual and unique, right? Well they can’t really do that when the school is making them all wearing the same clothes everyday. Instead of creating individuality, it creates conformity.
Parents are mainly concerned about uniforms because of the cost. Not only do they have to buy regular clothes for their kids, but they also have to buy expensive uniforms. Parents don’t want to buy clothes for their kids when they’re only going to wear at school and nowhere else. It’s a disadvantage for parents whose children attend a public school and for parents whose children attend a private school. It’s an unfair additional expense for parents who are paying taxes for a free public education for their children. Parents whose children go to private school are already paying thousands of dollars for their child to be there; now they have to pay an extra few hundred dollars on uniforms. That’s one of the reasons why a school’s enrollment is decreasing because no parent wants to spend that much money. Parents might as well homeschool their child.
At the end of the day, kids just don’t like to wear uncomfortable uniforms. They don’t like to have to wear the same outfits everyday and look just like everyone else. Kids want to be able to express themselves. They want to feel free and not like they’re in a prison. Schools should just let kids be themselves and not make them wear uniforms. Schools should make a compromise with the students and just have a strict dress code. Most kids would prefer that anyways. It allows kids to wear what they want but with limits from the school.
