Why Students Should Wear Uniforms

Should schools have a standard dress code i.e. a uniform or should the students be given the freedom to wear whatever they deem is right? This hot debate has been going on for years, the result being that some schools have decided to make uniforms compulsory while others have given the students liberty to dress according to their liking. There are both pros and cons of wearing uniforms to school. Let us discuss them in detail in this Buzzle article.

Pros of Wearing Uniforms to School

Reduces Conflicts and Insecurities
Let's start with the advantages of making school uniforms compulsory. The foremost of arguments for this is that it reduces a good amount of social conflicts in schools. Often times, bullying in schools is a result of how a person dresses up. Students who are unable to follow the latest fashion trends are often a butt of joke for others. They are treated as a pariah by others and are unable to "fit in". Such a situation can impact their psyche in the long run and as grown ups too, they may have many insecurities about themselves. All these can be avoided if the students dress up in uniforms.

Curbs Violence and Instills Loyalty
Another reason is that it helps in reducing violence. Researches have shown that students end up forming gangs in schools and start wearing clothes of same color to identify their gang members. Such gangs often target students who may belong to certain socioeconomic groups. All this will reduce considerably if students wear school uniforms and identify themselves as "one". It is believed that wearing school uniforms creates a sense of community, a feeling of loyalty amongst the students for their school.

Lessens Financial Expenditure
Keeping school uniforms is advantageous for the parents too. Parents have to spend only on the school uniform and it does not cost much. However, if they have to buy clothes for their children which meet the latest fashion criteria (most children will insist on it), they will have to shell out a lot of money. This added financial burden can be curbed by making school uniforms mandatory.

Promotes Learning
From the education point of view, sociologists argue that when students are allowed to wear clothes of their own choice, more than studies, they spend time on choosing a wardrobe which would make them a hit in the school, especially with the opposite sex. This can have a negative impact on their education and their grades can fall. So by making uniforms compulsory, schools are creating an atmosphere of learning.

Prepares for Professional Life
Lastly, wearing school uniforms prepares the students for a formal, corporate life. Chances are that when working in organizations as adults, students will be expected to work in formal clothes. It will be easier for them to make this transition if they are already used to wearing formal uniforms in schools.

As you can see, wearing school uniforms has many benefits. However, as is said that there are two sides to a coin, there are some disadvantages of making the school uniforms compulsory too. So let's have a look at them in the following section.

Cons of Wearing School Uniforms

Hampers Creativity and Learning
One of the chief arguments is that they kill the creativity and imagination of the children. By keeping uniforms, schools are in a way churning out students who think and dress up alike. There is no room left for any kind of experimentation. This can be detrimental for the progress and change in the society in the long run. Also, some students may not feel comfortable dressing up in school uniforms. The reason could be that they like to dress up in casual clothes when they are studying. Thus, it can in a way inhibit learning.

Makes Students Rebel
The arguments for making school uniforms compulsory, such as, it helps in learning and that it reduces the financial burden of a family, have no actual researches backing them up. So whether they actually hold true or not, cannot be predicted. Moreover, the more students are "made" to dress up in a certain way, the more rebellious they can turn out to be. By giving them freedom to dress up, schools are actually giving them responsibility to choose appropriate dresses.

Looking at these pros and cons, the debate on school uniforms still continues as both the point of views are valid. If you ask my viewpoint, I would say that students should be allowed to wear dresses of their choice. At the same time, they should be given guidelines for dressing appropriately. They should be made to understand that schools are places of learning and not fashion ramps to parade their latest outfits! "Freedom with responsibility" - that's the message which should be given to the students.