How does uniforms help students

The researchers found that the highest-performing students are the most disciplined. They just make everyone look the same. In fact, uniforms may even be associated with a small detrimental effect on achievement in reading, his research shows. While some schools have found uniforms to be beneficial, other research has found that they have little effect. Some studies have even reached the conclusion that uniforms can be harmful.

Let's take a closer look at some of the potential benefits, as well as the challenges, of requiring students to wear uniforms. Some people think that school uniforms can help make schools safer for kids. The Sparks Middle School in Nevada reported a decrease in gang activity after instituting a uniform policy. They also reported a drop in fights, graffiti, property damage, and battery.

Other proponents of school uniforms report that it prevents students from concealing weapons under clothing. And some also believe intruders would be recognized faster, making the students and staff safer in the event someone from the community tries to enter the school.

Not all studies have found that uniforms reduce discipline issues, however. In fact, a peer-reviewed study found that school uniforms increased the average number of assaults by about 14 per year in the most violent schools. For many students, clothing can be a major source of stress. Not having certain brand name clothing or not wearing fashionable items could lead to feelings of insecurity.

Some people feel students are better able to concentrate on school when they all wear the same clothing. Researchers in Australia noted that students who wear uniforms had improved discipline and academic performance. Not all studies have found that uniforms improve grades, however. In fact, at least one study found that school uniforms had a negative effect on achievement. A study by researchers at the University of Houston found that the average attendance rate for girls in middle and high school increased by 0.

Students may also be more likely to show up to school on time when they have to wear uniforms. This means fewer late arrivals. Proponents of uniforms report that it can improve behavior in students. When they mandated school uniforms, discipline referrals dropped from 1, in the first semester of the previous year to An Australian study also concluded that students wearing uniforms were more disciplined and they listened significantly better.

Classes were also more likely to start on time. Not all studies have found this, however. Many school officials spend a lot of time policing dress codes. Enforcing policies can require a lot of resources as teachers may send kids to the office, and administrators have to determine whether clothing is too baggy, inappropriate, or revealing.

The debate continues over whether schools should implement uniforms in all schools, with proponents focusing on a variety of emotional benefits for children in schools that require uniforms. When schools require uniforms, students are less likely to focus on clothing as a means for determining status. In public schools where uniforms are not required, lower income students may face ridicule over the less-expensive clothing options they wear, compared to the more expensive clothes their peers wear.

When schools require uniforms, this competition does not exist and students exist on a more level playing field. This enables students to shift their focus towards schoolwork and away from clothing concerns, according to the U. Department of Education. Meanwhile, researchers are divided over how much of an impact — if any — dress policies have upon student learning. A book makes the case that uniforms do not improve school safety or academic discipline.

A study, on the other hand, indicates that in some Ohio high schools uniforms may have improved graduation and attendance rates, although no improvements were observed in academic performance. In the s, public schools were often compared unfavorably to Catholic schools.

Noting the perceived benefit that uniforms conferred upon Catholic schools, some public schools decided to adopt a school uniform policy. Generally, dress codes are much less restrictive than uniform policies. Sometimes, however, dress codes are nearly as strict, as in the case of a middle school in Napa, California. In August of , the district announced it would relax its dress code — for the time being — to allow images and fabrics other than solid colors.

The district superintendent, while admitting that banning images on clothes raises concerns about the restriction of political and religious speech, announced his intention to move soon toward implementing uniforms in the district. Uniforms are certainly easier for administrators to enforce than dress codes. Consider two recent examples of students challenging dress codes through the courts. The school had suspended the student, not for the anti-Bush political statement, but for violating a dress code that prohibits drug and alcohol images.

The school argued that the T-shirt was hateful and inflammatory. Check with your school to see what the dress code is, as they can be fairly specific. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, for example, the dress code prohibits:. One school might require white button-down shirts and ties for boys, pleated skirts for girls and blazers adorned with the school logo for all.