" If clothing has the potential to foster healthy identity formation and increase ethnic pride then school uniforms violate the essential rights and freedoms of students from multicultural backgrounds. One of the main arguments in favor of school uniforms is that they might "lessen peer pressure aggravated by socioeconomic divisions," leveling the playing field between wealthy and poor students (Hudson 2009)
" School uniforms can violate any one of these three protected rights. In 1999, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) helped a third grader and his great-grandmother file a lawsuit against a school district in rural North Carolina, claiming that a new mandatory school uniform policy violated the boy's First Amendment rights (Learning 1999)
To this end, the article finds that "despite this lack of research, school districts have implemented school uniforms hoping to improve student attendance, maintain student discipline, ensure student achievement, promote student self-esteem and enhance school climate." (Murray, 106) All indications are that though schools anecdotally report these outcomes, there is both limited empirical research to confirm this and it is simultaneously given a counterpoint by the loss of individuality and creativity which some individuals have reported
Schools which have adopted policies with the stated purpose of improving the quality of education have thus far prevailed as courts are apparently willing to permit at-risk schools, like Traner, to pilot programs aimed at providing a "safe and disciplined learning environment" (Canady v. Bossier, 2001). (Daugherty, 2002, p
Ironically, mandating the wearing of school uniforms might even make it easier to be a gang member since school administrators could no longer readily recognize the trappings of the gangs. (Evans, 1996, p
The debates can be destructive to student relationships with authority and can foster an us against them mentality that increased rather than reduces the opaque nature of student communications with those who are charged with supporting and protecting them. (Hoge, Foster, Nickell & Field, 2002, p
What such a policy will almost certainly do is threaten the economic interests of important sectors of manufacturing, advertising, and retailing. (Milner, 2004, p
Proponents of school uniforms insist that uniform policies help discourage gang activity, encourage discipline, help students resist the peer pressure they face to buy and wear trendy clothing, decrease or eliminate bullying among students, help identify those who do not belong in the school, diminish varied socioeconomic disparities, increase a sense of belonging and pride in schools, and improve achievement and attendance among students. (Whitley, Olson & Goodwin, 2001, p. 54) (Pickles, 2000, p
A New Hampshire law adds a restriction to local school boards stating that their power is limited "to that required by [the] function of administering public education." (Pipho, 1998, p
" (2) Public education was intended to give students a broad perspective to prepare them for living in a complex, diverse society. (Reyes, 2001, p
beliefs and those of likeminded policymakers and school officials, research on the effects of school uniforms has been inconclusive or mixed." (White, 2000, p
Proponents of school uniforms insist that uniform policies help discourage gang activity, encourage discipline, help students resist the peer pressure they face to buy and wear trendy clothing, decrease or eliminate bullying among students, help identify those who do not belong in the school, diminish varied socioeconomic disparities, increase a sense of belonging and pride in schools, and improve achievement and attendance among students. (Whitley, Olson & Goodwin, 2001, p
139) Challenges to school uniform policies are lessening every day as many continue to allow the adoption of a seemingly pro-active approach to school change, and a visible one at that, over concrete responses to social and behavioral challenges in schools. (Wilkins, 1999, p
Many would argue that the push toward reducing self-expression by implementing school uniform codes and increasing the strictness of dress codes in general is a backlash to the extremes of acceptable social expression, and should be challenged at all cost, most importantly because children have little or no voice and therefore need even greater protection from violations of civil and social rights. (Wilson, 2002, p
The importance then becomes not the social and ethical challenges to school uniform policies but must realistically be viewed as a possible partial solution, to be tried with others to help reduce problem behaviors in schools. (Wooster et al
The debates can be destructive to student relationships with authority and can foster an us against them mentality that increased rather than reduces the opaque nature of student communications with those who are charged with supporting and protecting them. (Hoge, Foster, Nickell & Field, 2002, p. 284) (Zirkel, 1998, p
School Uniforms Those against school uniforms mainly argue that they violate a student's freedom of expression and may interfere with religious clothing preferences (Kelly)
Parents need to face head-on the challenges these uniforms try to cover over with grey flannel. If we have a problem with the downright sluttish dress of some of our daughters, tattoos, body piercing or outlandish hair colour, we should deal with these things ourselves" (Ackerman, 2005, pg
An official from another school district across the country from Nevada's Clark County Schools reiterates that school uniforms enhance the educational environment. Linda Rondeau, assistant superintendent of educational services at Pittsburg Unified School District states that "uniforms promote school safety and enhance the learning environment, and diminish the clothing competition" (Boutelle
The library is well-stocked and the support staff, friendly. Students, crisply dressed in uniforms, are welcoming" (Duncan, 2008, pg