Conformity or Community? The Ongoing debate over mandatory school uniforms. As debates about uniforms continue in schools around the world, many students believe that uniforms limit the individuality of students, and do not reflect the values of modern education. While uniforms are still required in many parts of the world, they are not necessarily required in students’ schools.
Some schools argue that students will be more attentive to their class “if they aren’t preoccupied with fashion,” said Densie Ordway in the Journalist Resource. She adds that uniforms will be helpful to “eliminate gang-related style and logos.” They also claim that they promote discipline in schools, reduce bullying between students, and promote a feeling of school identity. However, uniforms are controversial because students are against the idea of forcing themselves to dress, which is suppressing their freedom, said Densie Ordway. Adding on that wearing uniforms limits the individuality of students. Many students use their clothing to express themselves and to show who they are to the rest of the world. When students wear uniforms, they are not free.
As mentioned earlier, uniforms go against the freedom of expression that is valued in countries like the United States. As an international school, EF Academy values the diversity among its students. Also having uniforms is against what the school was saying when they started this school. By having this many students from different parts of the world and different types of culture, we should allow students to express themselves in the way that they choose to, we should promote diversity and freedom of expression in the school. We are fully aware that uniforms bring us unity and a team spirit; however, uniforms alone cannot hold us together. Some students might refuse to wear them or even try to reform the design. Uniforms are not the only way to express unity. There are other team building activities and extracurriculars that we can focus on.
According to Tony Volk, an associate professor at Brock University, “there is generally no evidence in bullying literature that supports a reduction in violence due to school uniforms.” It’s possible that Long Beach (California) Unified School District’s frequently cited gains in student behavior and school safety between 1993 and 1995 had nothing to do with the use of school uniforms. The study that published the data warned that “it is not clear that the results are entirely attributable to the uniform policy.” and speculated that the simultaneous adaptation of additional school security measures might have played a role.
While wearing uniforms does bring some benefits to the school, such as promoting a sense of unity among students, these benefits are not as important as allowing students to express themselves and feel comfortable in their own identity.
When making decisions about uniforms, schools should consider the values that they wish to promote within their schools. In a world where diversity, creativity and individuality are prized, forcing students to wear uniforms may not be the best option. However, allowing students to express themselves is one small step that would make their schools more open and diverse for all students to enjoy.
