Introduction
School education is a complex process requiring many factors to be considered. It is essential to understand that the ultimate goal of quality education for pupils requires careful attention to various aspects of the educational process. One of them is discussing the advantages and disadvantages of school uniforms.
This essay will consider two opinions for and against compulsory school uniforms, which will be presented in two articles. The first article, “School Dress Codes and Uniform Policies” by Anderson Wendell (2002), invites readers to familiarize themselves with the pro-uniform rationales. The second, “Dressing Diversity: Politics of Difference and the Case of school uniforms,” by Samantha Deant (2015), presents a view of the significant flaws in the laws on compulsory school uniforms. However, a vital aspect of this paper is the consistent development of the Rogerian argument, which will present a solution that satisfies both sides. Considering all the pros and cons of the policies regarding the necessity of school uniforms as a middle-ground solution, it is vital to consider the application of a specific dress code.
Pro-Uniform Rationales in Article on School Dress Codes
The author, Anderson Wendell (2002), in his article “School Dress Codes and Uniform Policies,” considers various benefits of applying school uniforms. Among the main advantages, Wendell calls for the ability to combat social injustice (Wendell, 2002). Children from wealthy families can show their superiority over other, poorer children. School uniforms are designed to solve this problem by the same standard for everyone (Wendell, 2002).
Another positive aspect is that school uniforms allow students to focus on the learning process better (Wendell, 2002). As the main argument, it is stressed that the lack of expensive things and various decorations that students can wear plays a positive role, as these factors do not distract their attention from learning (Wendell, 2002).
This topic is discussed in more detail in the book School Uniforms by Seigel (2019). In it, the author stresses that educators state that expensive clothing interrupts learning and that school uniforms are vital to solving this problem (Seigel, 2019). Given the above-mentioned pro-uniform rationales, it is essential to emphasize that the article by Wendell consistently proves the need to introduce school uniforms and determine their advantages.
Anti-Uniform Rationales in Article on Dressing Diversity
Samantha Deane (2015), in her article “Dressing Diversity: Politics of Difference,” gives examples of the opinions of experts who discuss the topic of the introduction of school uniforms in education. In particular, people express dissatisfaction with the mandatory wearing of this clothing, which is conditioned by restricting pupils’ free expression. As the article’s main argument, Deane stresses that schools are places for ongoing learning of school material and for children to form their identity (Deane, 2015). As Deane (2015) states, “They learn how to recognize and speak from places of personal difference” (p. 119).
The second factor Deane believes proves the ineffectiveness of school clothes is the absence of a correlation with students’ academic achievements (Deane, 2015). The author argues that the school uniform does not determine the student’s progress and should not be applied at school. Therefore, as an anti-uniform rationale, the author of this article defines compulsory school clothes as something inefficient and damaging.
Comparing and Contrasting Sides of the Debate
It is essential to compare opinions described on both sides of the debate. As Wendell (2002) states, “Dressing for success is a practice witnessed not only in the office but also in the classroom” (p. 8). However, in contrast to that, Deane, in her article, argues that schools’ desire to improve student performance through school uniforms is a fiction. According to Deane (2015), “they appear to originate from a genuine desire for students to succeed academically” (p. 113).
After contrasting both solutions of each side, as a Rogerian argument, it will be vital to propose the implementation of a dress code rather than school uniforms. For example, as an advantage, dress codes apply specific rules concerning particular items, such as short skirts (Seigel, 2018). It is important to emphasize that dress codes, as opposed to compulsory school uniforms, set standards but do not specify which clothes should be worn by students, their color, or others (Lascity, 2021). As a result, it is essential to emphasize that when comparing the two articles, both authors make rational arguments about their positions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of school uniforms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, developing and highlighting the advantages of the Rogerian argument is vital to state that it satisfies both sides of the debate. On the one hand, the dress code satisfies the pro-uniform rationales because it requires students to follow specific rules about their clothes. On the other hand, this approach does not introduce strict standards of uniform clothing, which allows students to demonstrate their identity through clothing and thus express their views. This factor corresponds to the anti-uniform rationales described in the second article. Therefore, the dress code method is a practical middle-ground solution for both sides.
References
Deane, S. (2015). Dressing diversity: Politics of difference and the case of school uniforms. Philosophical Studies In Education, 46, 111-120.
Lascity, M. E. (2021). Communicating fashion: Clothing, culture, and media. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Seigel, R. (2018). The debate about school uniforms. North Star Editions.
Seigel, R. (2019). School uniforms. Weigl Publishers Incorporated.
Wendell, A. (2002). School dress codes and uniform policies. Policy Report, 4.