Most learning institutions in areas like the United Kingdom, South America, and Africa have endorsed uniforms or specified attires, which is mandatory to all students. School uniforms identify pupils with a given institution.
On the other hand, institutions in countries like France and USA rarely endorse the use of school uniforms among the students. While the use of school uniforms remains a debatable topic in the society, other educationalists prefer the use, while others have questions its use. Therefore, the following texts expounds on the pros and cons of school uniforms in the learning institutions.
Although the use of school uniforms in the society remains a controversial topic, the uniforms pose appreciable advantages to students, teachers and the community. For instance, uniforms promote the school culture identifying it with a given community.
Due to the sense of identification, the pupils maintain both discipline and high academic standards. Whether the students are within the school, premises or not they maintain appropriate behavior. In addition, it is easier for teachers to monitor the movement and behavior of their students during educational trips or social outings.
Secondly, uniforms promote equality among all students. The material, design and color of the school uniforms are always similar; therefore, there will be no revelation about the social status of each other.
Furthermore, the uniforms may be cheaper when compared to the designer clothes and shoes thus parents spend less when purchasing uniforms. In other words, uniform promote equality, which reduces social stigmatization especially to the pupils who hail from poor backgrounds.
Thirdly, an institution, which promotes a given dressing code among the students instills appropriate dressing culture in the youngsters and prepares them for decent dressing in adulthood. Good appearance and smartness are some of the features of a uniform transforms to an individual. More over uniforms reduce distractions because civilian clothes may have slogans, which divert the attentiveness of both pupils and teachers.
On the contrary, schools, which require students to wear uniforms, promote some disadvantages to both students and staff. For example, the uniforms promote consistence and unity among the students and teachers. Consequently, due to consistency, they suppress the spirit of individuality and the students rarely exhibit their own abilities and talents.
Secondly, although uniforms instill discipline among pupils, bullying and defiant behavior may occur regardless of the attire. Sometimes students from neighboring institutions may fight on their way back home mainly because of the easy identification through the uniforms.
The uniforms promote division among different institutions; therefore, the attire may promote enmity especially among rivaling schools. Finally, most school uniforms manufacturers either use cheap materials, or design them poorly to fit their pockets; consequently, the clothes expose students to extreme weather conditions.
For instance incase of winter, the pupils may contract diseases like pneumonia due to the cold season. Similarly, some religions like Islam have a specified dressing code especially for women. Therefore, incase the institution turns away the pupils’ request to wear specified attire, it may lead to conflicts in the society. Thus, no matter the dressing code, high education standards will prevail in institutions.
In conclusion, uniforms promote consistency, discipline and unity among learning institutions. Unfortunately, the same uniforms may lead to disunity among institutions and religions in the society. However, the advantages of school uniforms outweigh the disadvantages. Basing on the above points, I believe excellence lies in an individual, not the attire.