A For an Against Essay. School Uniforms. By Lumi Tarhala.

 SCHOOL UNIFORMS

School uniforms are popular in private schools. In some countries, they are used in all public schools, as well. They usually depend on the age of the student population, and their gender, and in cold climates, uniforms have a winter version as well as a “normal”, summer one.

A common defense for school uniforms is that they create a sense of equality and uniformity among the students. Since they are the same for everyone, mostly, clothes don’t create a divide based on economic status or fashion sense. In addition, the learning environment is less distracting and visually stimulating, so students feel more comfortable and calmer.

On the other hand, uniforms take away a way for students to express themselves, which can lead to them finding even more distracting ways of self-expression. Also, if the goal is about uniformity and equality, the reasons for having uniforms that are vastly different for girls and boys are under question.  Another questionable trait is the leniency some schools have. If a student can wear a hoodie over their uniform and change the shade and cut of their jeans, why does the school have uniforms in the first place? As jeans and a hoodie are a fairly common thing to wear, anyway. 

To sum up, school uniforms create unity, but in a way that varies depending on the school and their rules, and as schools are making their rules less strict, the need and advocacy for uniforms is slowly disappearing.