Authored by Katharine Foust in Child Education
Published on 08-28-2009
Is your school considering the use of school uniforms? If so, then you are doing the right thing by doing your research about school uniforms before you decide how you are going to vote at the next school board meeting. There are a lot of elements to consider when it comes to school uniforms and your children are relying on you to do what’s best for them. After all, it’s your job.
When it comes to school uniforms, like any type of change there are pros and cons to consider. Of course, parents should also consider how their children feel about it, but in reality it is up to the adult to make the decision in the end. As you consider the pros and cons of school uniforms, do take your children’s feelings into consideration. Also factor in the reason for the school uniforms in the area you live in, the school and your own personal beliefs.
There are a couple of valid reasons for school uniforms. Some schools ask children to wear school uniforms as a sign of prestige for the school. Others do it for safety reasons and yes others do it simply to place the focus back on education.
If your school is considering school uniforms as a sign of prestige then you need to ask yourself if you need for your child to have that kind of prestige. Is it going to make them feel better about themselves? Is it going to damage them in any way? If you want your child to wear their prestige on their body then that is your decision, just don’t do it simply so you can market the school. Make sure your values are being considered here too.
The schools that consider school uniforms for the sake of safety tend to be in areas that have a lot of gang activity. The schools have found that they can eliminate gang colors being a part of the problem if they simply don’t allow any colors but the ones that are designated for the school uniform. Honestly, this is a good idea for safety. It isn’t going to limit gang activity altogether, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Schools that are considering school uniforms so that they can place the focus back on education are probably having several problems within the school. This tends to happen in inner city schools and schools that generally place their focus elsewhere on a regular basis, such as sports.
The fact is that you are sending your child to school so that they can learn. If the school is having that many problems focusing on education, then perhaps they should consider making more adjustments than just school uniforms.
The fact is that school uniforms take individuality from the students. The use of school uniforms may put unnecessary financial stress on the child to go to extreme to express their individuality as well as unnecessary financial strain on the parents of the children. Again, parents need to evaluate their own values in this situation.
