A uniform is a significant item of clothing that serves primarily as identity. It is typical to observe various social groups and identify a non-personal trait that unmistakably links him or her to a particular job or occupation. A uniform is worn to demonstrate uniformity and common objectives, values, and ideals. Pilots, medics, and armies from various nations all wear uniforms that set them apart from the rest of the workforce. (Trice, 1993). They significantly reduce the amount of time spent worrying about what to wear or what hues to wear the following day or week. High school students are children owing to their categorization under the age of 18; therefore, for the sake of keeping them safe in case of emergencies, uniforms are essential (Chavez, 2017). Also, school life is busy and is bound to benefit from simplification so that students concentrate on academics.
The Impact of School Uniforms in Violence
The societal policies protect places such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes among other places where children, the old people, and the sick people are bound to be found (Mason, 2012). In the event of any form of violence or civil unrest, school grounds are usually considered no-go zones that have to be protected from destruction. For this reason, any person who resides or stays within the compound for long hours is bound to be shielded from any consequences of violence. The easiest way to determine the membership of a school is through the uniforms, which are easily identifiable.
Gang violence may be sparked by anything, from simple misunderstandings to young teenagers exchanging drugs or any other commodities. Whenever such happens, the bystanders are bound to react if a student is involved (Noor, 2015). The easiest way to identify a school student is through his or her uniform. Despite the different colors that different schools may wear, their style and general form is similar. Members of the society are likely to intervene in any issue that affects students. Therefore, students are much more protected in uniform than they are in casual civilian attire.
Equality among Students
Schools are public resources that are to be shared across the societal economic and social divisions. Historically, formal education was reserved for the children of ‘gentlemen’, who were of a high social standing in the society. The informal education was meant for the rest of the society in which manual skills would be taught. The difference in the two systems was significant as the former had uniforms while the latter needed no uniforms. In formalization of education in the formal society, the societal differences had to be removed. Uniforms in today’s school system eliminates any signs of socioeconomic differences; every student has a similar appearance. Therefore, more time is spent on actual studies than that which would have been spent comparing different types of clothes and envying each other.
An important consideration that uniforms take care of is the emotional differences that may arise with different a school in students are allowed to show off material wealth. Such a society would result in the rich students being popular while the lower class students would be looked down upon because they’d have little to offer. Such differences disrupt the learning environment as they cause the cause uneven emotional landscape across the school. It is bound to affect the personalities of different students. In order to prevent such occurrences, the uniform is a good way of keeping such emotions out of the school compound.
Reduction of Dilemma
Minimalism is a feature that is feted in the world of design. Joshua Becker (2017) wrote an article about the reasons why people who have succeeded in their careers choose to wear the same thing every day. He states about 8 reasons, giving examples of world-renowned individuals who are admired for their success. He cites President Barack Obama’s thought on the issue of uniformed wear, “You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make” (Becker, 2017). Mark Zuckerberg gives the same reasons. These are individuals with mean to afford more clothes but choose the minimalist approach. From a student’s perspective, there are numerous decisions that they have to make regarding various lessons and classes. Concentration takes up a lot of energy. Therefore, ‘decision fatigue’ needs to be limited to education-related choices instead of generalized focus on material things such as staying trendy. A survey cited by the Daily Mail reported that about 45% of ladies find it stressful to pick what to wear on a daily basis (Daily Mail Reporter, 2015). Some even have to worry about whether the attire they choose is appropriate for their workplace and one in ten people are reported to have gone back home to change into more appropriate clothes. The same survey confirmed that women spend about 90 minutes a week to choose what to wear, which accounts for about 5 months of their working lives. A separate research by Mark & Spencer found out that men between 18 and 60 years of age spend about 4 months of their lives making decisions about what to wear (Euse, 2016). In the context of a high school, this would result in a lot of time wasted in choosing clothes instead of acquiring knowledge. Therefore, a standard set of uniforms helps to eliminate this dilemma.
Sense of Belonging
Uniforms provide a sense of belonging for many students. People are usually proud to associate with those who share a particular characteristic which, in this case, is a school. A uniform stands out from a crowd. Whenever students meet at a social or academic gathering such as the student competitions such as the symposia or musical and drama competitions, they are bound to interact because of their identification as students of the same school. Moreover, according to Claire Howlette, a school teacher interviewed by The Guardian’s Chloe Spencer (2013) says that school uniforms do more than just giving the students a sense of belonging; they are a significant mark of identity for a particular school within a community.
The sense of belonging enables a natural growth of responsibility and care towards each other as it provides an avenue of interaction, thus preventing instances of bullying.
Schools that do not have a standard uniform for their students face numerous discipline issues. About 160, 000 students in the United States miss school on a daily basis for the fear of intimidation and attack by other students (Spencer, 2013).
Discipline and Cleanliness
Many schools conduct inspections to ensure that students areas neat as can be. For some institutions, a particular number of uniform pieces is specified so that students have the same number of clothes (DeMitchell, 2015). This number is usually limited, meaning that one has to them frequently in order to wear clean and neat clothes daily. In order to avoid punishment or public humiliation, students have to maintain a neat pair of clothes and shoes. This situation creates a situation in which a person becomes responsible for his or her property, thus enabling a positive impact on society.
As far as discipline is concerned, the principle of behavior and nature applies.
“Habit is second to nature” is one of the natural tendencies to which human beings respond (James, 2012). This phrase means that people are bound to behave in the same manner in which they repetitively behave, and the tendency becomes natural. Uniforms are mentally confining, meaning that it gives the students the notion that they are under guidance and should act within set parameters and rules. The nearest points of authority are the teachers. Therefore, students learn to give respect to directives given by their teachers. Owing to the fact that students stay longer in high school than they do anywhere else, the behavior of respect for law and the elders becomes natural. Such a student is bound to behave in the same manner when released into the open society. They will understand that constitutional laws are to be strictly followed and that older people in age deserve to be obeyed. This instills societal discipline, thus creating room for peace in the society. It is, therefore, safe to assume that societies in which there are more uniformed schools are relatively more peaceful and have lower incidences of crime and civil disturbances compared to those without uniforms for high school students.
Uniforms are Economical for Parents
The purchase of uniforms is an exercise that is more economical for parents, which leaves a larger allocation for other educational material for students. Casual wear varies in price depending on an individual’s preference. Moreover, it is a recurring expense that parents will have to put up with under the pressure for their children to stay fashionable. This creates financial pressure that leaves less room for flexibility to cater to other educational needs. On the contrary, uniforms are purchased periodically depending on the frequency of wear and tear as well as due replacement. Such one-time purchases help to save money for expenses such as highly priced books and essential equipment needed for the completion of the curriculum.
Conclusion
The uniform is an important piece of cloth because of the reasons and points discussed in this section. There are many reasons for the selection of standard uniforms for school-going students in high school. Many students in high school are still experiencing the growth phase of adolescence. It is the final stage before one becomes an adult. Therefore, the values instilled in them are bound to be crucial in the lives they are bound to live in their adult years. Discipline is a fundamental element of behavior that teachers and other stakeholders should seek to nurture in their students. The points above impact students directly, making them worry less about uniforms, increases their social bonding within the school thus preventing violence, and enables proper access to educational material. Therefore, uniforms are a positive part of high school life and should be adopted across all schools.
References
Becker, J. (2017, May 11). 8 Reasons Successful People Are Choosing to Wear the Same Thing Every Day. Retrieved from http://www.becomingminimalist.com/wear-one/
Chavez, M. (2017, May 10). Importance of School Uniforms. Retrieved from https://schools-education.knoji.com/importance-of-school-uniforms/
Daily Mail Reporter. (2015, July 5). Women spend five months of their working lives picking outfits: Average lady spends 90 minutes a week choosing what to wear . Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3150409/Women-spend-five-months-working-lives-picking-outfits-Average-lady-spends-90-minutes-week-choosing-wear.html
DeMitchell, T. A. (2015, December 15). Does wearing a school uniform improve student behavior? Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/does-wearing-a-school-uniform-improve-student-behavior-51553
Euse, E. (2016, June 7). Men Will Spend Four Months of Their Lives Deciding What to Wear. Retrieved from http://www.complex.com/style/2016/06/men-spend-four-months-of-lives-deciding-what-to-wear
James, W. (2012). The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1. Courier Corporation.
Mason, S. (2012). Protecting Our Children: Preventing Violence in Our Schools and Communities. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 93(2), 83-84.
Noor, H. (2015, May 22). Uniforms cut down on bullying, make school safer place. Retrieved from https://dailygazette.com/article/2015/05/22/uniforms-cut-down-bullying-make-school-safer-place
Spencer, C. (2013, October 3). What's the point of school uniform? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2013/oct/03/why-wear-school-uniform
Trice, H. M. (1993). Occupational Subcultures in the Workplace. Cornell University Press.
