Justifications to Support The Use of Uniform in Schools

Uniforms have been an important part of school life since the turn of the century. The reasons why this custom-turned-rule became so popular are easy to see. Supporters of implementing uniform in schools argue and put up in their writing and publications that it promotes discipline in class, that it helps protect the family's economy by preventing students' daily wear from being worn out, and that with uniforms, bullying can be directed to the different socioeconomic levels of the students.

These are all debatable points, but what is increasingly real, as put in by writers on the issue, is that uniforms are becoming obsolete and this has opened the way to one of the most critical discussions in basic and upper secondary education: gender bias in dress codes.

Those who went to classes in schools that asked for the use of uniform by regulation, will remember stories of students who were reprimanded or even suspended for missing two centimeters in the height of their regulated skirts, or that were sent to their homes to change their clothes for wearing the pants or shorts regulated for the sports class on the day that they did not apply. There are also cases of students who have been forced to wear skirts in temperatures below 10° Celsius – all this even in women's exclusive schools.

Those who support the use of the uniform and dress codes in schools argue in their reviews and opinions that its use is a means to create in the student a notion of discipline, order and sense of belonging. But can we say that this is achieved when the imposition of these rules disproportionately affects female students and alters their educational experience? Do the arguments that defend this scrutiny about students have to do with their ethical-social education, or with factors completely unrelated to them? What are some of the most intricate notions in society to support the use of these rules and why do they ignore the impact they have on women's education?

Justifications to support the use of school uniforms

Maintaining the positive image of educational institutions

In a school, the image is an important aspect to ensure a stable enrollment, especially in the case of private institutions. The product of basic and secondary education is difficult to position, after all, the institution asks parents to trust them on the development and welfare of their children.

The construction of an image that guarantees this trust is crucial for the survival of any school. Both uniforms and dress codes are important elements of this “educational branding”, since they create a notion of order, prestige, and care for the well-being of students. These codes are so popular to form a good image of an institution, but its main fault is to put the majority of this marketing strategy on students.

It is true that there is no better reputation for a school than the one that builds the testimonies of those who studied there, creating and maintaining the image of the institution should be the responsibility of that school, not of the students.

To impose on students a dress code that can potentially disrupt their educational experience is to assign them extra pressure that works more to grow the reputation of the institution in which they study than for their own integral development. We've seen in several argumentative essays these students' stand against it.

Forging character and prepare for professional life

The job industries have rules and an important part of the purpose of education is to prepare students to become familiar with these guidelines and integrate seamlessly into professional life.

There are jobs that will require more strict dress codes than others, jobs for which it will be necessary to dress formally daily or even wear a uniform. But, except in the case of those students who will develop in a labor field that requires daily uniform use, the usefulness of a dress code is debatable and vulnerable to gender discrimination.

Going to school every day with a uniform does not necessarily help educate students to decide which is the most optimal wardrobe for a medium or high profile business job, these are skills that most newly graduated professionals learn outside of the educational framework, through social coexistence.

Avoiding distractions that create an immoral or insecure school environment

This is undoubtedly the most harmful argument to support the need for a dress code. Before beginning to explain why, it is necessary to clarify that ethical training in schools is as crucial as academic and that it is essential to teach all students about the respect and adoption of a set of social behavior that project personal values laudable and consideration for their peers.

Teaching students to see their classmates as a distraction based on a judgment about their bodies and not as people with the same right to education and decent life experience, is unethical and contravenes the most basic purpose of education.

The objectives that educational institutions want to reach through the use of dress codes are still valid and are necessary points for a comprehensive education. It is necessary to instill in students a personal discipline, a sense of order, of belonging and even of duty. But the so-called objectives are only on paper and far from actualized.

Conclusion

School uniforms has always been a long debated question. Although the opponents present various negative effects of wearing uniforms in schools, there are some valid justifications to support the use of uniform in schools. First of all uniforms play a role in maintaining the positive image of educational institutions. It also positively affects students by avoiding distractions that create an immoral or insecure school environment. And, finally, wearing school uniforms helps to forge a character and prepare for future professional life.