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May 18, 2023 · Traditionally favored by private and parochial institutions, school uniforms are being adopted by US public schools in increasing numbers. According to a 2020 report, the percentage of public schools that required school uniforms jumped from 12% in the 1999-2000 school year to 20% in the 2017-18 school year. School uniforms were most frequently ...
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Virginia Ann Bendel Draa, "School Uniforms in Urban Public...
- Pro & Con Quotes
Uniforms also represent a student’s school, along with...
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1. Analyze the benefits of school uniforms at private...
- History of School Uniforms
History of School Uniforms. Traditionally favored by private...
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- Overview
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To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, and discussion questions about whether students should have to wear school uniforms, go to ProCon.org.
Traditionally favored by private and parochial institutions, school uniforms are being adopted by US public schools in increasing numbers. According to a 2020 report, the percentage of public schools that required school uniforms jumped from 12% in the 1999-2000 school year to 20% in the 2017-18 school year. School uniforms were most frequently required by elementary schools (23%), followed by middle (18%), and high schools (10%).
The first recorded use of standardized dress in education may have been in England in 1222, when the Archbishop of Canterbury mandated that students wear a robe-like outfit called the “cappa clausa.” The origin of the modern school uniform can be traced to 16th Century England, when the impoverished “charity children” attending the Christ’s Hospital boarding school wore blue cloaks reminiscent of the cassocks worn by clergy, along with yellow stockings. As of Sep. 2014, students at Christ’s Hospital were still wearing the same uniform, and according to the school it is the oldest school uniform still in use. When Christ’s Hospital surveyed its students in 2011, 95% voted to keep the traditional uniforms.
School uniforms in the United States followed the traditional use of uniforms established in England and were generally limited to private and parochial schools. One exception was found in government-run boarding schools for Native American children, first established in the late 1800s, where the children, who had been removed from their families, were dressed in military-style uniforms.
According to figures released in 2018 by the National Center for Education Statistics, the total number of public schools nationwide requiring students to wear school uniforms increased from 12% during the 1999-2000 school year to 21% during the 2015-2016 school year. In 2015-2016, 25% of public primary schools enforced a uniform policy, as did 20% of public middle schools and 12% of public high schools. A higher proportion of schools located in cities had mandatory uniforms in 2015-2016 than schools in suburban, town, and rural areas. Mandatory uniforms were far more prevalent in “high-poverty” schools (in which 76% of students were eligible for reduced-cost or free lunch programs) than in “low-poverty” schools.
Among the US cities with the highest use of school uniforms in public schools are Philadelphia (100% of schools), New Orleans (95%), Cleveland (85%), Chicago (80%), Boston (65%), and Miami (60%). The number of schools with “strict dress codes” has also increased, from 47% in 2000 to 57% in 2010.
•School uniforms may deter crime and increase student safety.
•School uniforms keep students focused on their education, not their clothes.
•School uniforms create a level playing field among students, reducing peer pressure and bullying.
•Wearing uniforms enhances school pride, unity, and community spirit.
•School uniforms may improve attendance and discipline.
•Uniform policies save valuable class time because they are easier to enforce than a standard dress code.
•School uniforms restrict students’ freedom of expression.
•School uniforms promote conformity over individuality.
•School uniforms do not stop bullying and may increase violent attacks.
•School uniforms do not improve attendance, academic preparedness, or exam results.
•The key findings used to tout the benefits of uniforms are questionable.
•School uniforms emphasize the socio-economic divisions they are supposed to eliminate.
Oct 28, 2022 · According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 20% of all public schools have adopted uniform mandates. Approximately 22% of elementary schools, 19% of all middle schools, and 10% of high schools currently require uniforms, and this trend continues to accelerate.
Mar 1, 2024 · Why do some public schools have uniforms? In the 1980s, public schools were often compared unfavorably to Catholic schools. Noting the perceived benefit that uniforms conferred upon Catholic schools, some public schools decided to adopt a school uniform policy.
- Marian Wilde
- In the 1980s, public schools were often compared unfavorably to Catholic schools. Noting the perceived benefit that uniforms conferred upon Catholi...
- Virginia Draa, assistant professor at Youngstown State University, reviewed attendance, graduation and proficiency pass rates at 64 public high sch...
- Editor’s note: This video is part of our high school milestones series about communication skills. The students in this video discuss the pros and...
Apr 20, 2018 · Abstract: “Uniform use in public schools is rising, but we know little about how they affect students. Using a unique dataset from a large urban school district in the southwest United States, we assess how uniforms affect behavior, achievement and other outcomes.
How many public schools require school uniforms? Response: In the 2019–20 school year, 18.8 percent of public schools required that students wear uniforms. There were no measurable differences between 2009–10 and 2019–20 in the percentage of public schools that reported requiring school uniforms.
