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May 18, 2023 · 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.
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“School uniforms should be replaced with dress codes which...
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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.
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May 10, 2023 · 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.
Mar 1, 2024 · Researchers are divided over how much of an impact — if any — dress policies have on student learning. There are multiple studies with conflicting conclusions, plus books such as 2018’s The Debate About School Uniforms, but the argument wears on, with a list of pros and cons on each side.
- Marian Wilde
- 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 Catholi...
- What Research Says About School UniformsVirginia Draa, assistant professor at Youngstown State University, reviewed attendance, graduation and proficiency pass rates at 64 public high sch...
- What Do Students Think About Uniforms?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...
Jan 23, 1996 · May 3, 2019 Washington Renita. In history, students were not always required to wear a school uniform. When the school system started, most students were only required for students clothing to be appropriate for the learning environment, meaning no sexual, gang-related, or distracting clothing.
The U.S. Supreme Court eventually heard the case and ruled that prohibiting the wearing of armbands in public school, as a form of symbolic protest, violates the students’ freedom of speech protections guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Schools are starting to allow more flexibility, like letting girls wear pants or boys wear skirts, to be more accommodating. Psychologists such as Dr. Kristina Olson, who studies gender diversity, say this can have a positive impact on mental health and inclusion. So, the future of school uniforms is anything but dull.
