The question of uniform has come up a lot. In Britain the students have to wear uniforms, with only the smallest schools being exempt. In America the rules are a little different, and most institutions may choose whether their students wear a uniform. I intend to prove that wearing a uniform makes a schoolchild proud to be part of the school and part of the team.
Children need to feel as if they belong to the school
It has been proven that students who see themselves as the equal of their teachers do not do as well at school. Having every child wear a uniform helps to show the children who the teacher is in a very subconscious and powerful way. It also helps to make everybody part of the school. Without uniforms the unpopular or distant children will dress radically in order to make a statement and clearly differentiate themselves from their fellow classmates. This leads to further alienation and the feeling that they do not belong. Uniforms solve this problem by making everyone of equal status.
It helps make children all equal
Children are just as likely to set up a class system as any micro culture. One method of differentiating has always been physical prowess. Another is attractiveness and a “bad” or rebellious attitude. The financial means of their parents is another, and it is far easier to spot who has wealthy parents and who does not by the types of clothing worn at school. Wearing uniforms is going to make this sort of differentiation and discrimination a lot harder.
Uniforms sap a child’s creativity
This is the argument that children are less creative if they are not allowed to express themselves, but this is not the case. People have to wear a uniform in the working world, including in the creative sector, and they are not affected by their dress style or the fact they look like the rest of the team.
Uniforms restrict the children’s free will
This is the argument that dressing all the children the same is setting them up to be robotically minded and easily manipulated in the future. However, this argument fails to take into account that giving children too much free will at a young age is a bad thing. Children are not yet mature enough to make correct and well balanced decisions. They need structure and order in their lives until they become free thinking, lateral thinking, well rounded and well adjusted adults.
Conclusion
Wearing a school uniform makes children proud to be part of their school because it curbs alienation, helps to form class/school unity and differentiates between the students and teachers. It helps to give children the structure they need, whilst not removing any creativity from them.
