Should school uniforms be introduced to at least all high schools?
482576
No.  What a waste of money.  Spend the money on books.  I don’t care, someone has to pay for it, and no matter who does, they can spend that money more wisely.  It is just another barrier toward a good education verses mediocre one.  Better schools will require more expensive uniforms.
693043
One pro is that it cuts down on gang affiliations if the students all have to wear the same thing.\n\nIt also narrows the gap between the rich and poor.  \n\nIt also saves class time because the dress code is clearer.  I've worked at schools with uniforms and those with dress codes and it's easier to work with uniforms as there's no argument from students as to certain accessories.\n\nUniform violations are also used as a secondary discipline device.  If a teacher or administrator notices consistent violations, there's usually more going on in that student's behavioral pattern that needs looking into.
971786
Topic 1 - I used to work at a Private High School that required uniforms.  \n\nPro - 1) Uniforms make everyone equal (or appear equal).  You don't have the problem of the "rich" kids looking rich and well you know.\n2) Fosters a feeling of belonging.  Look at any sports team.  They all have uniforms.  Why?  Because it shows everyone else that they are part of this team.  So for schools, it can (depending on the uniform) identify you as "belonging" to this school.\n3) Uniforms reduce the amount of time teenagers spend "worrying" about what to wear, so they can spend more time concentrating on their school work (Hey, these are not my reasons - these are the ones the school gave.  Personally, I always had difficulty maintaining a straight face with that one).\n4) Uniforms reduce the overall cost of clothing that parents have to spend.  Uniforms only need to be replaced if they are outgrown or damaged.  Unlike regular cloths which go in an out of fashion constantly, and therefore must be purchased on a regular basis so that the student can "be in style".\n\nCon:\n1) Uniforms provide an "institutional" like atmosphere that forces teenagers to conform to one standard.  It starts the job of making them into "followers" and conformers.\n2) Uniforms constitute a militaristic idea, and works to destroy individuality, and free-thinking.\n3) Uniforms do not destroy peer hierarchy based on clothing.  Instead it forces everyone into the same clothing - the style of which accentuates some body types and looks terrible on others.  The individual cannot chose clothing that looks best on him/her.  This can significantly reduce the self esteem of that person.\n4) Uniforms do not reduce the overall cost of clothing for the parent, because the student is going to want "real" cloths to wear as soon as they get home from school.  So the cost to the parent actually increases because they must buy both sets of cloths.\n5) Uniforms do not make everyone equal.  Uniforms or not, the rich kids will always be able to "accessorize" in order to distinguish their financial status from the others.\n\nTopic 2\nNot exactly sure what they mean by "foster new damage" - what kind of damage?  But here is my take on it\nPro (means you are arguing that Electronic Devices do Foster New Damage)\n1) When you use something like a computer or calculator, you don't learn the real thing (i.e. you don't need to know math in order to get a correct answer with a calculator, you don't need to know how to spell because the computer corrects it).\n2) Computers get faster and faster, but humans can only work so fast.  This is causing work environments that have unrealistic assumptions about how much productivity can be accomplished in a specific amount of time.  Worker dissatisfaction and burn-out is at an all time high.\n3) Over use of electronic devices creates adults with less social skills.  When kids do all of their communicating via texting, paging, or email they don't learn the "art" of conversation with a real person.  This also causes them problems later in working environments that require "team work" because they never learned how to relate to other people - especially those who can be difficult.\n4) Over use of electronic devices has created a whole new set of medical problems.  RMI - repetitive motion injuries such as Carpal Tunnel did not exist until the advent of the computer.  Also more issues such as lower back problems due to sitting at a computer all day in a bad chair, or vitamin D deficiency caused by spending all hours indoors in artificial environments and not getting to see the sun.  A new one is being called "irritable desk syndrome" - look it up, I'm not kidding\n5) Electronic devices have become a "leash" which we cannot get away from work, or home.  It used to be that once you left work, you stopped wor
248321
not all uniforms...but if they look "sharp" and like they care about how they look, it makes them appear more mature and more reliable.
186090
HUH??\n\nDifferent colors for all the different schools.  The individual schools get to pick their own.
820187
Oh yeah.  Uniforms are uniforms.  Everyone has to dress the same, look the same, think the same, eat the same....you get the picture.  You may get away with contacts, but don't count on that.  After all, where are you going to find a sterile environment to dunk your contacts in saline when out in the jungles of Burma, for instance?
578733
although uniforms are put in place to protect poorer students from ridicule based on their lack of designer clothes or recent trends, in my experience this fails...miserably\n\neven though everyone has the same uniform, people can still incorporate designer wear into it...for example black trousers and black shoes, to most at my school, means black Armani jeans and prada shoes...the bags are designer too and often the coats. even though there is a uniform it is still clear who has money and who doesn't...so this argument is null and void\n\nto add to this i find it disturbing that individuality is crushed and freedom of expression through ones clothing is prevented. We should not be encouraged to follow the crowd or become a militant cloned like society!\n\nanyone who values freedom and individuality would oppose uniform.
632407
no, it's up to the school board committees if they want to have uniforms...i'm against them personally though...
36729
Sadly, I think that in all urban areas, they should do this. But, this just dosen't happen in cities, it's starting to happen in suburbia as well. I think that it is up to the school itself. If you know you're in an area where there is a rapid growth of gangs or gang-like activities, then it should be a no brainer. As for suburban area schools, I think that a medal detector may be a little too much but that they should have at least a couple of guards on hand. Just in case. In five years, I predict that a fourth of America's schools won't have medal detectors of any kind. Because that's how bad it is going to get. Sad.
573755
5 reasons why uniforms are a bad idea.......\nSelf Expression\nMany educators and sociology experts believe that requiring children to wear standardized uniforms stifles their self-expression. Self-expression is an important part of child development and some experts believe that curbing it with uniforms can be detrimental to a child. Experts also believe that students who are forced to wear uniforms will only find other, less appropriate ways to express themselves, possibly through inappropriate use of makeup and jewelry. \n\nIndividuality\nSome experts believe that public education attempts to strip children of their individuality. They believe that public education does not meet the needs of children who do not fall in the norm, and that uniforms attempt to force every student into one mold. They see standard dress as another way for public educators to remove student individuality where they should be embracing and celebrating diversity. Some experts believe it is not in the best interest of the child to try to control socialization which is a part of human nature. They believe that such use of school uniforms does not prepare children from the real world in which they will continue to be judged by appearances. \n\nCost\nThere are just as many experts who believe that the cost of school uniforms is a negative factor as those who see it as a positive factor. Some experts believe that it increases the amount of clothing parents will have to buy for their children because the children will still want and need clothing for the hours they are not in school. Uniforms can be more expensive for a family who buys from second-hand stores or who relies on hand-me-down clothing from friends and family. Some experts believe cost is a negative aspect of school uniforms because there is no use for them outside of school. \n\nComfort\nMany experts argue that different types of clothing feel comfortable to different people. Some children are more comfortable in a specific material or style of clothing. Uniforms reduce one’s ability to choose clothing that fits individual comfort needs. Experts believe that children need to feel comfortable in order to maximize learning, and that uniforms can therefore deter academic success. \n\nPros are not Pros\nMany educators and experts believe that, although in theory uniforms should improve academic, behavioral, and social outcomes, in reality they do not. These experts argue that the studies of schools who initiate uniforms do not report improvement in any of these areas; therefore, if the desired outcomes are not reached, there is no valid reason to standardize student dress.
13890
school systems think it's a good idea beacause they think it's a new idea and that's good enough for them... wrong! i first heard about these uniforms by reading old 1930's news reels, of course it was a little difficult to understand because the narration was in german. -george carlin\n\nschool uniforms make kids uncomfortable and that makes for a bad learning environment and high tension among the students
486989
The cheerleaders at my high school?  Good luck!  I just like the miniskirt part of the uniform...  Now, wait.  Isn't there a SHORT-sleeve version of that?  You want NO sleeve?  That would look weird...  I do remember seeing a short-sleeve uniform allowed for the private schools around here for warm weather.  I'm not sure if they are still required to wear a vest with that or something...  Didn't go to private school.
773277
why on earth would we all want to be uniform?
658372
I believe so, especially in areas where students are very focused on wearing certain shoes, jackets etc.  It reduces the risk of them being assaulted and robbed of their clothing, and makes the environment at school much less explosive.\n\nAlso, many schools with uniforms are offered vouchers to help pay for uniforms , which is very helpful to parents who have a hard time paying for school clothes for their children .\n\nIt also helps the kids who don't have the cool hip clothes from feeling out of place when everyone is wearing the the same thing.
1174648
I work in education. I see children dressed in the latest fashion , designer clothes and expensive jewlrey. i see other children in clothes that are old and tattered. The parents of the poorly dressed kids can't afford expensive clothes and their children usually stay on the sidelines,feel inferior and are made fun of by the other children. This happens in all age groups. If there was a uniform all would be equal and this would be one less stress kids wouldn't have to deal with. The uniform could be as simple as an inexpensive pair of jeans and a tee shirt.
258378
Well School Uniforms are a very good thing. Firstly, they bring in this sense of discipline in you and also stands for the honor of the institution you study in. They also bring a sense of equality among all the students which is very essential because both rich and poor should be treated alike when it comes to education. And, Hey.. we all like dressing up in our uniform every morning and going to school with so many gr8 hopes.. Dont we?
717746
All Catholic schools usually wear uniforms.