School uniforms create a safer and stronger community

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Noah Raaum
May 24, 2017

St. Paul Academy and Summit School requires school uniforms throughout lower school, but should it be continued in middle and upper school? The school uniform has been a controversial topic for decades, but many tend to overlook the abundance of benefits from a uniform. Although some students may lose a sense of self-expression when a uniform is implemented, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

The first, and most likely the largest benefit of uniforms, is creating much more social equality in school. A student’s outfit can reflect many things about that particular student, including the wealth and status of the student’s family. Uniforms drastically reduce this gap between students, so that students aren’t judged by the clothing they wear for any reason. In a study performed by professors from the University of Nevada, the implementation of a uniform policy reduced the amount of bullying in the schools that they surveyed. Furthermore, they discovered a reduction in discipline from school faculty.

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It’s a small step towards a larger issue, but it would create a more comfortable environment for many students.

Additionally, school uniforms make a student’s morning routine much more simple. It can be difficult choosing an outfit every day for school. First, you have to find every article of clothing, arrange them, and on top of that, make sure you have variety in your outfits for every day of the week. With a school uniform, students don’t have to stress over clothing options and keeping a wardrobe stocked with all of the trending looks.

Many schools employ a school uniform mainly to eliminate dress code issues. Dress code is a confusing school policy, and the rules can often be vague or difficult to enforce. A school uniform ensures that all students are following the dress code. Issues surrounding clothing length, violent and offensive graphics, tightness, and holes. Furthermore, a unanimous school uniform will create more school spirit and community, and will give SPA a larger public presence. In a large-scale study of six city public schools in Ohio, the implementation of a uniform even helped increase the graduation rates by 11%. 

If we continue uniforms in our upper school, students would feel more comfortable in the community, and no one would be judged by what they wear, even if some may lose a sense of individuality.

Read the opposite here by Sharee Roman.