How do you feel about students wearing uniforms in school?

13 comments

1. I went to Catholic school for a big part of my education. I didn’t really like them, but I didn’t mind them because it’s what everyone else was wearing too.

   I know a lot of people defend uniforms and say that people won’t be bullied for their clothes, which is a valid point, but kids will find a way to tease others anyway.

2. I disagree with it in public schools.

3. It’s annoying but not necessarily a bad thing. It’s ultimately up to the school. A common argument for uniforms has to do with making the school appear good in the public eye as well as cultivating excellent students and future leaders. With that said, uniforms won’t stop students from doing bad things or tarnishing a school’s name and they don’t make people better students. I’d say culture does that more than anything.

   I went to a middle and high school that didn’t require uniforms and a lot of my classmates have already done great things or are on the path towards doing great things. All in all, I don’t like uniforms for myself but it’s up to the school and it’s not really a big deal in my opinion.

4. There have been a few studies on the overall effect of uniforms on school climate, scholastic achievement, etc. but there seems to be no consensus, so all I can say for sure is that it would be harder for poor students if they had to provide their own uniforms.

   Additional: People in the U.S. tend to buy uniforms in addition to, not instead of, regular clothes.
   So school uniforms are usually an extra expense, which poor families would prefer to spend on more vital things.
   That’s one of the reasons why uniforms are worn in only about 20% of U.S. schools.

5. I wore a uniform to school and turned out alright

   On the downside, i have no fashion sense because i never developed it.

6. Not a fan personally but to each their own

7. Hey Teacher! Leave them kids alone!

8. As a teacher, I think I would prefer it to the current dress code system. The dress code at my school is fairly lax, and students rarely get dress coded. Many rules that exist in theory are only selectively implied (for instance, the rule says “no solid red or blue” but is only ever enforced on people dressed like gangsters). This is usually for the best (only enforcing it when it is truly necessary), but can still be taken as unfair and lead to complaints.

   A uniform would remove a lot of the ambiguity and opportunity for unfairness.

9. it’s an example of adults oversimplifying kids’ problems.

   the argument in favor of them is often that they prevent bullying & distraction.

   in reality, there are many ways to tell which kids come from wealthier families while in uniforms. and in my experience, having to wear uncomfortable uniforms that didn’t feel right on my body was very distracting and unhelpful. on the occasional day of school where normal clothes were allowed at my school, I was usually able to focus better in class and less socially anxious.

10. I honestly don’t see the downsides but at the same time not many upsides. It can help some students with income issues but ultimately hardly affect education or behavior.

    The bullying aspect may help in some cases but it’ll just shift to other forms of bullying. Look at Japan, they have bullying issues as well as and the country prides itself on societal unity. So I don’t see uniforms being that helpful.

11. Had them and hate them, no one could ever give me a consistent reason why we had them

12. It’s easier than dealing with a dress code. Personally, I dealt with both a uniform and a dress code at a private boarding school. We had to wear uniforms in the administration building, which is where most classes were, and we wore clothes within the dress code elsewhere.

    If the uniforms are comfortable and it’s private school, I have no issue with it. If it’s public schools, that’s an added expense that some parents cannot afford. Public schools can have uniforms, but should provide them for free if they require them.

13. I loathed them and was thankful to be in my own clothes again during high school

    Kids would still shit on the choices you made around your uniform if you have one. You’ve still got a choice of shoe to be roasted with, jackets/hoodies for most of the year, and accessories like watches or gucci belts still separate the haves from the have nots