Why Wear A Uniform to School?

I don’t know about you all out there, but I love to see our children go to school in uniform.  I know that a majority of our children in elementary and middle school will disagree with wearing a uniform, because of the latest styles in clothing and footwear, but there is a bigger picture. 

Why wear a uniform to school?  Well, first of all, let’s take a look at the definition of the word.  According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the definition is “distinctive dress worn by members of a particular group.”  The Cambridge Dictionary reads, “The same; not varying or different in any way.”  The etymological breakdown of the word gives us “uni” meaning “one” and “form” meaning “mold, shape, a sense of behavior.”  The idea of children conforming to wearing a uniform in school helps them to know that they are indeed “one”, not only based on the “one” reason why they are there in the first place, which is to learn, but that they are “one” - together in the same environment without competition, ultimately being “molded” and “shaped” into gaining a “sense of behavior”.

I am from England.  I was born in London and educated there, but my parents are from Jamaica in the West Indies, and I can say that England and the Caribbean are adamant on school uniforms for the reasons stated above, and yes, school uniforms work – I remember even having to wear a tie!  There are many debates on school uniforms and whether they should be worn, not only in the United States, but worldwide.   However, I only want to focus on America and some of the comments that have been made for, and against school uniforms.  Below are some of the issues that have been debated in many meetings, forums, and in school and classroom discussions.

For:

• Children wearing school uniform to school will save parents money.
• School uniforms would save time in the morning, because children will know exactly what to wear.
• Wearing uniforms make it easier to determine who belongs to the school and who doesn’t for security purposes.
• Some parents might not be able to afford the latest style in clothes for their children, so school uniforms will save on embarrassment or harassment.
• With school uniforms, the child’s individual character will be highlighted and not their economic status.

Against:

• School uniforms are expensive and have no use off school premises.
• School uniforms won’t do anything.  They only cut down a child’s individuality.
• The only thing that children learn from wearing school uniform is that their distinctiveness is not important.
• Wearing school uniform does not cut down on school violence.  Parents should talk to their children regularly and keep them out of trouble.
• Schools do not need to implement school uniform to cut down on gangs.  They should just remove the gang members from the school.

These are just a few of the many comments and discussions that have been made on the wearing of school uniforms.  What school uniforms actually do is reduce class differences and turns the child’s attention to focus on what they are there for, which is learning.  In order for our children’s minds to be right, we must have school uniforms.  School is not a place where our children go to ‘chill’ each day with their friends.  School is a learning center where our lawyers, doctors, bankers and our professionals are going to emerge from.

School uniforms will definitely save time in the morning, because as a parent, you will already know what your child will be wearing, and yes, school uniforms will also save on harassment.  Some children, especially some boys, can be cruel and will tease others just because their clothes or footwear does not have a brand name on it.  Sometimes this leads to physical altercations.  Not all parents can afford the latest trends in fashion.  Have you seen the latest prices on sneakers, let alone brand named clothing? 

Wearing school uniform does not mean that a child’s distinctiveness, is not important or their individuality is cut down.  Everyone is an individual at all times, regardless to what they are wearing, even if it is uniform.  Wearing uniform does not automatically change your personality or make you a different person!

There is an overwhelming infatuation of materialism and sexism in our society today, and our children and our youth are susceptible to the distractions caused by fashion and the latest clothing.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the fashion and the latest clothing that are so terrible, it’s the priorities that our children have that is terrible.  The priorities need to be corrected so that focusing in school and receiving high grades becomes the priority – not wearing the latest brand name in clothing and who looks better, who’s cuter, who’s prettier or who’s more voluptuous than whom!  If we, as parents, seriously left our children to make their own decisions on what to wear to school, do you honestly think that their choices would be appropriate? 

It must be explained to our children and our youth that they are going to work, just like their parents have to go to work.  Our children are actually in business – the business of learning!  The ‘getting paid’ part, while they are in school, is the valuable and precious information that they are receiving, which when put into practice later in their life, will manifest into physical cash.  Therefore, they have to dress in the proper attire for work, which, in a learning environment, requires a uniform, or should require a uniform because unfortunately, not all schools enforce this rule. 

Even if you are a janitor, you have to wear a uniform, work in McDonalds – Uniform, Burger King – Uniform, Doctor – Uniform, Lawyer – Uniform (distinctive dress code), Banker – Uniform (distinctive dress code), Firefighter – Uniform, Police Officer – Uniform.  It doesn’t matter what the job is, 90% of employees have to wear a uniform that conforms to the dress code in their work environment.  What are we teaching our children if we are not preparing them to be ready in that area?  Some of you may be thinking, well, that’s a small, insignificant area, but believe me, it makes a huge difference in our children’s psyche.  It prepares them to go and get the job they desire by attending any job interview feeling confidently dressed.  How an employer sees you visually, before you even open your mouth, counts towards you getting that job. 

My motto that I use with my children and my students that I tutor is ‘get that money; it’s yours’ because it is!  Our children have the potential to become professionals in their 20’s if they remain focused, and remain in the mindset that they are ‘going to work’ for their own personal benefit.   A uniform is only what they have to wear as the dress code of that particular environment that they are in.  It’s really that simple!

In conclusion, school uniform is a dress code.  It should not make a child feel upset or not pleased to wear it.  If taught and explained to our children correctly, they will know that wearing a uniform in school is a safeguard for them because they will gain peace of mind knowing that everyone else has to conform to wearing the same uniform.  In actuality, what this does for our daughters is to curb the need for them to compete with each other on the basis of promoting their bodies, and what this does for our sons is to curb the need to compete with each other on the basis of promoting brand named clothing.  In a work environment, people wear uniform, and our children are in school to work and nothing else. 

By Beryl V. Muhammad