Do School Uniforms Work?

Superior Essays
Another needful outcome of schools choosing their own clothing policies is that it would provide recent data concerning school uniforms. Much of the information found currently about them is outdated and cannot be completely accurate in relation to today. Keith A King agrees that this is true in the Journal of School Health, but remarks “Lack of empirical evidence supporting school uniforms does not mean that school uniforms do not work… [more] Studies should be conducted which investigate parent, teacher, and student” (King). In essence, he argues that school uniforms should be more vigorously studied through firsthand experience to see if it can aid in protecting students or advancing academics. This can be done through school observation. …show more content…
This is exemplified by the many court cases spanning through the years that have had strongly differing results. This is shown by a student named Dwight Terry, Jr. and another student named Diana Canady. In 2008 Dwight Terry, Jr. filed a lawsuit against Chaparral High School because he had been sent to the principal’s office for not wearing a school uniform. He did not include a reason why this was in violation of his rights, but Chaparral High School does not have a uniform policy anymore (“Jacobs V. Clark County School District”). Likewise, Diana Canady filed a lawsuit against the Bossier Parish School District for their school uniforms while not presenting evidence that they were harmful. Nonetheless, the court ruled in favor of the school district (“Canady V. Bossier Parish School Board”). To shield against these conflicting verdicts, policies will have to be made carefully and thoroughly so that they are specific enough to provide reasoning as to why it exists and what its purpose is. For instance, if the uniform has mosquito repellant to help the students medically, then the school will need to inform the parents and obtain their consent. This will clear up much of the uncertainty as to whether the requirement is lawful, thus making policies safer for the defendant and plaintiffs if the policy was …show more content…
Nevertheless, Angela Wamsley offers insight pertaining to school uniform cost which shows that they’re not as costly as one may think, based off her extensive work as a teacher in England. The first principle that she shared is that “In the United Kingdom, schools choose “generic” items that can be bought anywhere” (Wamsley). She insinuates that schools in the US can follow in their footsteps by choosing common items of clothing, thus lowering the cost of school clothing. The second tip given is that “Parents can usually buy school-specific items through the school at a reduced cost” (Wamsley). Doing so will help students to afford what they cannot find for cheap at a store. The third principle stated by Wamsley is that “the cost [of uniforms] can be less than buying multiple designer outfits” (Wamsley). She is pointing out that buying a few uniforms is less expensive than buying multiple clothes with varying appearances. Using these concepts can help minimize the charges that go into school clothing. School uniforms do not need to be

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