If you ever go to a private school and ask the students what they think of their uniform, they will most likely say that it’s uncomfortable and that they would rather wear normal clothes. When I had to wear a uniform at my former school, I too felt this way; however, now that I can wear whatever I want to school, I feel completely different about the subject. Some would argue that uniforms suppress creativity when it comes to picking one’s own clothing, yet uniforms have more than one advantage.
When you walk around your school, you often see many students with many different styles of clothing. Sometimes the way people dress tells you about their personality, which could be a great thing; yet, it could also make people feel different or excluded when they think that they don’t adhere to certain trends or styles. Uniforms get rid of that feeling, since everybody is the same; hence, there is a sense of equality and belonging. Nobody can make fun of the way someone is dressed because they are wearing the same thing. “School uniforms promote equality and inclusivity by removing the differences in dress that may exist between students from different economic backgrounds,” explains School Wear United.
Every summer before school starts up again, I have a ritual of watching those “back to school shopping” videos. It really gets me inspired and excited to go back to school, and I love to see how much money people really spend on their school clothes each year. Every season, kids go shopping for school clothes, which could be very costly. Uniforms eliminate that problem, since, according to the blog “Why School Uniforms?,” most parents buy their kids two sets of uniforms for the whole school year or even more years. This could save hundreds of dollars or maybe even thousands.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, “Discipline is the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior.” What are uniforms if not a code of behavior? In the report of the same blog, the author wrote, “One of the main reasons why schools implement uniforms is to improve discipline.” Uniforms make everyone more focused on their studies and not on what they are wearing. Furthermore, it helps teachers and staff identify their students in order to keep them safe
In the morning, when you’re half awake, after trying to do your skincare and brushing your teeth, you then have to pick out your outfit—all in under an hour. This process, which we have to repeat every day, is exhausting and draining. Uniforms make this much easier because you know exactly what you’re going to wear every day without any thought.
When I had to wear uniforms, I used to want to pick out my outfit every day, yet now that I have that requirement, all I want to do is repeat the same outfit every day; however, nobody wants to be an “outfit repeater,” as explained by HighSnobiety. The pressure of repeating your outfits is intense, and people are willing to do many things to avoid it. Uniforms completely put an end to that insanity.
In essence, uniforms can shut down student creativity when it comes to style, yet they can also promote equality, less bullying, discipline, safety, and professionalism. It looks to me like the advantages are much greater than the disadvantages. While opinions on this matter may vary, it is indisputable that there is a potential benefit of implementing a uniform policy.
