“School Uniforms and Swag Killing”

While no studies have proven the effectiveness of uniforms, the continued enforcement of uniform policy puts a damper on the creative enthusiasm and intellectual capabilities of students all over the country. There are studies that show the negative effects of uniforms on academic achievement. At schools where students were forced to wear uniforms, studies show that students actually performed lower on standardized tests. In most cases uniforms either decreased or altered the rate of attendance. As far as gang violence drugs and weapons are concerned, there have been no studies proving that this decreases the rate of suspensions, drug use or concealed weapons entering schools either.

 According to APROD (Asserting Parental Rights Our Duty), “The only way to eliminate the concealment of items through outside measures is to ban clothing completely and send them to school nude. As for clothing, the only clothing that reduces the concealment of contraband is skin-tight clothing, which is specifically banned from uniform policies and should be. If you were to line up several students in various styles of clothing, ranging from a uniform to everyday wear to spandex, the only person who would have difficulty hiding something is the person in spandex.”
 

 

 Some schools have gone as far as having students remove: shoe strings, hair ribbons, belts,bracelets, rings, socks, under shirts,pullovers, coats, fingernail polish, and eyemakeup for fear of gang relation, leaving students with nearly no avenue to be original. Other schools are banned even from wearing school colors. (which is ridiculous)

Angle Scott of Kirby High School: “I don’t think we should wear them period. Its unnessesary”

 

          Uniforms are actually in violation of student rights. In the case of  Tinker V. Des Monies Community School (1969) Students freedom of expression must be respected unless it severly interefered with disciplainairy action. This means that a student should be able to dress however they like as long as it does not interfere with their schoolwork. How could this case be overlooked seing as it is so paramount to student dresscode?

     I (Shai Rell of The Heat Magazine) asksed several middle and high school students age 14 -18  how “they” felt about school uniforms. 

      Daniel Scott of Southeast Brooks High School says: “It’s a wrap, I aint feelin that. It just aint popin.”

 

 

 

 

Sierra Christian of East Highschool: “I dont like uniforms.  I feel like its not my type of style.. It’s just plain”

As far as dressing goes, with theese few choices, how can one be expected to feel free to learn and comfortable in school if their own individuality is not accepted?
It is a crime to fashion as well as a crime to the creative mind.
I believe that students should be able to dress how the want. There was a ban on low-cut dress tops, but even Aereopostale makes uniform shirts that show cleavage. Instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, there needs to be some communication between youth and adults to look out for student safety and well being, which has nothing to do with uniform policy.