Are Uniforms a Good Way to improve student Discipline and Motivation?

The school uniform has a fairly short and somewhat chequered history. For all practical purposes, school uniforms as we know them today have their roots in the British collective school system. For the sake of clarity, a British collective school is equivalent to an American secret school, and an American collective school is equivalent to a British State school.

Up until the middle part of the 19th century, British collective schools were the keep of a wealthy elite, the later mandarins of the British Empire. Nevertheless, they were quite disorderly, with students behaving much as they wished. Uniform began to be introduced as a means of instilling a greater degree of discipline and team spirit, and rapidly gained acceptance within the collective school system. Quite remarkably some of these uniforms still remain relatively unchanged today.

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As is often the case, the middle classes - who would by tradition have sent their children to smaller, less exclusive, but still secretly funded schools began to take up the fashion for school uniforms which had been adopted by their erstwhile collective betters. In 1870, the study Act made study for all compulsory for all in Britain, and many of the new state schools plainly adopted the sort of uniform policies which had been so eagerly embraced in the secret system.

Are Uniforms a Good Way to improve student Discipline and Motivation?

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From that time, right through until the 1960's school uniform was practically universal in the United Kingdom.

The American taste is something of a contrast. School uniform (except in Catholic or parochial schools) was virtually unknown. Many schools had dress codes, which were exclusive rather than prescriptive. Blue jeans and high heels, for example might be banned, but pupils were not told what they must wear.

This is exactly the ideas that our proponent of school uniforms described as being started in her school at South Houston in the late 1950's, and to which she ascribes a subsequent necessary correction in discipline and grades.

In 1996, President Clinton instructed the then Secretary for study Richard W Riley to send a manual on School Uniforms to every School District in the country. The manual set out the Government's position, creating guidelines for all schools on which they could model their uniform requirements. The Government view was that the adoption of school uniform would cut violence and indiscipline in schools, but did not go as far as manufacture uniform mandatory, the decision being left to personel school districts.

The view of the Government was clearly not shared by parents, pupils or the school districts' administrators. By 1998, only 11% of collective Elementary Schools had adopted a uniform policy, and by 2000, that figure had only increased to 15.5%.

The decisions to adopt uniform were not consistent across the country.
Suburban schools had a relatively lower rate of uptake, maybe reflecting the efforts of a more highly politicised group of parents.

The proponents on either side of the debate about school appear to have entrenched and practically polar opposite opinions, and there is a fog of statistics and counter-statistics available to keep either proposition.

Are they in fact useful in improving discipline and motivation_ I believe so, and the taste at South Houston suggests that I am right!

The staff reported a necessary decrease in violence and indiscipline, and an average across the board increase of two grades in schoraly carrying out by the end of the year within which a uniform policy was introduced. Could it just be co-incidence? It seems hardly likely.

There is no doubt that when a school adopts a uniform policy, it is sending a clear and unequivocal message to parents and students alike. It is saying that this is an inclusive organisation where everybody is seen to be equal, and will be treated as such. School is about learning, not about showing off or scoring fashion points.

Some people would have us believe that children hate uniforms -indeed, many children will say so themselves, but the facts belie this opinion. Children, when they join an organisation with a uniform, just can't wait to get into it.

Most of us have an innate need to belong, to feel part of a group, to feel appropriate and understood by our peers, and if inherent to have their admiration and respect. This does not just apply to children; it applies to the members of your local episode of Hell's Angels aware.

Of course, one of the unavoidable marks of a various group is its uniform.

When you supply a child with a uniform, you are giving him an instant key to acceptance within a group, the opening to belong to it and feel part of it.

Those who oppose uniform will say that by putting a child into uniform, you are taking away his constitutional right to relaxation of expression. Nevertheless, isn't it attractive to note that left to themselves, children will to a greater or lesser degree pick a uniform of their own. These may not be identical in detail, but just look at any group of youngsters, and what do you see? Brand X shoes, Brand Y jeans, baseball hat on backwards - or droopy pants! So much for free expression!

According to Warren, "With over thirty years of decline in a basic comprehension of, and appropriate for, what is appropriate in gentle society, though, school uniforms may be what are required to try to restore to our kids some sense of dignity, self-respect, respect for education, and awareness of what's appropriate where." 1

The institute of a uniform can be such that it does not preclude the expression of individuality by permitting the low key use of buttons and badges.

Furthermore, if students clearly see that they cannot express their individuality through wearing extreme styles of clothing, they are much more liable to try to do so through their achievements.

The wearing of uniform and identification with the group has some other subtle benefits which have been cleverly exploited by the military for centuries. Primarily, group membership and wearing of the uniform bring with them a sense of loyalty to the group. It is unacceptable to let the group down, or to bring it into disrepute. The same spirit that works in the infantry squad works in the classroom too - "together we can do it!"

It is attractive therefore that many of those who prize individuality so highly fail to consideration this highly observable phenomenon, without which our armed military would be worse than useless.

A necessary part of the science of mind of group membership and identity is the feeling of safety that comes from not being identifiably strange or 'different'.

It is well understood that in community and in school, the child who is 'different' is the one who is picked on, harassed or bullied. A well designed school uniform removes at least some of the descriptive signs of 'difference' immediately.
The Fort Wayne School Year says "Uniforms, with all students finding the same, can instill a sense of school togetherness. Just as a uniform solidifies a sports team or collective service providers, such as police officers, it provides a link to others in your school community. That can make you feel like you're part of a bigger picture, rather than standing out in a big school." 2

There is also economic advantage to be gained from a uniform policy. Where a policy is in place, there is no longer the pressure on the parent to by the newest fad footwear for example, or whatever the accessory of the moment might be. For the pupil, the likelihood of being perceived as poor, or having unsuccessful parents is obviated, and the connected stigma avoided.

When the need to compete materially with fellow pupils is removed, the child's mind is more likely to be focused on his education, achieving for himself and the group. In this situation once again, the interest of the personel is not totally subordinated to that of the group, but is integrated into it and enhanced by it.

A small but necessary psychological advantage results from having a uniform policy - it removes the need for both parent and child to conclude what to wear to school, whereby arguments, stress and anger can be avoided.

There is imagine to believe that school uniforms can have an impact on safety in the school environment. Even at the most simplistic level, whatever who does not belong in the school can be fast identified and checked out. Likewise, any students who ought to be in school but are wandering nearby the community instead are of course noted.

Most school uniforms are of such a institute that it is much more difficult to secrete offensive weapons on the person, and this should succeed in a lower incidence of students trying to take weapons into school.

In the tragic events at Columbine, the killers (one of whom who had secret a weapon under his trench coat) were heard to shout "Everyone with a white hat stand up" in an effort to cut off sports team members as targets.

Many thefts and murders have been attributed to something as simple as envy over designer clothing, and an adequate uniform policy removes that risk at a stroke.

A safe study environment is inextricably connected to discipline and motivation. Students who feel safe are less likely to behave disruptively, are less likely to fear going to school, and have more energy to expend on their studies. School uniform, insofar as it contributes to a safer environment, has an leading part to play.
The necessary of South Shore School, Seattle, is quoted as saying "Dr. John German, reports that "this year the demeanour in the school has improved 98 percent, truancy and tardies are down, and we have not had one reported incident of theft." 3

One of the detractors of school uniforms has asked "Are we okay with losing even one child who may quit school if uniforms are mandated?"

One might ask in reply "Is it best to lose one child who may quit school, or seven or ten who may be killed because their dress was clearly and identifiably different?"

Good grade results quiz, close attentiveness to schoolwork, and in class (at least for testosterone fueled young males) one of the biggest distractions is quite plainly young females who are provocatively dressed. Excessively tight or excessively brief clothing on either gender is a distraction which a good school uniform policy can remove, with benefits to all concerned.

Some of those who oppose uniforms in schools recommend that designing and policing uniform policy detracts significantly from the time staff have to achieve their teaching function. One of them goes so far as to say "creating and maintaining a new uniform policy would cut the time spent on instructional improvement
and increase divisiveness, both among staff and between staff and students."

The opposite is, in fact, the case. There is a time input into creating a policy, but the input to that task should involve parents, students and non schoraly staff as well as teachers. Once the policy is in place, teaching staff do not have to spend time being ´dress police´, choosing either or not a skirt or a pair of baggy pants is too short, and then having to succeed up on the counseling and disciplinary issues that may ensue.

More than ten years on from the Us Governments initial effort to promote school uniforms, the seminar rages on. Both sides furnish statistics to keep their view.

Unfortunately most of the statistics available are flawed in one way or someone else 'perhaps because the populations use to create their results, or because of faults in the statistical method.

It has been suggested that there is "No clear evidence that uniforms had any necessary impact on improving achievement, only scattered anecdotes."

If these scattered anecdotes came from those in a position to monitor performance, they probably have some substance. Without resorting to pure statistics, let us for a moment consider the British experience. Although there are major cultural and demographic differences between the Us and the Uk, for the most part we share tasteless aspirations and values, a tasteless language and an ardent desire for our study systems to work well.

The fact is that collective schools in the Uk have had uniform policies in place for years. The incidence of murder, gang culture, drug use, violent crime, bullying and normal indiscipline in Uk schools is far lower than in our American schools, and the major difference in the systems is the prevalence of uniform policy. It just works.

Sources.

1. Warren Lh, "The Benefits of Mandatory School Uniforms", p,3, retrieved 21 August 2009 from helium.com/items/382723-the-benefits-of-mandatory-school-uniforms?page=3

2. Fort Wayne School supervision "Fort Wayne School Year". Retrieved on August 21 from fwnextweb1.fortwayne.com/adv/special/schoolyear/article0014.html

3. Us agency of Education, February 1996. "Manual on School Uniforms". Retrieved August 21, 2009 from ed.gov/updates/uniforms.html

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