Inconclusive Results & Biased Data

Plenty of studies done to prove the effectiveness of uniforms, have found answers that point to the idea that they might not be necessary.

In a study found in an article by Keith A. King titled, “Should School Uniforms be Mandated in Schools” the goal was to clarify the relationship between school uniforms and the safety of a school. In that article, it was concluded that,

“Nevertheless, there is not much empirical data to support a cause-and-effect relationship between school uniforms and violence” (King 34).

The implementation of a uniform policy was not making that school any safer. Safety is one of the main things that people believe would be increased with a uniform policy. This article helps to prove that this may not be the case.

In another study that was done to try and measure the effectiveness of a uniform policy in school with regards to student behavior, they followed students in kindergarten until they reached fifth grade and gathered data on their behavior. They got data from surveys from parents, teachers, and other school staff. This study was done by Arya Ansari, Michael Shepard, and Michael A. Gorrfried in an article titled, "School uniforms and student behavior: is there a link?" The conclusion of this article states that,

“There is no conclusive evidence to suggest that students in schools with uniform mandates demonstrated stronger social behavioral and engagement outcomes than students in schools without such mandates, and there was little evidence of heterogeneity” (Ansari, et al. 285).

This study is another of the many that work to prove that uniform mandates do not necessarily create improved school environments. This study further emphasizes that the children do not necessarily respond differently when they are in uniforms or not.

Arya Ansari, and the other authors that were previously mentioned, finish off the article by stating that they believe that school uniforms are not the most effective way to help children become better students. While discussing the data they found from their study, they state that,

“The above is of note because our benchmarks for children’s socio-emotional development are based on teachers’ perceptions and may be biased” (Ansari, et al. 284).

In nearly every study done to try and prove the effectiveness of a uniform policy, the fact that the data collected might be biased is brought up and that it is hard to gather conclusive evidence on this issue. Many of the studies rely on data from teachers that see their students nearly everyday. It is likely that as they spend time together, their perceptions of the students may become worse, or better, than they actually are.

Not only do many studies prove that there is no relationship between how students behave, many of the studies that do prove it, may rely on biased evidence. These studies prove that a uniform policy is not improving students' schooling and may actually be making their relationship with school worse.

Negative Student Opinions

Although many parents and teachers seem to be in favor of implementing uniform policies, many students do not feel the same.

In a study done by Andrew Yoxsimer and Jafeth E. Sanchez where students were interviewed about how they felt about uniforms, it was discovered that,

“Parents and teachers in both countries had a more favorable perception of school uniforms than did students” (Yoxsimer and Sanchez 111).

It was the parents and the teachers that believed that uniforms would help the schools, not the students, even though they would be the ones wearing them. If students dislike a rule, there is likely to be at least a few of them that would act out because of it. Implementing a uniform policy on students who are strongly against it may end with students who behave worse than if they could choose their own outfits.

To further this, there is evidence that many students not only dislike uniforms but believe they will not do anything to benefit their school. In the previously mentioned article by Keith A. King, it is found that,

“The ACLU conducted a series of focus groups and discussions with high school students to identify what students believed to be solutions to the problem of school violence. School uniforms were not among the solutions students mentioned” (King 34).

Students can recognize that there are issues with things like safety and behavior in their schools but believe that simply mandating uniforms will not solve those issues. They believe that other policies should be put in place that do not involve a uniform mandate. Unlike parents, students do not see a link between their clothes and the violence that occurs in schools.

Some of these students actually believe that uniforms may be harming their self-esteem, rather than creating a sense of belonging or safety in their school. Although they state that there is not much data to back this claim up, Ansari and the other authors of “School uniforms and student behavior: is there a link?” claim that,

“In the limited research that does exist, there is some indication that uniforms may restrict students’ ability to express themselves, and thus, results in lower-levels of self-esteem" (Ansari, et al. 279).

The years that students are in school are some of the most important years of growing up and discovering who they are. They need these years to experiment with their identity, their taste in fashion being included in this. To many students, being able to express themselves through their clothes helps them feel more confident, which makes them feel less nervous about being in school. There are very few individuals who enjoy feeling self-conscious and if students relate this issue to being forced to wear a uniform, it is only likely that they will only resent mandatory uniforms even more.

Restrictions Against the First Amendment

A major argument against school uniforms is that they go against the first amendment, specifically a person's right to the freedom of expression.

The first amendment states that:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (Legal Information Institute).

The first amendment guarantees a person's right to freedom on matters such as speech, expression, and religion. People believe that forcing children to wear uniforms goes against their right to freely express themselves and therefore goes against the first amendment.

This idea is furthered in a viewpoint article titled, “School Uniforms Stifle Freedom of Expression” written by Kent J. Fetzer where he claims,

“If young people are to understand that a cornerstone of our freedom is the primacy of the individual over government, over the collective, over any non-voluntary association then sticking them all into look-alike clothes is a poor way to teach it” (Fetzer).

Fetzer argues that by forcing students to dress similarly, they are being taught that their individual rights are not appreciated. When students wear a uniform, they become part of a crowd of other students who appear the same as them. They lose their individuality that would have originally came from how they dressed themselves. Many people believe that a student's adolescent years are some of the most important years for being able to discover their identity, forcing them to cover up that identity with a uniform is not a great way to aid these students in finding themselves.

In an article that has been previously mentioned above titled, “Should School Uniforms be Mandated in Elementary Schools?” Keith A. King argues that

“Adolescence is a period when youths attempt to find their own uniqueness and individuality in several ways. One way is through fashion” (King 34).

A person’s fashion sense is a vital part of their identity and helps them to feel more confident in themselves. Some people are too self-conscious to express themselves or their interests verbally and being able to wear whatever they want to helps them to express these interests in a non-verbal way. Forcing students to conform to a mandatory uniform policy is restrictive to them and their blossoming identity.

Counterarguments to the Claim

Although there is plenty of evidence that argues against uniforms, there is also plenty that argues for them.

First, there are some studies that produce results that are favorable to uniform policies. One instance of this comes from an article titled, “The Effects of School Culture on Students Academic Achievements” written by Adem Bayar and Karaduman Alkan Hürriyet that argues:

“In conclusion, for students, the school culture means school, previous and present achievements of the school, circle of friends, school uniforms and social activities” (Bayar and Hürriyet 108).

Included in this list of what students believe make a school culture more positive is school uniforms. Unfortunately, this article only covers the opinions of a select group of students, so this data is not universally applicable. Just because these students believe that school uniforms positively impact their school's climate, does not mean that the same applies to students at other schools. The only thing stated about the uniforms is that students believe it makes their school feel more like a community rather than a group of random individuals. Along with this, there are plenty of other options to help increase their sense of community that were listed as well. Although this information does somewhat prove a benefit of uniforms, it does not provide evidence that can be applied to the majority. 

In a different article titled “The Impact of School Uniforms on School Climate” by Richard K. Murray claims it is stated that

“Although school Uniforms do not represent a panacea for all society’s problems, research now shows that school uniforms do significantly affect student perceptions of school climate” (Murray 110).

Similarly to the previous quote, the argument of an increase in school climate is brought up again. This quote, however, has the response to their argument placed in the quote itself. The quote states that,

“Although school Uniforms do not represent a panacea for all society’s problems...” (Murray 110).

They are aware that school uniforms are not a solution to many of the problems that occur in schools. The only positive to school uniforms that is brought up in this quote is the increases to a student's perception of their school climate, something that in the quote from the previous paragraph, has been proven to be possible in more ways than just by a uniform policy. The argument from this quote paired with the quote from the previous paragraph adds up to show how the main benefit of a uniform policy is something that can be achieved without restricting a student’s freedom to express themselves.

The final claim that is frequently brought up in defense of school uniforms is the argument that some students do believe they are beneficial to problems such as disciplinary issues. In a study performed by Andrew Yoxsimer and Jafeth E. Sancheztitled, “Uniforms in Three Middle Schools: Student Opinions” they find that,

“While most students did not like wearing uniforms, 30% of the students believed that wearing uniforms might reduce discipline issues” (Yoxsimer and Sanchez 114).

Although the number of students that believed that wearing uniforms may benefit them is below half, it still proves that there are students who see a potential benefit in mandated uniforms. The next line of this quote weakens its impact though by stating

“Yet only 10% said they would wear them if given a choice” (Yoxzimer and Sanchez 114).

Although students are aware that uniforms could potentially be beneficial to them, they still show a distaste for them. Being able to create an environment where students are comfortable helps them to perform better. Not forcing students to wear a uniform, aids them in being able to be comfier in the stressful school environment.