Education stakeholders have different ideas and perspectives on the matter of school uniforms. As a result, this may be simplified to many ideologies. Although every viewpoint has significance because of its advantages and disadvantages, it is crucial to recognize the importance of establishing school uniform regulations in all educational institutions, especially in grades K through 12. This concept is more well shown in this post since it draws heavily on various researchers and educators who have studied the topic of uniforms. The matter of dress code at Ellensburg High School presents many issues.
Consequently, it impacts the learners, educators, and the whole school community. It is essential to recognize that the absence of a defined dress code in an educational setting presents a range of difficulties. Ebanks (2022) argues that the lack of a uniform dress code in schools results in several negative consequences, such as diversions among students, social discrimination, conflicts, and, most significantly, a deviation from the primary purpose of attending school (Friedrich & Shanks, 2021). Those are scholarly endeavors. Regarding this matter, the learners are prone to becoming diverted by the attire of their peers. For instance, if a particular student dresses provocatively, they may divert the attention of other students.
Moreover, a lack of a defined clothing code contributes to societal prejudice. In this context, a cohort of students may exhibit prejudice against another cohort purely based on the attire worn by the latter. For instance, if one person wears high-end fashion while the other wears second-hand clothing, there is a noticeable disparity in social status between the two individuals (Friedrich & Shanks, 2021). This is likely to result in societal prejudice. Moreover, this may also result in conflict when one group attempts to assert dominance over the other. It is essential to mention that most learners at this level are teens who are very aware of their self-image.
Furthermore, the absence of a uniform dress code diverts the students’ attention from the main objective of attending school. The concerns, as mentioned earlier, in addition to other distractions, impact not only students but also parents, instructors, and other individuals involved in education. Consequently, there is a need to introduce school uniforms at Ellensburg High School in Washington (Lee et al., 2021). It is essential to mention that the absence of a consistent dress code at Ellensburg High School contributes to the problems above. Furthermore, according to Reidy (2021), the absence of a consistent uniform policy or dress code results in the inefficient use of time.
Regarding this matter, educators and school officials shift their emphasis away from academic concerns and instead concentrate on difficulties that arise from the lack of regulated dress codes. The allocated time should have been used to impart instructions in the school’s academic and extracurricular activities (Ordway, 2018). Consequently, Ellensburg High School must adopt a uniform policy to guarantee a more enriched learning atmosphere, eradicate distractions associated with incorrect attire, and boost the overall educational environment (Lee et al., 2021).
To enhance the quality of the school, stakeholders must adhere to established dress codes. Initially, Ellensburg High School must establish a uniform dress code for all students. The policy should specify the mandatory dress code for all students. This will moreover include the hue and composition of each attire. In addition, the school needs to guarantee that each uniform has the school logo to maintain consistency.
Additionally, the school should go further steps and engage the services of a designer and tailors to guarantee consistency. Consequently, each student will be instructed to get the outfit from the designated retailer, Friedrich & Shanks (2021). Consequently, all the students will be on an equal footing, and the problem of social stratification caused by the clothing code will be overcome. Therefore, instructors, students, and the whole school community will experience advantages as they will not have to spend time resolving problems caused by a lack of a consistent dress code. The regulation would incur costs for parents and guardians, who must buy uniforms from a single designer.
Increasing the number of students who wear school uniforms has been associated with improved academic performance (Ordway, 2018). This is one of the reasons why the proposal to install school uniforms at Ellensburg High School has been put up. Compared to a school that does not have a standardized dress code, a school that advocates for the use of school uniforms is likely to have fewer distractions in this domain. If Ellensburg adopts the policy of requiring students to wear school uniforms, children would likely focus more on their academics than what they should wear or what their classmates wear for school. The learners will also have a more equitable perspective on other people, and the problem of social competitiveness over who wears the most recent designer attire will be resolved. In addition, the school’s management will not be required to reallocate resources and time to address problems brought about by the absence of uniforms. Students’ feuds are one example of such a problem. These feuds can expand and lead to the creation of groups driven by fear of being bullied by their peers. Since the school uniform will standardize all pupils, it will ensure everyone feels appreciated and in the correct position. This means that none of the children will experience feelings of being out of place or even inferior.
Consequently, all the energy previously devoted to the dress code will be employed more intelligently in academic and other extracurricular activities. This will be the consequence. Every student’s performance will improve as a result of this.
A further measure that will ensure equity at Ellensburg High School is the establishment of uniforms and a more consistent dress code. Because of this, all of the students will be treated equally, and none of them will have feelings of inferiority because they are members of a marginalized socioeconomic class. As a result of their membership in the favored socioeconomic class, none of them will have feelings of superiority. The final result is that all of the students will have the sense that they belong. As a result, they will concentrate on socializing as students of Ellensburg High School rather than congregating into social groups based on socioeconomic position, race, religion, or gender. In light of this information, it is essential to point out that the criteria of the various states underline the fact that no kid should be left behind. Each learner, in this respect, has to have a sense of belongingness for the learner to flourish and achieve positive outcomes in their academic and social endeavors. The elimination of class indicators among students is a point that Lee et al. (2021) make in their study. School uniforms will result in every student experiencing a sense of equality. The atmosphere at the school will be highly upbeat and welcoming to all students as a result.
Learners develop a sense of pride and identity when they wear school uniforms. Because of the uniform, they can identify with Ellensburg High School and the school’s accomplishments. As a result, a connection is made between the learners and the institution’s culture. Their feeling of togetherness and belongingness is improved, consequently raising their morale.
Having uniforms is a fantastic concept, as stated in this article, yet it should be noted that there will undoubtedly be challenges when putting it into action. Many people with a stake in education will likely oppose the idea, which is a significant roadblock. Some students, like those at Ellensburg High, could be opposed to this kind of regulation. Issues like school uniforms, they likely say, stifle students’ ability to express themselves creatively. It should be noted that individuals use other ways outside clothing to show their creativity and authentic selves, even if this article recognizes that this is the case. An unstructured clothing code also has more drawbacks than advantages. The previous plan’s projected price tag of $100 for a student uniform is likely enough to raise objections from parents and guardians. However, these uniforms will make the classroom more welcoming to students of all backgrounds should be noticed.
Moreover, parents will eventually have to pay for their children’s uniforms, regardless of what their children like. The only difference this time is that the money will go toward a uniform for the kids. Lastly, a potential barrier is the diversity of students’ sexual and gender identities. Most school uniforms distinguish between male and female students, at least at the schools that use them. Individuals from the LGBTQ community will not benefit from this kind of distinction. All of the concerns are well-founded, but the school can address them by listening to and responding to the many viewpoints of parents and students (Ebanks, 2022). Reidy (2021) and Cohen et al. (2016), among others, stress the positive effects of school uniforms on students and faculty alike, and these suggestions are heavily based on their work.
Ultimately, the leadership and other interested parties at Ellensburg High must seriously consider enforcing the school uniform policy. Aside from ensuring everyone is on the same page and has a good attitude, it also ensures that students do well since they are not distracted as much. Therefore, the institution should actively include the community and get more thoughts about relevant rules to enhance the school’s dress code. The policy’s benefits outweigh its drawbacks. It will be helpful in the long run, even if there will be some bumps on the road to implementation.
Cohen, J. F. W., Jahn, J. L., Richardson, S., Cluggish, S. A., Parker, E., & Rimm, E. B. (2016). The amount of Time to Eat Lunch Is Associated with Children’s Selection and Consumption of School Meals, Entrée, Fruits, Vegetables, and Milk. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(1), 123–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2015.07.019
Ebanks, S. (2022, September 21). 4 Things Public Schools Can and Cannot Do When It Comes to Dress Codes | News & Commentary. American Civil Liberties Union; American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/news/womens-rights/4-things-public-schools-can-and-cant-do-dress-codes
Friedrich, J., & Shanks, R. (2021). “The Prison of the body”: School Uniforms between Discipline and Governmentality. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 44(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2021.1931813
Lee, S. Y., Ito, T., Kubota, K., & Ohtake, F. (2021). Reciprocal and prosocial tendencies cultivated by childhood school experiences: School uniforms and the related economic and political factors in Japan. International Journal of Educational Development, p. 83, 102396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102396
Ordway, D.-M. (2018, April 20). School uniforms: Do they improve student achievement and behavior? The Journalist’s Resource. https://journalistsresource.org/education/school-uniforms-research-achievement/
Reidy, J. (2021). Reviewing School Uniform through a Public Health Lens: Evidence about the Impacts of School Uniform on Education and Health. Public Health Reviews (2107–6952), 42(1604212), N.PAG–N.PAG. https://doi.org/10.3389/phrs.2021.1604212