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Should school uniforms be mandatory? Should school uniforms be mandatory?
Yes, school uniforms should be mandatory. Yes, school uniforms should be mandatory.
No, they should not be mandatory No, they should not be mandatory
School uniforms make classrooms safer School uniforms make classrooms safer
School uniforms help avoid distraction. School uniforms help avoid distraction.
School uniforms create classroom equality School uniforms create classroom equality
School uniforms save time School uniforms save time
School uniforms save money School uniforms save money
School uniforms establish a hierarchy School uniforms establish a hierarchy
School uniforms are a violation of students freedom of expression School uniforms are a violation of students freedom of expression
School uniforms negatively affect students' self-image School uniforms negatively affect students' self-image
School uniforms don't prepare children for adulthood School uniforms don't prepare children for adulthood
Students don't like school uniforms Students don't like school uniforms
School uniforms are a financial burden on families School uniforms are a financial burden on families
School Uniforms are impractical School Uniforms are impractical
School uniform policies violate religious freedoms School uniform policies violate religious freedoms
Uniforms are a weapon deployed to suppress the poor Uniforms are a weapon deployed to suppress the poor
Schools should promote democratic values Schools should promote democratic values
School uniforms are unfair for students School uniforms are unfair for students
Debate Mini Map

Should school uniforms be mandatory?
Back to question

Yes, school uniforms should be mandatory.

(1 of 2) Next position >

School uniforms help avoid distraction.

Clothes are a distraction for children in school because children are hyper sensitive to social hierarchies and in-group out-group dynamics. Children don't have much autonomy, so clothing choices is one of the few ways to signal their social standing. Uniforms remove these issues, letting students focus more on learning.
Hillary Clinton
< (2 of 6) Next argument >

Context

Students are at school to learn. Anything that serves to distract students should be removed from the classroom environment to foster and aid retention.

The Argument

If everyone is wearing the same outfit then there is less of a distraction. In places where school uniforms are mandatory, students are more focused on their work and less on their attire. In one study carried out among elementary school students in Houston, elementary school girls language tests increased by 3% after the school introduced mandatory school uniforms.[1]

Counter arguments

This isn't supported by evidence. A comprehensive study carried out by Virginia Tech's David L. Brunsma found that uniforms had no effect on academic performance or student behaviour in a national sample of 10th-grade students. Quite the opposite. When all other factors were controlled, Brunsma found that a school uniform had a negative effect on academic performance.[2] When he repeated the test on students at elementary school age, he found similar results, indicating that school uniforms do not improve academic performance by removing distractions.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Wearing street clothes is a distraction. [P2] Schools should aim to eliminate distractions. [P3] School uniforms should be mandatory.

Rejecting the premises

[P1] Wearing street clothes is no more of a distraction than wearing uniforms.

References

  1. https://www.nber.org/papers/w17337
  2. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1593&context=ce
This page was last edited on Monday, 10 Aug 2020 at 14:19 UTC

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