Example research essay topic: School Uniforms Public Schools - 729 words

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Media stories about a nationwide school epidemic in which assaults on teachers are frequent and children are routinely killed over designer clothing have been constant over the past few years. Before the situation gets out of control, public schools need to have uniforms at schools. The adoption of school uniforms seems to offer a visible means of restoring order to the nation's classrooms and a quick and ready solution to the problem of public schools in a rapid state of decline. There are few high points to having uniforms. First, uniforms can help students resist peer pressure. This point refers to the pressure to buy expensive name brand clothing.

It is unfortunate that parents are at the mercy of their children's desires, a result of billions of dollars worth of advertising campaigns. The drive to acquire designer label clothing is a desire imposed by the mass media onto poor inner-city teenagers. Advertisers have long been aware that the culture of consumption has given the underprivileged a way to compensate for feelings of failure in a society that values material wealth. Uniforms eliminate the pressure to wear designer cloths. Second, wearing uniforms to school will help students concentrate on their schoolwork.

The idea is that if students don't have to think about what they are going to wear to school each day, they will be able to focus on learning in school. For many children living in homes where abuse, neglect, and criminal activity are daily occurrences, deciding what to wear is probably the least of their worries. If schools want to solve personal problems in the lives of their students to help them "concentrate on their school work, " they can look to uniforms. The October 15, 1998, USA Today reports that teachers felt uniforms contributed to higher academic achievement. Third, uniforms are also good because they help identify intruders who come to the schools. Most of the uniforms adopted across the country seem to be quite similar in that they require navy or khaki pants for boys and a choice of solid-colored shirts for girls.

So to be recognized as an intruder, the individual would have to be dressed in street clothes that do not resemble a school uniform of any kind. Since there will always be children in each school who exercise their legal right to choose how to dress, there will be no way of differentiating these children from the intruder. There are many who do not feel uniforms will be effective or are fair. Some believe there are many other issues that should rate higher on the list of priorities than eliminating dress because students were not distracted by the clothes of their classmates. Also, regarding intruders, school officials will already be aware of people wandering in and out of the school building and, other than between periods, as all students should be in a classroom. It would therefore seem that an intruder might stand out by the mere fact that he or she is roaming around the school grounds at a time when all other students are in class or is strolling into school halfway through the day.

Last of all Students think this is not fair. Even though this decision for having uniforms at public schools will have more students rebel and say, " We can express ourselves better if we dress the way we want, " this adoption will help cut down violence in schools. Adopting uniforms should cut down bullies making fun of students who cannot afford to buy name brand cloths. Four years ago, Long Beach, California, drew attention as the first public school district to adopt mandatory school uniforms. After just one year, dramatic decreases in violence and discipline problems, as well as high-test scores, were reported. The October 15, 1998, USA Today reports significant drops in crime and increase in student performance in schools that have applied uniform polices.

In particular, it cites figures such as a 91 % drop in assaults, thefts, vandalism, weapon and drug violations in Long Beach since 1991. Even the President visited Long Beach in 1995 and urged all schools to consider mandatory school uniforms. He said, "If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms. " This requirement should help stop our nationwide epidemic.

Research essay sample on School Uniforms Public Schools