School uniforms bring out feelings of love and hatred; uniforms can have their pros and cons.
Staff members and even some students at UA really like the fact that students wear uniforms because it eliminates many problems; on the other hand, other students don’t like uniforms because they limit what they can wear.
The UA student handbook goes into specific detail about what students can and can’t wear when it comes to uniforms. For example, students may wear leggings but only under skirts or bottoms, shirts must always be tucked in, and students must wear belts with their pants. If students choose to wear a hoodie or jacket that’s not sponsored by UA, it must be all solid school colors: gray, navy blue, Columbia blue or white. The dress code also stipulates, among other things, that generally, all clothing must be navy blue, white and/or khaki.
Every student has a different take on uniforms. Uniforms benefit in many ways, including simplifying things for students.
UA sophomore Jada Ross said, “It’s easier to get ready in the morning.”
Students don’t have to worry about waking up early or having to destroy their rooms just to find clothes.
School uniforms can also help parents because kids’ lists of wants get narrowed down to needs. This might help parents feel less stressed.
Obviously, any student hearing about uniforms for the first time is likely not going to have a pretty reaction to it. There is going to be that first week where wearing a uniform feels painful, but once students see others wearing them, it will be different.
Mr. Joshua Burdette, a teacher at UA, said he thinks uniforms are always beneficial.
“I agree with the research on uniforms. Having a consistent uniform alleviates the stressors that students can feel in regards to the social pressures of what they are wearing,” Mr. Burdette said.
This improves student learning and is beneficial for everybody.
For teachers, telling students to constantly tuck in shirts, take off hoodies that don’t sponsor UA and to put their crocs in sport mode could become irritating.
Mr. Burdette said, “It does get tiring, but at the same time, it’s a minor part of the job. Enforcing the uniform policy aids in student learning, so it is part and parcel to helping students to become successful, college ready students.”
But uniforms do bring up some negative thoughts from students, too. Some don’t like the fact that they are being forced to put on clothes they don’t want to wear. Hearing a teacher constantly telling students to tuck in shirts can get repetitive, which makes students not want to wear them even more.
Ross said she would like the ability “to style it our own way without restrictions.”
Students might start following the rules for uniforms more if they were able to change up their look a little more and have the ability to make it fun. Even for students who do like uniforms, they can get tiring.
Ross said, “I think we should have at least one day of the week to dress down.”
Spirit weeks and Red Fridays at UA help by providing space for variety, but there could be something additional the school might take into consideration.
At University Academy, the uniforms remain, but the debate continues.
