IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE THAT COUNTS
Wouldn’t you rather be judged by who you are, not what you wear? Wouldn’t you rather be judged not by how expensive your bag is, but how priceless your mind is? Wouldn’t you rather people see your personality, rather than what is in your closet? It is easier for people to talk about and outfit you are wearing than about how you feel. So maybe, in school, your outfit shouldn’t count. Yes, I am talking about a school uniform. I understand that it may not sound like the most appealing thing, but as I go into detail you will start to understand how great it could be. Kids get judged on what they wear, not who they are, teenagers spend so much time and money buying outfits to impress one an other, and by having a uniform, the school is more professional, and a better working environment.
So why not agree to wearing one? Your clothing is the only thing that characterizes you. Does that statement sound right? Of course your clothes do not define your personality and ability, but teenagers make it seem that way. It is not fair for someone to put a label on you just because of what you wear or what your style is. As a teenager there is no chance that you will not be judged, and let me tell you, it is not your personality or attitude they are judging, it is your style and clothing. Peers would not be able to judge you by you clothes if they were wearing the same thing. This leaves little space for drama and malice.
WiseGeek also quotes “School uniforms may significantly reduce peer pressure. With students not having to worry about their looks, fitting in no longer becomes the main worry in kid’s lives.” Wearing a school uniform can build confidence in people. They are able to see that behind all the designer clothes, and expensive purses and shoes that they are just like everyone else, a kid who is trying to fit in. Have any of you ever been jealous of someone else’s clothing? Probably not a single one of you haven’t been.
Jealousy can take over your mind and you start to judge fellow students, or even friends, on their clothing. Wearing a uniform is like cutting out the materialism in our lives. By wearing a uniform people will feel more included and would be judged by their precious personality and not the price of their pants. How many of you go shopping at least once every year? Every month? Every week? It sounds ridiculous when you put it into perspective, but many of us do shop that often.. Do any of you realize how much money it may be adding up to? On askville (which is a website), it says that and average shopper around ages 12-17 will spend about $330 a year, and that money adds up over time.
It may be your parent’s money or it may be your own money, but it is still an excessive amount. Although in this town, I feel like it may be double or even triple that amount spent on clothing. Another website part of Ask.com said that the girl, who had wrote the statics, had been shopping since she was 9 and by the time she would be 92 she would have spent over $6,000,000. If you think about this, some people do not make that much money in their life time and yet this woman is spending it on clothing.
In a time where our economy is not at its highest your shopping sprees may be penalizing your mother or father. Parents may not want to tell you “No,” because they understand as an adolescent, you want to be “Cool,” or “Popular,” and, without the newest style or trend, how would it be possible to be the “It,” girl or boy in school? If everyone wore the same clothes to school, life would be easier for everyone. There is no worrying about what to wear, what others will be wearing, and what if your parents can’t or won’t buy you everything you want. School uniforms would not be very expensive. WiseGeek (a website) quotes, “School uniforms may also provide a way out for poor children who otherwise couldn’t keep up with the trends and would face ridicule or pressure from other children.” By having a school uniform we could be saving a lot of money that could be used for other more important things.
In the mornings it takes a teenager a very long time to chose an outfit, this is also something that can add up, precious sleeping time. “It takes me a good 25 minutes in the morning to pick out my outfit,” says Alexa my 10 year old sister in 4th grade. Imagine how long it would take an older person who is really trying to dress to impress. If we have school uniforms you would not need to buy clothing for a new week of school or even every month or year of school. If we have a school uniform you would not need to spend ridiculous amounts of time and effort just to pick out what you wear to school.
The other day I walked into an office building and I saw people hard at work dressed nicely in suits and skirts. You know what I didn’t see? I didn’t see people in a large sweatshirts, baggy pants, pajamas or shorts up to their butts. When people dress like they are ready to work hard, they work harder. This is a reason why we should have a school uniform. If everyone were wearing the same thing you would not waste time on checking out what others are wearing, and spending more time on yourself and your studies.
eHow (a website) quotes, “Without a uniform, students may not differentiate between their learning hours and their free time, so wearing casual clothes to school in turn promotes students to act as they do at home: relaxing, fooling around and being unmotivated. Essentially, by connecting hard learning with a school uniform, students will understand that when they put it on they are expected to work professionally and act with enthusiasm and drive. This undoubtedly has an effect on working towards better test scores.” Many people believe this is true. Schools and students should look the part. In school we have a dress code but there are many people who break the rules and do not get punished for doing so.
This shows kids it is okay to break the rules. This is not the message students should be sent. If everyone wore a uniform that the school had chosen, no one would have to worry. Also, just having a dress code does not stop people from showing off, or from leaving people out. If we start with order in clothing it will eventually lead to order in studying. Perhaps if there were fewer distractions during the day, and more work getting done, they could shorten the hours of a school day or shorten the days of school year.
That sounds good to me! If one outfit can improve the society around us there is no reason to not do it. School uniforms could potentially make the socially awkward school days less awkward. It would take a huge tab off the bill, and save you important time in the morning. There would be less judging of peers, which would make many people feel more comfortable in school. If we just had a uniform the environment around us would be more motivating and proficient! If we want a better community, if we want a better working environment, and if we want less judgment, you should want to have a school uniform. If all of you, the students of US, would agree to having a uniform our school could be one step closer to being number one.
If you guys want to help get a school uniform and bring our school systems unity, you should talk to parents and the Board of Education to try to make it possible!
