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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 save time

Enforcing uniform regulations takes less time than enforcing a standard dress code.
Dr. Jo Murphy Mark Oppenheimer Craig Bloem
< (4 of 6) Next argument >

Context

Uniforms save time for both students and teachers.

The Argument

For teachers, a large amount of their day is spent enforcing school dress codes. Codes which dictate the minimum length of a girls skirt, or prohibit t-shirts with offensive slogans or ban tracksuits are difficult to enforce in large schools with thousands of students all dressed in their own clothes. School uniforms save time. They have everyone dressed in the exact same way, so there is no debate over whether or not an item of clothing is in breach of school rules. It simply is part of the uniform, or it is not. Also, students that break the school uniform dress code clearly stand out amongst a sea of students that are all wearing the same items of clothing.[1] Uniforms also save time for students. There is no decision-making process involved in getting dressed for school. Students don't need to spend minutes stood in front of a mirror to decide what they are going to wear, they simply put on their uniform and head to school. This is why many successful people like Barack Obama and Steve Jobs have several versions of the same suit. It means they don't waste time standing in front of a mirror deciding what to wear. [2]

Counter arguments

Uniforms don't save teachers time, they create needless headaches and bureaucracy. A large part of a teacher's day is spent policing school uniform and dealing with infractions. Something as mundane as not having a long enough tie or your top button being undone can takes precious lesson time to discipline. It doesn't save time for students either. Hundreds of students are sent home from school each year for uniform infractions. These students would be far better served by being in the classroom.[3] If schools really wanted to save time, they would abolish dress codes and let students wear what they wanted.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Uniforms save time for teachers and students. [P2] Therefore, they should be mandatory.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Uniforms don't save time for anyone. They are a waste of time.

References

  1. https://www.newswise.com/articles/school-uniforms-equalize-students
  2. https://www.inc.com/craig-bloem/this-1-unusual-habit-helped-make-mark-zuckerberg-steve-jobs-dr-dre-successful.html
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/07/wearing-school-uniform-doesnt-help-us-learn
This page was last edited on Thursday, 24 Sep 2020 at 10:43 UTC

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