Are You Being Forced to Wear Uniforms That Prevent You From Being the Real ‘You’?
How many fewer demerits would you have if there weren’t uniforms at YES Prep? Many pros and cons come from having to wear uniforms. Rather than agonizing over what they will wear to school, students with uniforms have more time for homework and quality time with family. Additionally, students who lack wealth do not have to waste money on buying new clothes for the school year. Students feel pressured to spend money on clothing to feel “popular” and conform to a new trend. Ultimately, mandatory uniforms are beneficial academically and financially.
In contrast, uniforms deter the option to express your own personality through what you wear, and prevent you from developing your own unique identity. Many students take the opportunity to reveal their individuality on a free dress day, so why not have the ability to express yourself everyday? Essentially, not having a uniform enables different forms of expression. Another argument against uniforms is the heightened chance of consequences, such as demerits or detention. Having your shirt untucked or wearing a outside sweatshirt creates the unnecessary risk of receiving demerits or detention. This conflict prevents students from having proper communication with their teacher which leads to the loss of motivation to participate or doing their best work for class. Last, the connection with your teachers depends on mutual respect which cannot be attained if teachers and students are in constant disagreement.
The reality is, YES Prep Southeast did not implement a uniform policy to restrict students from the ability to express themselves; various factors were taken into consideration when deciding the policy. However, there is still the possibility the dress code is prohibitive and it should be an open discussion.