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Leah Begley

Professor Echols

Eng 1201

24 October 2021

How Do Uniforms Affect Students’ Lives?

Uniforms in school impact students’ lives in many different ways and can affect many

aspects of someone’s future. Someone can look at them in a positive or negative way, as there

are a wide range of effects. Are they a loss of personal freedom? Do they prepare students for

future employment?

Uniforms have been established since the 16th century in the United Kingdom. They

spread throughout Europe and into Asia and now, more and more schools in America have

adopted the policy. Private schools have been using them as a way to bring uniformity to schools

for many years. Now, public schools are adopting uniforms as their dress code to promote a

better learning environment and create more mature students for future jobs.

There are physical, psychological, and social issues associated with wearing, or not

wearing, a uniform. In “The Impact of School Uniforms on Primary School Student’s Physical

Activity at School: Outcomes of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial,” which details a study

meant for a scholarly journal, it is explained that uniforms affected girls’ “ability to be active at

break time… and restricted them from playing sports” (Nathan 2). In “Reviewing School

Uniform through a Public Health Lens: Evidence about the Impacts of School Uniform on

Education and Health,” which mostly focuses on the health of students, it says that uniforms

“pose a barrier to incidental exercise, particularly for girls” (Reidy 4). Both of these sources

examine uniforms’ effect on girls’ ability to participate in sports and physical activity.
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Reidy also details the idea of rights that may be violated by uniforms and the policies

surrounding it. She states that uniforms “[protect] children from sending messages with their

clothing choices that they do not fully understand” (Reidy 11). In “Implementation of School

Uniform Policy and the Violation of Students’ Human Rights in Schools,” it is explained that

“schools that exploit vulnerable students in causing harm or wrong to them can justifiably be

considered violating their human rights” (Mahlangu 127). One of these sees uniforms as not

violating rights and the other does see them as violating the rights of students.

In “The Values and Attitudes of the Adolescents Associated to Wearing the School

Uniform,” someone can read that a “uniform is a symbol of restricting the freedom of students”

in girls (POPA 161). This is exemplified by the certain dresses or skirts girls have to wear, while

male students have more variety in dress.

While there are both positive and negative effects of uniforms in school, the negatives

seem to outweigh the positives. There are social and physical features that tip the scale on

whether or not uniforms should be worn by young and old students. Many times, girls are treated

unfairly because they have to wear skirts or dresses and they cannot participate in many activities

and sports.
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Works Cited

Mahlangu, Vimbi Petrus. “Implementation of School Uniform Policy and the Violation

of Students’ Human Rights in Schools.” Bulgarian Comparative Education Society, Jan.

2017. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED574228&site=eds-live.

Nathan, Nicole, et al. “The Impact of School Uniforms on Primary School Student’s

Physical Activity at School: Outcomes of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.”

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity, vol. 18, no. 1, Jan.

2021, pp. 1–9. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1186/s12966-021-01084-0.

Norrish, Hannah, et al. “The Effect of School Uniform on Incidental Physical Activity

among 10-Year-Old Children.” Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport & Physical

Education, vol. 3, no. 1, Apr. 2012, pp. 51–63. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=77321953&site=eds-live.

POPA, Daniela, and Radu OLARU. “The Values and Attitudes of the Adolescents

Associated to Wearing the School Uniform.” Journal Plus Education / Educatia Plus,

vol. 19, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 154–165. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=ehh&AN=132593240&site=eds-live.

Reidy, Johanna. “Reviewing School Uniform through a Public Health Lens: Evidence

about the Impacts of School Uniform on Education and Health.” Public Health Reviews,

vol. 42, June 2021. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3389/phrs.2021.1604212.