This is the VOA Special English Education
Report.
A listener in Fukuoka, Japan, Shinji Abe, would like to know
about school uniform
policies in the United States.
American schoolchildren often wear uniforms if they attend religious or other
private schools. Most public schools do not require uniforms. But over the last
ten years or so, more of them have moved in that direction, including high
schools.
Students may have to wear a specially purchased uniform. Or they may just
have to dress alike -- for example, white shirts and dark colored pants or
skirts.
Even schools that do not require uniforms generally have a dress code or
other rules about what they consider acceptable. Policies commonly ban clothing
that shows offensive images or words, or simply too much skin. Items like hats
may be restricted because, for example, different colors may be connected with
violent gangs.
Some parents like the idea of uniforms. Some say it means they do not have to
spend as much on clothing for their kids. Others, though, argue that uniforms
represent an unnecessary cost. There are also debates about whether uniforms or
other dress policies violate civil rights.
Students and parents have taken legal action against school dress
requirements. Just last week, a judge blocked a middle school in Napa,
California, from enforcing a dress code unless families have a way out of it.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California brought the case
for the families of several students who were punished. Most attention centered
on a girl who wore socks with the Tigger character from Winnie the Pooh.
The school said its clothing policy, including no pictures of any kind, was
needed to control a growing problem with gangs. The families argued that the
policy violated free speech rights as guaranteed by the United States and
California constitutions.
The United States Supreme Court says student expression is protected as long
as it does not harm the work and discipline of a school.
Americans value individual freedom. But some educators believe dressing alike
helps improve student learning. They believe that uniforms help create a sense
of unity and reduce the risk of fights. They also say uniforms make it easier
for security reasons to tell if someone belongs at the school or not.
But just how effective are school uniform policies? Studies have found mixed
results. That will be our subject next week.
And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy
Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.
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