Should students wear uniforms or wear whatever they want? 

Gian 

It is understandable why schools should not let students wear their own clothes to school. A lot of research shows the benefits of wearing a school uniform. Reasons such as having a sense of school pride, prevention of gangs and the way it helps students from being peer pressured to purchasing “trendy” clothes are not striking reasons on why students should not be allowed to wear their own clothes to school. With detailed research, it actually shows that the benefits of letting students wear their own clothes outweighs all the negative aspects it delivers. I think that Middle Schoolers should be able to choose what they wear to school. 

Middle Schoolers should be able to wear their own clothes to school because though it has negative effects on the student community, the benefits outweigh the negative aspects majorly and here's why:

It has shown that Schools who let Middle Schoolers choose what they wear to school are very beneficial due to the fact that having free dress lets students express themselves freely which can bring out their confidence because they are wearing what they feel confident in. Wearing a school uniform however, will bring down their confidence due to the fact they might not feel comfortable with the school uniforms. Another reason why self-expression is important among teens is due to the fact that self-expression brings out people’s qualities and personalities. Wearing a school uniform can look really dull and won’t bring out each person's unique qualities and personalities. Students, especially teens, will have difficulties to demonstrate their own personal sense of style with uniforms. 

Free Dress has also been known to create more friendships and connections. Wearing your own clothes can say a lot of things about your personality. Wearing school uniforms will only restrict students from creating connections due to the fact that people’s personalities and qualities aren’t able to be shown through school uniforms. Students, especially teens tend to have a better experience when they are able to choose what they wear. Putting a limitation such as school uniforms will restrict teens from having a better social experience. People most often tend to express what they feel through clothes and fashion. Wearing clothes that they feel comfortable in  could be a coping mechanism that could help them manage through their difficulties during school. Though wearing uniforms unify students, it is harder for students to make friendships and connections with each other due to limitation in the clothes students can wear during school. 

Wearing school uniforms can limit the concept of diversity in schools. As an International School, the goal is for diversity among students. However, wearing school uniforms will not be able to express students and the concept of diversity. On this day, the world has so many cultures, ethnicity and religion that it is important for students to experience real equality among these different cultures, ethnicities and religions. Though ISM is really diverse, fashion and clothes is still a huge part of cultures and religions that restricting students with school uniforms will not give students the proper experience on how to interact with other groups with equality. 

Schools should let students pick their own clothes to school. Allowing students to pick their own clothes has a lot of benefits in learning and having a better school experience every day. Reasons such as self-expression, making better connections and diversity easily outweighs a lot of reasons why schools should have school uniforms. With these reasons, it is clear that schools should let students have free dress.

Emily

I understand sometimes that students might want to wear whatever they want to school. Maybe one day a student might want to wear jeans and a shirt and another day a dress, but they can't as they have to wear their uniform. Is wearing whatever students want a good idea? I think not. Students should not be allowed to wear whatever they want to school. 

Students have a lot of anxiety and stress already and having to decide what to wear everyday just adds to the pile of things to stress over. Some thoughts like, Have I repeated this shirt too much this week? Does this look good? Does this match? Do I have time? might come across the mind of a student who has to pick out their outfits everyday. Teenagers already have enough trouble with time management and lack of self confidence. Why add to the stress? 

Time is precious in the morning and when the complication of having to find something to wear is in the picture students might be late to school. Why add more things to do in the morning? It just doesn’t make sense. It takes students an average of 45 minutes to an hour to get ready in the morning but having to pick out what to wear and how to look that day takes more time. Being late to school isn't good as missing out on important information might affect one’s academic performance. 

Being a teenager dramatically decreases self confidence as students are always wanting to fit in and there is always that fear of getting left out. Having to pick outfits out makes students feel less confident. As when already having a uniform that everyone is wearing means they don't have to worry about looking good, but with free dress they do. When wearing a uniform that only represents their school it's easier to work on self confidence. 

Students should not be allowed to wear whatever they want to school as when wearing a uniform helps students gain self confidence as they don't have to stress over what they are wearing. When students wear free dress there are certain aspects that give students anxiety as what they wear represents them and they may feel that they are getting judged by their peers. Having the option to wear whatever they want may seem fun but after a while it adds to the stress of having to make a choice. Having to stress over what to wear and how to look is time consuming and not efficient. Therefore students should not be allowed to wear whatever they want to school. 

Alina

Jas

Being an ISM student, there are many requirements. One of them includes wearing the uniform. Whether it’s for P.E or not, all ISM students have to wear it. What if ISM students weren’t required to wear uniforms?

Even though there is a little bit of a variety of colors and options for the ISM shirts and bottoms, some students argue that it’s uncomfortable, unfashionable and unaffordable. Having free dress can help students express themselves through their clothing choices and give them more options. Students can then feel more comfortable throughout the day with their own clothes. 

This could also help students academically. If students think the ISM uniform is uncomfortable, they could be easily distracted or not pay attention during class. However, in their own comfortable clothes, students can be able to focus more on their work and not on what they’re wearing. 

Because students have little choice of what they are wearing, it might lead them to feel self-conscious. If the students feel self-conscious in their uniforms, they won’t have any other options and alternatives to wear. If they are allowed to wear their own clothes, they’d know what they are wearing is something that they chose. If I were able to choose what I got to wear, people would see my style choices and I would be able to express me as a person. Being able to wear anything can allow people to express themselves.

Growing up, middle schoolers want to have independence with their choice. It can give middle schoolers freedom to choose what they wear and even adapt it for their needs instead of the school doing it for them.