Students in many elementary and secondary schools wear uniforms. Arguments abound for and against school uniforms, but teachers in schools that have adopted uniforms as part of the dress code often find that they help foster a democratic school environment and can actually be a positive influence on the learning environment.
First, uniforms lessen obvious socio-economic differences between students. When all students wear the same style of shirt or pants, skirt or blouse, those who can afford the most trendy and expensive clothes are dressed just as those who cannot. This is true at any grade level. Secondly, classroom behavior often improves when students are dressed specifically for school. Not only do teachers enjoy having their students dressed neatly, parents often discover that they save money on clothing bills, because uniforms eliminate a need for large wardrobes.
Additionally, uniforms can solve other problems at the high school level. Clothes are often worn to identify membership in particular groups or teams, resulting in the alienation of students who do not belong to those groups. More sinister is the use of particular items of clothing worn to instill fear in those who don't share the same clothing style. Some teens wear clothes a little like knights wore armor—as protection, as a way of keeping others away, even as a way of hiding behind a well-crafted image.
School uniforms can help diminish the symbolic power of clothes to incite anger or provoke a sense of danger—and foster improved classroom behavior. Ironically, for classroom teachers, having students wear uniforms can allow the teacher more of an opportunity to get to know students as individuals. Uniformity in clothing style, it turns out, does not hinder teachers from discovering their students' personalities or their talents.
From the persuasive passage, which of the following presents the weakest reason for adopting school uniforms?
Choose 1 answer
A. Uniforms diminish obvious socioeconomic advantages.
B. Uniforms can help alleviate student feelings of alienation.
C. Teachers enjoy looking at students who are dressed neatly.
D. Parents often find that they save money on clothing bills.
E. Uniforms help diminish the symbolic power of clothes to incite anger.
