Every
year, as tens of millions of students head back to school, there is a question
that routinely gets asked this time of year: should public schools require
uniforms? The research shows what a child wears can have an impact on
learning and behavior.�This is the plaid skirt. It�s really cute,� says
10-year-old Paige, as she displays her new school uniforms. Paige is trying to
stay positive, but the truth is she and her older sister Chelsea don�t like the
thought of having to wear uniforms.�I think it�s kind of a bad idea because you
want to be your own self,� says Paige. According to Chelsea, 12, �It doesn�t
give you your chance to shine as a person. And uniforms � they�re just so plain
� and eeewww ... I don�t like them,� she exclaims.
This
year, the girls are switching to a new school that requires uniforms � much to
their parent�s delight.�I think that uniforms remove a great, great barrier
from one child to the next,� says Charles Addison, Paige and Chelsea�s father. �They just have to deal with their schoolwork and concentrate
on math, science, history and not those other distractions.� Researchers at Youngstown University found
that wearing uniforms can lead to better attendance and graduation rates as
well as lower suspension rates.�It reduces conflict and branding among students.
[Uniforms also reduce the] potential for bullying for not wearing the right
clothes,� explains psychologist Dr. Jennifer Thorpe. �Uniforms keep kids on
task, doing their work, engaged in the curriculum.�
But this
research isn�t conclusive. Previous studies have shown that uniforms don�t
improve student performance or behavior. And critics argue uniforms
suppress a student�s individuality.�As kids move into middle school and high
school, they begin to use clothes to define themselves as a form of
self-expression that can carry a lot of weight in terms of how they are
perceived by their peers,�
Dr. Thorpe explains. She says if your children are required to wear uniforms,
you can do what Chelsea and Paige�s parents do: remind them there are lots of
other ways to express yourself.�Do it with your mind, your mouth, your smile.
Be happy,� says Clarence Addison. �You can show all of the things that you
wanted to show through clothes, just show it through your personality.�
4)Correct the following false statements
with reference to the text.(2marks)
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①Both sisters are proud of wearing uniforms
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②Opponents of uniforms think that school uniforms keep the pupils uniqueness.
