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A lot of controversies has been swirling around the topic of school uniforms that are clearly on the rise as of last fall. Should there be “uniform policy with regards to a uniform” adopted throughout the US?
While the benefits of such an implementation are obvious to many parents and academic staff – lesser clothing expenditures, more intense focus on the educational process – there are downsides to consider.
How does one approach the issue at hand in a school uniforms pros and cons research paper so that all arguments factoring in are taken into account, exemplified, and backed up by current data?
The debate around school uniform has been on and off since the late 70s when the first homogenized academic apparels found their way from private to public schools.
As of 2016 though, the issue at hand has consistently enjoyed more and more extensive coverage; that year, based on research data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, 21.5% of kids in US public schools sported uniforms (a considerable step up with regard to corresponding statistics estimated at 13.8% dating back to 2008).
With the talk of legally enforcing uniform in public school that goes back to manual on the matter issued in 1996, it is only natural that both staffers and parents become more and more concerned with the changes and challenges that the potential “uniformization” might bring to them.
While covering the topic, it is crucial to highlight viewpoints held by both proponents and opponents of school uniform introduction into the educational system of public schools. Finding and using facts that support the opinions held within either of the camps is the backbone of your research paper.
While you can be strongly opinionated and sticking to one point of view as you start working on your paper, you may find your bias shifting as you discover more facts.
This is a perfectly normal part of the process; word your ideas in a comprehensible and logical way, provide sufficient evidence and proofs of authority, back it up by statistics and trends, and make a conclusion that gives readers a clear idea about your opinion.
Research papers on school uniform should be structured in a way that gives the reader a basic understanding of the investigated problem topicality, the existing viewpoints among a broad cross-section of experts (academic personnel, educational policymakers, sociologists, politicians, parents, and children).
The next step is the stage of the search for information.
You should focus on official sources, such as the National Center of Educational Statistics (NCES), US Department Of Education, etc., but when it comes to objective representation of the situation that concerns students and their parents, you should not neglect less formal sources of information.
Look at official websites of schools throughout the US; find evidence backing up opinions from both camps, and don’t forget to keep neutrality of that point.
Your thesis statement will be a focal point of your research. You should introduce it as early on as possible – all of your arguments will be built around this statement, supporting it with facts, statistics, tables and graphic evidence.
Possible variants of thesis statement for the topic of school uniform might be formulated as follows:
School uniforms provide a large number of both advantages and disadvantages, but they are largely believed to be beneficial for behavioral, motivational, and educational outcomes in school children. (In this statement, you demonstrate your bias towards school uniform implementation).
or:
Generic school uniform is on the rise across the US, but it is questionable if the focus of authorities should be put on the superficial things rather than the core problems of the educational system, including financing problems – paradoxically, introducing uniforms is viewed as a financial burden by many parties involved. (Putting the problem this way outlines your inclination to disagree with the benefits of the trend).
Create a layout for what is going to be your research papers, paying close attention to academic styles and other requirements demanded by your teacher and educational establishment.
Bring your notes in order, organizing them according to the part of research paper they are going to be used in, by the viewpoint that they are going to support, and by the type of information, they contain (statistics, facts, personal opinions of parties involved, etc.).
It is important to create a draft of your academic writing. While doing this, you will see that parts of your paper are redundant or some essential points are missing from it. Revise before you are ready to create the final manuscript.
During this part, you are required to present the final opinion you have formed on the topic of school uniform use in public schools.
This is the final stage when your school uniform research paper is going to see the light. It is also the stage where you print your paper out, proofread it, and check the styles once again. When you are certain that the paper is written correctly, print out a fresh copy on a good quality paper, put it in a plastic file and hand it in.
Not sure about the quality of your paper? Let experts in academic writing proofread it for you, introducing the necessary amendments so that your ideas are framed in the best possible way.
The problem of school uniforms is multifaceted; the polarized opinions have many in-between shades of arguments:
There is a wide range of factors to cover. Start by systematizing the information you have found on the topic by the sphere of life they pertain to.
Then give arguments for both sides of the debate, making it clear which side you are a supporter for in short conclusions recapping each set of arguments.
For instance, this is how you can approach the economical take on school uniforms:
Deborah Weinswig of Coresight Research pinpoints the aversion of students towards uniform in her research focusing on apparel spending statistics typical for, inter alia, adults with children of school age. Among the reasons cited against ubiquitous uniform adoption we find:
The last item (high costs of uniforms) might appear controversial since some see the use of uniform actually be a relief on a parental budget (in the pro camp we find Carmon Nittegerg of Saraland Middle School).
The arguments supporting uniform affordability are that it may be cheaper to shop for a set amount of mix-and-match pieces, which are on top of everything designed and tailored for wear and tear associated with weekly laundering and school environment, than laying out a neat sum of money for a more diversified and customized wardrobe.
Add into the equation the “fashion wars” typical for teenagers, and the parents’ stress is easily exposed to measure in hard dollars.
To that point, many schools practice “uniform swaps” and “gently used” uniform sales – for instance, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Orlando, FL or Marymount School in New York City, NY.
It is not an unusual practice for educational establishments with standardized school uniform to provide measurable help for parents who struggle financially in a variety of ways.
Those who claim that acquisition of school uniform will put additional strain on low-income families appeal to standardized nature of uniforms that is there by definition, pointing out that a preset requirement for school apparel will zap any freedom of choice, making parents zero in on the outfit mandated by the school.
This seems like a legitimate concern, for if a school dictates a very particular set of pieces purchased from an official source, there is no overriding the impending cost of the academic wardrobe.
According to CostHelper Education, retailers charge between $25-$200 per piece and between $100 and $600 for the wardrobe in its entirety. The prices fluctuate based on quality, the prestige of retailer, style, etc. The options are very much limited by school requirements, though, making it a financial challenge in the majority of cases for families with a budget to consider.
Although there are ways to slightly cut down the cost of a school uniform set, the options seem to be limited.
On the other hand, buying a generic uniform fosters a levelled playfield for children from families with different income, takes teasing, bullying, and competitive behavior out of the equation.
In some scenarios, shopping for a mandatory set of clothes may be less expensive than striving to satiate the craving of a fashion-minded student.
Research papers on school uniforms give rich grounds for honing your debating and academic research skills since this is an acutely contentious topic that can be viewed from a variety of standpoints.
By keeping your arguments logical, organized, and backed-up by official evidence, you will make your point in a meaningful way.
Do not be afraid to ask for professional help in proofreading and making your style more impactful so that your ideas are given a more resonant voice.
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