Description
Do free school uniforms help children stay in school?
The Whole world, children wear uniforms to school. With the abolition of official school fees for school in most countries, the cost of uniforms can be one of the largest expenses for families. In a new study, we examine the impact of providing free school uniforms to school children and observe how it affects their school participation in the short and long run.
With controversy about policing students’ clothing from the U.S. to rest of the developing countries, one might question the wisdom of requiring school uniforms in the first place. But there are various arguments in favor of uniforms:
- School uniforms mean that students aren’t competing in their attire, so hopefully more attention stays on their studies.
- Uniforms can downplay economic differences between students that would otherwise be more apparent.
- School uniforms can instill a feeling of community among students.
- Through the increased sense of community and the reduced salience of economic inequality, uniforms could improve discipline.
- School uniforms may make it easier to identify unauthorized visitors to the school.
- School uniforms reduce the time students spend deciding what to wear, allowing more time for sleeping or studying.
- Of course, there are also potential downsides. Uniforms restrict students’ opportunity to express themselves.
- Most importantly, school uniforms will not solve the most fundamental challenges with quality education.
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