So which is it my opponent? ... These experiments given...
School uniforms should be required
I would like to thank my opponent once again for this debate and shall begin Round 2. http://en.wikipedia.org... My opponent fails to realize that the vast majority of private schools are operated by religious organizations. The government imposing such rules upon these private schools would be breaking the same rule it would to give these schools funding; the establishment clause of the first amendment. http://en.wikipedia.org... I also ask the reader to look at how easily my opponent is willing to change the constitution. Hasty decisions like that should not be made, especially with the facts I've presented in this first round along with future rounds. 1.) That's true, many students do not want to go to school at all, or learn certain subjects, or do homework. However, all of those things are imposed because they are proven to help students learn better and become better along with more intelligent members of society. The difference between this and school uniforms is school uniforms are unproven in proving such things. My opponent named some things that students can do to help each other to succeed in education are nice, but school uniforms are not needed to implement such concepts. It's ironic my opponent brings up the debate team as I am a current member of my own high school's debate team for the last three years. However, my opponent fails to mention that when I talk about school being about individualism that it's IN the classroom. The things my opponent name all occur outside of class or are already class rules such as providing a respectful participatory learning environment for others. Creativity is certainly suppressed when students are not allowed to dress the way they want within certain school dress codes (that do not include school uniforms). Discipline is more focused on in Military schools, not public school where education and becoming well rounded students through learning are #1. My opponent fails to realize that school uniforms hinder maturity because it doesn't force the student to dress correctly by their own means in a manner that is okay under the guidelines for public schools. Whether or not American Schools are over-disciplined or should be moved in that direction is an entirely different debate in general and school uniforms are unproven in helping in a positive manner. 2.) Again, school uniforms are unproven in helping keep rules in line. School uniforms will not change the differences between who has more money, race, physical looks, religion, political views, and which music is better that most if not all bullying is over. My opponent also fails to state that a courtroom is a formal environment in which people including the judge should be dressed up. Which is the reasons why clients, lawyers and any witnesses should and usually dress in formal attire. Comparing public schools to the courtroom is comparing apple and oranges. 3.) Social pressure would encourage bullying, which my opponent just stated school uniforms would help stop. So which is it my opponent? Once again, students rarely argue and have competitions over expensive fashion fads. The larger point is that if the schools cannot enforce the rules such as keeping a neat school uniform, then why have them? 4.) School Uniforms do not help in doing the best job of teaching or learning possible. Students being bullied due to their personality and actions only hinders that student's learning ability. 5.) I do not need to give reasons to support that because it's simply true. No student wants to be forced into doing something. Which is one of the main reasons that students hate school in the first place because they impose things such as school uniforms onto students that is both unneeded and unnecessary. My opponent is now arguing over a strict environment in this point, not school uniforms themselves. Schools being stricter or not is once again an entirely different debate. The common theme in those schools are work ethic, working longer days and more days along with better use of funding. As I will later explain, school uniforms are not a good use of funding. School uniforms also do not impose a focused environment, as shown through the point that it makes students uncomfortable. One cannot focus on their work if they are uncomfortable due to the uniform. 6.) If my opponent has problems with students wearing gang colors or being in a gang, they could simply ship the student out of the school or tell the student to change his/her clothing. Wearing outfits that provoke violence are against most school's set of rules, including my own school. Uniforms do not solve the problem of gangs, race, or other problems that are related to youth and violence. My opponent failed to refute my whole point about how rival schools will find it much easier to fight with being able to identify one another better due to school uniforms. 7.) There is a reason neither my opponent or I have touched upon until now; Cost. Simply put, school uniforms are expensive, cheaply made, and are usually out of place for certain if not all seasons. Poor schools could not afford uniforms if they wanted as they have neither the funds or the parents with such funds. School uniforms would put a burden on the students, the school, and the parents that is unneeded. Especially if the schools require more then one uniform. Spending thousands if not millions of tax dollars on school uniforms would be a huge waste of taxpayers funds. My opponent also has failed to refute that the current uniforms I have as a example are highly uncomfortable and affect the student's learning. 8.) School administration cannot be in every room at everytime. Classes in Japan and elsewhere deliver better education for reasons I listed in round 1. 9.) I decided to wait until you my opponent posted any evidence. My opponent gives the example of the LBU school district. Here is the study published by David L. Brunsma and Kerry A. Rockquemore on School Uniforms and their effects on the things my opponent talks about. http://www.geocities.com... As it says at the top: "In one sentence, this study showed that uniforms did NOT lead to an improvement in attendance, behavior, drug use, or academic achievement." This study in fact refutes my opponent's main evidence of The Long Beach Unified School District study. Along with refutes the myth that School Uniforms have a positive effect on the things my opponent has talked about through this debate. This study alone would be good enough to destroy the core basis of my opponent's argument. From my opponent's own second link about the school in Baltimore: "While it is impossible to calculate the direct effect of uniforms." One other link on a study by Darlene Williams that concerns school uniforms: http://www.gate.net... To quote the findings: "All empirical research in existence shows, beyond question that uniforms are ineffective as the magic bullet proponents claim them to be." My opponent also fails to state that private and parochial give their students more work, have higher funding being a private school along with using funding better, and in the case of private schools in the US have less students to a classroom. These reasons go along with the ones I stated in the first round when it came to schools outside the country such as Japan. My brother's charter school has at the most 13 students to a classroom, the reason their school scores higher then my public school is because teachers can sit down with students and spend more time helping them with their work rather there being 30 students to a classroom. Not because of school uniforms because neither school has uniforms. These experiments given by my opponent give school uniforms credit where credit is surely not due as I've proven.