For my opponent's first point, I would like to ask for...
School Uniforms
First, I would like to thank my opponent for instigating this debate. For my opponent's first point, I would like to ask for clarification as I am afraid that I do not entirely understand it. While I agree that the majority of students, when prompted, would respond that they don't like For my opponent's first point, I would like to ask for clarification as I am afraid that I do not entirely understand it. While I agree that the majority of students, when prompted, would respond that they don't like school, I do not see how that is relevant to the argument. If anything, it serves to highlight the fact that children do not always know what is best for them. If they cannot even see the benefits of a good education, how can they be expected to accurately assess the benefits of a uniform? For my opponent's second point, I would also like to ask for clarification. I made the assumption that we were discussing public schools but your mentioning of school fees seems more like a private school argument. To be on the safe side, I will address both. When it comes to private schools, if a family cannot accept the terms and conditions of the school, including costs and uniforms, it can easily have its children attend a public school. Private school is a privilege, not a right, which already restricts applicants to those who can pay the price. In regards to public school, there are programs akin to free or reduced lunch and textbook programs that can provide for additional requirements like uniforms. "Most of the schools receiving federal money for low-income students also have clothes closets." [1] These federally funded closets are what allow for every student regardless of financial situation to have what is required for the optimal learning environment. Even for those that do not receive aid from the school system, uniforms can be an affordable alternative to the outlandish prices that one might pay for a single pair of jeans. Tulsa school systems report that a whole uniform costs about $15, and places where uniforms are more prominent are running lower prices still. In the UK, a basic school uniform can be found for as little as �5, approximately $8 US currency [2]. For my opponent's third argument I am a bit confused as to how segregation is a form of limiting students' looks. I was under the impression that segregation was a way to amplify the differences in appearance between groups of people, not reduce them. And while I agree that students will always find a way to make fun of each other, school uniforms give them fewer ways to do so. Two of the main reasons that children are bullied are because of appearance and social status [3]. With school uniforms, students will be relatively unable to tell who is wealthy and who is poor, effectively cutting back on that type of bullying unless the students themselves wish to disclose their financial statuses. For my opponent's fourth argument, while dressing children up in "fancy" clothes may not make them directly more dedicated to school, it may work in an indirect way. When children see their parents dress appropriately for work, and then dress similarly themselves, they tend to feel more mature and business-like. In the same way, when they are dressed the same as other children it would serve to reason that they feel more united. Instead of the "us" and "them" as preps and jocks it would be more of an "us" and "them" as our school and their school. Thank you for this debate and I look forward to your response. My sources are as follows: [1] http://www.newson6.com... [2] http://www.bbc.co.uk... [3] http://kidshealth.org...