Should The School Uniform Policy Be Measured As A Behaviour Management Issue? Is It A Reflection Of A Wider Issue?

Essay Title

Behaviour for Learning: With reference to what you have learnt through academic reading on behaviour management, observations of colleagues, and reflection of your own teaching, critically evaluate your own professional practice and your ability to ensure that all pupils make good progress in your lessons

Should the School Uniform Policy be measured as a Behaviour Management issue? Is it a reflection of a wider issue?

This essay attempts to discuss the key points of a Uniform Policy, the reasons for and against and how this affects behaviour for learning and progression. As a teacher reflecting on my own educational experience, I recall studying incredibly hard. I was never a naughty child, yet I was constantly treated as one due to my inherent need to express myself through dress, to experiment with creativity, image, and who I was (becoming) as a human being. As a result of constant uniform policing, I became disenchanted with school and education. At the time I felt alienated, unwelcomed and disallowed to express my individuality. Brunsma (2004) speaks of indoctrination and inculcation. Managing behaviour is something that teachers across the board deal with daily. After taking part in a survey, 69% of teachers from the National un ion of Teachers reported experiencing poor or disruptive behaviour on a weekly basis. (Department of Education Research Report DFE-RR218). There are many different types of behaviour for learning in class - from simply lining up quietly outside the classroom door before entering, to abusive or violent behaviour. I do argue that maintaining general good order in schools is essential to learning and progress. With reference to academic reading, through observing colleagues and my own teaching practice, the question I ask is whether or not strict Uniform Policy could actually be creating behavioural issues instead of enhancing them.

How behaviour affects learning

Maslow s Theory of Hierarchical Needs : The Uniform Policy

When examining the Uniform Policy and comparing this with Maslow s Theory of Hierarchical needs, you could argue that the rigidity and out-datedness of the Uniform Policy is restricting a pupil s ability to attain self-actualization. In her paper The Relationship Between Clothing Preference, Self-Concepts and Self-Esteem, Keogan (2013) discusses clothing in relation to this - although Maslow (1943) equated clothing with the physiological need, there is evidence that higher-order needs, such as belonging and self-esteem can be satisfied through clothing Keogan, K. (2013). I would agree that clothing relates to every one of the rankings in different ways. When examining the hierarchy, after the Biological and Safety needs comes the Social Needs banner - belongingness and love, work group, family, affection, and relationships. Dress sense plays a huge part in defining who we are as individuals the groups with whom we mix and belong, our sexuality, religion, and even teams we identify with (Keogan, K. (2013). Yes, uniform might satisfy belongingness to the school but to whose advantage, child or school? Could the intention behind school uniform be to stifle individuality for the sake of conformity? Could attention-seeking behaviour be linked to an inability to express one s self appropriately? Attention-seeking behaviour is classed as a behavioural management issue. Not only does it inhibit the learning and development of the perpetrator, it inhibits the progression of an entire class. Brunsma (2004) states that in 1969, the United States Supreme Court made clear that pupils do not discard their constitutional rights when entering the school premises, and that school dress is part of a protected form of self-expression.

According to Brunsma (2004), there is no linear history of a school uniform recorded. One of the first uniforms originated from Christchurch Hospital in the 16^th ury. It was designed to indicate who the lower class children were whilst also promoting obedience and docility to higher authority. Eventually, uniform evolved into a fixed symbol of status for those who could afford a private education. Brunsma (2004) also reiterates throughout his literature that pupils have continually resisted the uniform policy for centuries. Most of England was working class (and) required a powerfully rigid system of education as a trajectory into the hierarchy of the occupational world but also as a powerful tonic against individuality and individual expression. The unstated message was You are a mass, you are the same, you will take your rightful place among the working mass in the industrial machine. (Brunsma, D. (2004). The notion of School Uniform has remained the same for centuries, but the people wearing it, the environment they live in and the marketplace they will end up in have changed dramatically. Adherence to the detail of Uniform Policy and its association with behaviour is questionable in the modern era.

The third motivational stage in Maslow s hierarchy is Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, management and responsibility. These needs could be enhanced or compromised by the way people dress (Keogan, K. (2013). Horn Gurel (1981) describes clothing as your second skin. When a person chooses their items of clothing, it is with the intention of representing the ideal version of self, whilst also maintaining identity and self-worth. Keogan (2013) states that clothing has a significant impact on behaviour, feelings and emotions. In a study by Adam Gilinsky, Keogan (2103), participants were asked to perform a lab test, half wearing lab coats, half wearing casual attire. The group wearing lab coats achieved significantly higher test results than those in casual attire. Taking this into consideration, a uniform appropriate to the task can enhance behaviour for learning and progression, thus revealing the power of dress. My class wear paint-clad lab-coats, minimising the need of the teacher to police cleanliness which leaves the pupils free from inhibition.

Ideally, school provides a safe and structured environment for pupils to grow and progress, not only academically, but to develop life skills towards functioning adulthood. It is a unique situation where young people from all backgrounds, of varied intelligence, cultures, ethnicities, gender and sexuality etc. come together in one establishment where they can learn, accept and adjust to their own and other s differences and individuality. Learning how to dress appropriately, by being allowed to experiment and make mistakes in a safe environment is an important skill and acceptance of your peer s mode of self-expression is equally valuable. MacGrath (2012) writes about how being empathetic to the causes of poor behaviour is essential to the reduction of disruption. It is said that it is the pupils who feel insecure about their place in the world, insecure about their ability to fit in, or their intellectual ability are the ones that are likely to show signs of disruptive behaviour. Whilst making every individual look the same could reduce specific cases of bullying, overall it could be masking deeper issues, which will be harder for them to deal with in later life (Brunsma, D. (2004). I argue that being comfortable in one s own skin and finding one s self through dress will contribute to a child s self-esteem, confidence and eventually Self-Actualization thus providing an inclusive teaching practice for all.

If play, experimentation and failure are inhibited by wearing school uniform, how can we expect the next generation to succeed with the necessary life skills? Don t we all slip into something comfortable when returning home from work? Bournemouth University conducted a study on shoeless-learning inspired by schools in Scandinavia. Whilst in class, students would wear slippers or socks to learn. The result was a quieter, gentler environment with reduced behaviour issues. A school in Ampleforth, Wellington, adapted their uniform policy to smart/casual wear with neither social nor academic standards suffering as a result (Brunsma, D. (2004). Heppell (2017) claims that if the pupils are engaged and fond of their surrounding environment, the attainment is greater. Perhaps this is the way forward for how education addresses behavioural issues? If the aim of education is to ensure progression in confidence, self-esteem and ultimately self-actualization, why are we hindering this by regarding as trivial something so important as dress?

Feeding the Gender Bias and Racial Barriers
What interventions are not effective?

Hierarchy and the ability to relate to one another are themes that are suggested here. If teachers act as a role model for pupils, why aren t teachers asked to wear a school uniform too? From experience, I can say that young people have an innate sense of equality and fairness (Potter. M (2013). As a teacher I am (within certain limits) free to express my creativity, character, artistic influences and ideologies. This exposes injustice in the system. If teachers are expected to be aspirational figures for pupils, this must create a conflict of interest in the pupils and an unnecessary subliminal hierarchy. Potter (2013) states that your position in class should remain at the pupil s eye-level or lower to help promote feelings of safety, comfort and calmness and lessen an aggressive response thus insuring that all pupils make good progress.

Brunsma (2004) argues that enforcing an arbitrary policy can achieve adverse effects that require more policing and rebellion. In a case study of my own, a disgruntled A-level student of mine would come into my classroom each day and express how aggravated and provoked he felt by another member of staff. The pupil in question is male, would always be smartly dressed in a navy suit, in perfect accordance with the School Uniform Policy. He also wore a discreet earring, which caused major conflict on a regular basis. The pupil s respect for this particular member of staff was dwindling by the second perceived nagging and nit-picking are not known to be effective behavioural management techniques. Being aware of your buttons as a teacher is essential to remaining in control and calm, reducing the chances of an emotive response (which can lead to unrealistic and unproductive punishment). It is clear that the teacher s necessary compliance with School Uniform Policy created a situation of disobedience and ultimate resentment in the pupil (Potter. M. (2013). Through his incessant nagging, the teacher in question had revealed to the student exactly what winds him up most and how he could be emotionally manipulated by the student thus achieving the opposite result to what he intended (Rogers. B. (2012).

A male pupil can only ever wear trousers& even in hot weather shorts are not allowed. Along with the jewellery incident, this reveals disparities in fairness between what male and female pupils can wear. Through observing lessons and reflecting upon my own, I notice that considerable time is wasted in attempting to enforce the Uniform Policy, thus inhibiting progress and learning whilst damaging pupil and staff relations. I accept that it is my duty as a teacher to follow the Uniform Policy, however I find it challenging to enforce something I a) don t notice and b) don t strongly care for something I need to consider and work on if I am to progress as a teacher.

When considering gender bias, the uniform policy must be a distressing ordeal for Trans individuals, (a general term that applies to people who do not conform to the social gender norms -non-binary people), or people who feel the need to define themselves or their sexuality through dress. When uniform and dress is treated as a behavioural management issue and the child is told off, the implication is that what they re doing is wrong and therefore needs to be changed. NASUWT (The National Association of Schoolmasters un ion of Women Teachers), questions why it is necessary to have separate dress codes for boys and girls, suggesting that it is purely traditional and cultural to do so. If we examine the earring issue mentioned above and compare it to this case, we expose a great number of issues. What if the earring was ultimately being used as a symbol of sexuality? As previously mentioned, there are disparities in fairness between what boys and girls can wear. By creating a gender-neutral Uniform Policy, the chances of discrimination and related behavioural issues could be reduced. In some schools, the Uniform Policy is so rigid, that hijabs are banned which is an ineffective intervention, detrimental to all pupils by limiting an eclectic environment and by challenging religious expectations. If it is our duty as teachers to ensure that all pupils make good progress, I am forced to question whether or not Uniform Policy allows for this across all sexualities, gender and religious groups.

According to Brunsma (2004), when examining the first 100 years of uniform policies in America on record in relation to culture, schools did not reflect the racially and culturally diverse nature of the landscape. It is argued that African and Native Americans were made to appear more white by enforcing school uniform, in a bid to give the illusion of affluence and opportunity in education, at the same time as denying them full acceptance and presence in American society. While I understand that times have moved on, working at an extremely culturally diverse international school, I am forced to ask the same question of whether we are appropriately flexible in welcoming all cultures and ethnicities to our community as a school and promoting the idea of an inclusive practice for all.

What can be done to prevent poor behaviour from happening? How can uniform be used as a tool to enhance behaviour for learning?

Breaking and Chunking

When taking school uniform into consideration, pupils do not get the opportunity during the day to unwind by adapting their clothing. If uniform was included as a tool for taking a break, for example by removing a tie or shoes in my lessons, I suggest that productivity could be increased and behaviour calmed as the pupils take a moment to engage with themselves. A moment of mindfulness is an activity I have implemented in class. It is proven to help decrease stress and increase productivity, focuses the mind on the present moment, helps concentration and patience, increases compassion and heightens body-awareness. At the right time, with the right class, this has proved to be largely successful in my lessons. It is a good use of time, acts as the perfect mini-break between activities, promotes good progress and behaviour for learning and I believe its effect could be enhanced by the adaptation of dress. According to SCALE. (2018), a child s attention span is their age plus 1 in minutes, for example, a child of 11 years of age will have an attention span of 12 minutes. If this statement is accurate, it proves that it is essential when planning lessons to time activities according to this scale to maintain the pupils focus. In observing a lesson taught by my Head of Department, she made clever use of the Take a break strategy. She noticed straight away that her class of pupils were exhausted after house drama the night before. After explaining her activity to the class, she allowed them to have a 3-minute wander around before carrying on with their work. Here, she showed empathy (McGrath. M (2012) and respect towards the students by acknowledging how tired they were instead of trying to fight their worn out state while ensuring they made good progress in the lesson.

Rewards and Routines

Fairness should outweigh consistency (Beadle, P. (2010). Without challenging School Uniform Policy, I have used the suggestion of removing one s footwear and listening to music as a way to reward good classroom behaviour and attitude to work. The fact that it is not common practice makes it new and intriguing to the children which enhances its effects. Could this be implemented as part of my classroom routines? Having a routine is essential to the smooth running of a class. A consistent and stable set of rules and expectations is known to reduce poor behaviour in class (McGrath. M. (2012). Through observing colleagues and reflecting on my own lessons and personal experience, I have found this to be the case too in combatting low to high-level disruption. Consistency is a key aspect that is lacking in some children s lives. While the consistency of school rules is important, it can also create situations it aims to avoid, for instance inflexibility during adverse weather conditions.

Planning regular opportunities for the pupils to engage in a new way of learning has proven key in gaining the pupil s respect, increasing interest in the subject and minimising disruptive behaviour. I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach art, where limits and boundaries to explore a new approach are perhaps more accepted and even expected. If the adaptation of school uniform was used as a form of reward within my classroom routine and tradition, this could promote positive classroom attitudes.

In a case study of my own, a school music concert took place. The Art Department facilitated the opportunity for pupils to take part in a fashion show, designing, making and modelling their creations. The event was a huge success in promoting freedom of expression. A sense of unity among the participants was created. The most beautiful part of it was watching a certain pupil who is typically an outcast (eats alone in the dining hall and spends all of his time dodging Games to be in the Art Department) walk down the catwalk in a dress for which he was brimming with pride. The whole school cheered him on. As a teacher, I wish to uphold the School s Uniform Policy, however it would be useful to explore alternative ways of planning regular opportunities of this nature, having realised its positive impact on productivity and engagement with the subject. The pupil in question was given a chance to express himself in an encouraging, safe, structured and positive environment using clothing as his language, resulting in an increase in morale, improved enthusiasm and progression in the subject.

Counter Argument

It is impossible to ignore the benefits of a School Uniform. A comparative study addressing uniforms in relation to graduation, attendance and suspension rates in two public high schools in East Tennessee proved that the enforcement of uniform had no effect on attendance or suspension rates, but had a positive effect on grade attainment (Gouge, W. (2011). According to Gouge (2011) many schools in the 1990 s adopted School Uniform Policies after the emergence of crime and gang activity in schools, fashion trends and the appeal of high priced brand fashionwear. I would agree that School Uniform plays a huge part in combatting these problems. Uniform can also promote pride, togetherness and unity among the student body for their school, which are beneficial to the learning and progression of the pupils. Without order and obedience, teaching and subsequently learning would not be able to take place.

Conclusion

I acknowledge the fact that this essay only addresses a small fragment of what behaviour for learning equates to. It has been extremely interesting to discover how little thought and research has been given to the tradition of School Uniform. It is illustrated throughout this essay that dress can have a significant impact on behaviour for learning due to increased or decreased self-esteem. The ultimate goal of education is for the emerging adult to make progress in their behaviour for learning throughout school and to be able to think effectively for themselves. We live in a free society that involves a bewildering amount of choice. It is not the intention of this essay to suggest abolishing uniform altogether simply to allow more flexibility and more relevance to the present day. Some pupils like wearing a uniform and there are undoubtedly benefits, however after addressing its history, it s cultural and economic relations and implications, I believe there is a lot to be questioned about this seemingly unexamined topic. As Brunsma (2004) reiterates, students have continually resisted school uniform policies for all of the reasons mentioned above, and I join them in supporting their case in a bid to separate the Uniform Policy from the behavioural management issues it causes.

Word Count

3,254

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