Dress Codes Vs. No School Uniforms

A Comparison and Contrast Essay: School Uniforms versus No School Uniforms Some debate has taken place over recent decades concerning whether public schools should incorporate uniforms into their dress code. Many elementary schools do this now, especially in poor inner city districts. Sometimes the adoption of a dress code is seen in middle schools as well. However, the adoption of a dress code at the high school level is much rarer. Possibly for that reason, little empirical evidence is available on the benefits of implementing a uniform in schools (Adams, 2006). When considering whether to adopt a school uniform, several factors need to be taken into consideration.

First, if debating whether to require uniforms in a high school, consider

Requiring boys to wear properly fitted slacks, polo-styled shirts, belts, and standard shoes would address the wearing of inappropriate printed t-shirts and poorly fitted pants, for example. Having girls to wear slacks or skirts, standard shoes, and polo-styled shirts would address most concerns about clothing that reveals too much. Length of skirts could continue being an issue, though.

Another point to compare or contrast in utilizing a school uniform has to do with school safety. Some argue that tress-passers on school property can be more easily identified if students are wearing clothing that is uniform in style and color (Alleyne et al., 2003). This may be a valid point. Schools have had intruders to come onto campuses. This is a complex issue, but utilization of a school uniform might help.

Of course, students and parents are sometimes concerned with issues of individuality and self-expression. However, most people conform to expected standards for work, attending court, church, and a number of other activities. Self-expression is not more limited in school than elsewhere. In all, more research needs to be conducted to determine if having a school dress code has possible benefits for a