Persuasive Essay On School Uniforms

Although there is no one-size-fits-all answer to all the world’s issues, there is a certain consolation from the world’s tumultuousness that all humans continually seek: stability. According to David Brunsma, Professor of Sociology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, “All of modern society is seeking release from uncertainty. All human beings gather confidence from certainty in a routine or structure” (248). One of the surest ways schools can find this confidence in routine is to adopt the custom of wearing school uniforms. A proven past is only one of their commendable traits. They also help students focus less on their appearance and more on their studies, discourage bullying, and serve in countries all over the globe

Sherry Everett Jones, Nancy Brener, and Tim Mcmanus, researchers for the Division of Adolescent and School Health, assert that “schools since ancient times have always worn uniforms” (1571). In ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, uniforms were worn in all educational institutions. More recently, in sixteenth century England, Cambridge University adopted school uniforms to enforce punctuality and obedience in their students. Although the initial idea was met with staunch opposition from the students, Julia Wilkins, a special education teacher in Buffalo, New York, notes, “Cambridge observed a rise in positive student behavioral patterns and grades soon after they made the change to uniforms.” This is just one of the many instances that shows that school uniforms are a good educational choice.

Furthermore, school uniforms are a near necessity because they help students focus not on their appearance, but on their studies and grades. In fact, Deborah Wright, Professor of Education at Mary Baldwin College, observes that “schools that have recently made the change to uniforms notice an increase of nearly 40% in the amount of homework turned in on time and an average rise of 11% in a student’s number grade” (39). Students are also observed to be vastly more structured—acting and obedient than they were