Uniforms Should be Mandatory in Schools

Will they be missing out on many life skills that are learned while attending schools with peers their own age? How can the schools make our children feel safe so that they are able to attend the public schools and so that schools don’t lose out on valuable funding from the state? The idea that many believe will fix the problems at school is by implementing a dress code or uniform policy for all students. School uniforms should be mandatory for the increased safety of our students, for the improvement of grades/behavior and for the low cost. School uniforms are defined as a set of standardized clothes worn primarily for an educational institute, usually in a primary or secondary school system.

Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. Konheim-Kalstein, Yasmine L. “A Uniform Look.” American School Board Journal 193.8 (2006): 25. MasterFILE Premier.

I ... ... middle of paper ... ...s longitudinal studies. Bibliography Black, Jeffrey. (1991). School Readiness [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 27, 2003, from http://www.schoolhealth.org/ready.htm Codding, Karen.

The Effect of Dress Code in Schools Dress code is put into place to keep students from being bullied for how they dress and how some people may treat them different depending on what they wear. There is a lot of evidence that show students losing time in the class room because they are too worried about there personal apparel. David Brunsma, a sociologist who wrote Uniforms in Public Schools: A Decade of Research and Debate in 2005, says, “Dress codes and school uniforms increase school safety by eliminating gang-related clothing and helping aid in the recognition of nonstudents on campus. Other potential benefits cited include better student behavior, more resistance to peer pressure and improved emphasis on academics. About one in four public elementary schools and one in eight public middle and high schools in the USA have policies dictating what a student wears to school.” (Ellis) Schools are trying hard to keep the negative advertising such as drugs and alcohol off of students clothing so others are not pressured into something without even realizing it.

2014. "Pros & Cons of School Uniforms." School Uniforms Pros and Cons. Brosen Interactive, 5 Feb. 2010. Web.

Since school uniforms have become more and more common in the United States, there has been one issue that many, of the parents and students are worried about. Many believe the children will not have the ability to express themselves freely. The First Amendment guarantees our right to free expression. This means that students do not leave their First Amendment rights outside the schoolhouse door, but their opinions can be limited to prevent major disruptions to classes and outside activities. To make this statement more clear, in 2003, a high school senior was suspended from school for wearing a tee-shirt of President George W. Bush with the statement “International Terrorist.” (ACLU , 1997-2009) The student’s suspension was later reversed because of the First Amendment.

Works Cited Brunsma, David. “Scientific School Uniform Research.” The Journal of Education Research. Sept. 1998, Web. 23 Feb. 2014 Charlonne, Holly. “The Pros and Cons of Uniforms in Schools.” LifeScript, 14 June 2007.

“Ironing Out Policies In School Uniforms.” USA Today, 7 August 2007. Web. 11 January 2011. “School Uniforms.” Current Issues: Macmilian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010.

Many opposing views feel that uniforms are a “Band-Aid Approach” to more serious problems throughout the school community says Bárbara C. Cruz. (43) These are problems like violence, bullying and poor academic behavior. Said by a high school junior “Uniforms would not transform anyone into a good student, just dress up a bad one”. (Cruz 44) It is true that uniforms are not the solution to all educational problems, but they are a good place to start. Although, when schools begin to enforce a uniform policy it shows that the community is acknowledging there are problems to be solved and working together to try something new.

“We cannot forget that reinforcing economic differences drives students further apart when schools should be drawing them closer together.” There are many problems in public schools with no uniforms. The use of school uniforms could eliminate some of these problems. Although school uniforms may take away a child’s individuality, there are more benefits than disadvantages to having school uniforms in public schools because school uniforms lessen the money spent on the latest fashion trends and school uniforms provide a positive school climate. A school uniform should be a simple outfit. The boys’ school uniform should consist of khaki shorts and a plain, button-up t-shirt.