School Uniforms

School Uniforms

Persuasive Essay by: Alayna Schuler

Do you ever feel like you just don’t fit in? Nineteen percent of all schools nationwide enforce students to wear uniforms. School uniforms return the focus back to learning rather than clothing.

School uniforms bring unity to the school. Schools that enforce this rule have a lower rate of school intruding because when looking down the hallway everyone looks the same. If there were someone wanting to insure he or she would be easily spotted. The school uniforms also avoid inappropriate dressing from teens, because they have a set dress code in which they can not stray from.

School uniforms also minimize ethnic barriers. When teens, especially girls, are all forced to wear the same exact things it lowers the formation of cliques. Girls are usually defined by their clothing, and when they all look the same they tend to be less judgmental. A lot of girls can’t afford to keep up with the newest trends, but with school uniforms they don’t have to.  

School uniforms increase academic ability in students. In Kenya, students who were randomly given uniform had increased test and attendance scores. Also, a school in Texas saw the same thing in their students just recently after they started the uniform policy.

Across the United States schools have noticed less and less behavioral issues. In Los Angeles, gang activity is a real problem in the schools, but school uniforms have prohibited them from wearing their gang colors.

School that recently switched to uniforms have saw many emotional effects upon their students. In Memphis, Tennessee, teachers saw a decrease in competition among in their students. In Kansas City, Missouri, teachers and parents notices the students had a burst of self-esteem and school pride, when the schools implemented a dress code.

School uniforms alleviate many financial concerns. Many parents are worried about the cost of uniforms for their children. A 1998 study in the USA Today reported that parents spent less on on uniforms than clothes for school. However, a 2007 study reported that some parents tended to pay more for school uniforms than regular cloths for their children.  This is because the cost of the uniforms all depend on how fancy your school goes with them. Uniforms that require basic pants or a skirt with a polo shirt will be less expensive than specially designed uniforms.

Long term studies of school uniforms are just beginning to appear and most of them bring a story of success, there are one or two that don’t have a positive result. Beyond statistics, schools, parents and students have to look to individual school’s problem and population to determine whether the uniforms bring a positive impact or not. Overall school uniforms bring an image of success to the school, and all those who don’t like it can move to a school who doesn’t enforce this policy.