Things To Consider Today    By Leland Pulley

School Uniforms  

While traveling to another country this year, I saw some students in uniforms. The uniforms of the girls were feminine in style and color, and those of the boys masculine. All the students looked neat and clean. It was a pleasant sight to see.

Many schools in other countries have the students wear uniforms. More of these students are showing up in American schools. It is easy for them to accept uniforms here.

Many private schools here in the United States use uniforms. They probably have good reasons why this is done. Also, they can demand them and enforce dress codes better than the public schools.

When I attended the public schools, there were feminine and masculine dress standards in place or implied. I don’t remember any real problem with dress codes or standards. There were no gangs, so gang wear was not an issue. There was not a big difference between the clothing worn by higher income families and students from lower income families. Under such conditions, many of the reasons given today for uniforms in public schools simply disappear.

Public schools today, however, face a lot of challenges. There have been a lot of changes in society and these changes have affected the schools. If the schools can do anything to deal with a challenge they face, they will so they can handle other challenges better.

One challenge for schools is how students dress.

   • Many schools have no dress standards so students wear anything they want. There are messages printed on clothing, holes in clothing, improper sizes worn, etc. Some schools have dress standards, but they’re vague, hard to enforce, and often aren’t enforced.
• Some students have more expensive clothes. Usually their clothes are more in style or follow the latest fashions. School is not suppose to be a dress parade. Parents are not suppose to worry about keeping their kids dressed for the “show”.
• Some kids dress immodestly. They expose too much of the body to the opposite sex. Their clothing is also sloppy.
• There is a lot of unisex clothing. This doesn’t help to teach boys and girls their respective roles in life.
• There are items of clothing tied to certain groups or they are affiliated with gangs. School officials would like to decrease or eliminate the use of such items.

In my metropolitan area, some public schools are experimenting with uniforms. School personnel and parents have worked together to come up with a plan that school boards have approved. They don’t know how many individual parents will object to it and on what grounds. It’s the old individual rights versus majority rule argument. But the experiments with uniforms are moving forward.

Not all schools select the same uniform style, nor colors. There is also some variation of certain uniform items that a student can wear to a school.

There are several good reasons to have uniforms. They provide a solution to the five items above.

   • There is a dress standard set that is easy to enforce.
• Less money is spent on school clothing each year by parents, and the total clothing bill per year for each child goes down significantly. Keep in mind that many families cannot afford a lot of good quality or stylish clothing.
• Uniforms are modest, and neater than typical school clothing.
• Uniforms can establish a standard of dress to distinguish between boys and girls.
• No uniform is similar to gang clothing.

There are other good reasons for using uniforms too.

   • With them, there are less debates between parents and children over what to buy and what is appropriate to wear to school.
• Less shopping hours are required. All the major stores can carry the uniforms so you can buy them while shopping for personal clothing worn outside of school hours.
• With uniforms there is no real distinction between students so it’s easier for any student to fit in. Many schools have a lot of cultural diversity, and with uniforms everyone looks more the same. It is a way to break down walls between groups.
• School personnel hope that uniforms will divert attention away from designer clothing and toward learning. This is, after all, the primary reason for going to school. When students get up in the morning, it’s their job to put on their uniforms and go to their job at school so they can learn, just like parents go to their work and earn money. Uniforms help students to pay attention to their studies.
• Uniforms help kids learn to respect their appearance. When wearing the school uniform, there is a certain level of good behavior that goes with it. Schools which have used uniforms have noticed better behavior from students.
• Uniforms stress conformity. This is good training for adulthood. Many adults have clothing standards for their work. Some adults have uniforms they must wear.

Personally, I favor uniforms for the above reasons and more. Society has changed and we must all recognize this. Schools face many challenges. The use of uniforms is something that can help students, parents, and school personnel. With student and parental support, it gives school officials one less thing to worry about.

If your school does not use uniforms, check into the feasibility of starting this in your area. This is how it got accomplished in other areas. Someone had to start the process and get others to assist as the proposal was considered, worked on, approved, and then implemented.

Good luck in your efforts.

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Copyright  2007     Leland Pulley