School is a place for study, not a place to show our underwear. School is not for you to show everyone your skin. School is not meant for you to show cleavage for everyone to see. Public schools all over the United States have tried having the school uniform policy; in return they had terrific results. Public schools need to require uniforms.
To begin with, school uniforms can make the schools’ look more professional. Some students will be dressed in nice designer clothes, or some others in dirty ratty old things. All students would be dressed the same. Schools in Long Beach, California adopted school uniforms; a survey was held in Psychology Today in September, 1999 reported the effects from the switch to school uniforms in 1995. An overall crime rate dropped by 91%, school suspension went down by 90%, sex offenses dropped by 96%, and incidents of vandalism reduced by 69%. Just by having one city require school uniforms in public schools made a huge difference in the behavior of students.
Specifically not only will school uniforms help the students be more focused on schoolwork, they will also be saving parents money. Rather than parents spending hundreds of dollars on school clothes for the new school year, parents will already have a school uniform from the year prior, or they can buy at least four new outfits for an entire year. “My daughter Bianca doesn’t have to spend much time in the morning deciding what she is going to wear, and I save money so I have more money for other things besides clothes,” says Ronda Colker who has a daughter attending Greenwich High School. Schools might even make a little profit on the uniforms, depending on the school. They can take a little percentage from the uniform profit and use it for new school equipment. All together everyone will be benefiting from uniforms.
Meanwhile, have you ever seen someone at school and you are just completely shocked by what they are wearing? Like that girl that is always wearing the short skirts and shirts showing her new diamond bellybutton piercing? School uniforms can prevent students that like to dress and show themselves off. You wouldn’t have to worry about those things because the students will be wearing something that the school has already approved of. They will be wearing nothing to short, and showing too much skin. The uniforms will cover up anything that doesn’t need to be shown to others. It will help focus on schoolwork; 52% of public school principals say, “Students are more down to business.”
To be sure there are no more intruders, uniforms can help school staff recognize them more easily on school property. Since all the students will be wearing practically the same thing, if someone sticks out like a sore thumb they will know for sure something is up. This will help for the students’ safety. Teachers will have a much easier time keeping track of students.
Have you ever been around someone in a gang? People in gangs usually have a special color they wear. School uniforms in Public Schools will help prevent others from being scared of their classmates. They will not know who is or may be in gangs, they will feel safer. A Long Beach unified school district in an article in 1998 said since 1994 assaults from kindergarten through eighth grade had decreased by 85%.
A survey from the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) took a phone survey and said that 21% of all schools in the Unites States of America had a school uniform policy, and from this survey they had principals say that students’ grades have improved. This shows that uniforms can definitely help students’ grades.
On the other hand I know that having school uniforms can make it so students can’t express themselves and show how they like to dress, but why does it matter if people like you by how you are dressed? Shouldn’t your friends like you for your personality more how you dress? Would you rather dress how you want to, and get F’s, or wear uniforms and have straight A’s? You do the thinking.
All things considered school uniforms in public schools would be a much more effective way to learn. No more inappropriate clothing, gang colors, and wasting money; just a fun professional learning experience that will carry on with us for the rest of our lives. Let’s get out there and buy our uniforms!