School Uniforms For the Win

Over the years, schools have become a playground for gangs wearing their insignia, fashion wars, and students displaying distracting media inspired apparel. Communities are becoming worried about the emphatic role that apparel is playing in the school environment. On a daily basis students face important decisions based solely on clothing choice. In school, clothing can be used for many things. Clothing can be a statement of socio-economic status, an attention grabbing tool, a rebellious act, a way to show which gang you belong to, and even a means to smuggle drugs and weapons on campus. None of these uses have anything to do with what should be students top priority, which is learning.

Although there is some support and agreement that clothing choice causes issues for students and staff at school, not everyone agrees that it's a problem that needs to be remedied. There are some that say limiting dress choice is against students' constitutional rights and freedom of expression. These proponents suggest that letting schools enforce dress codes is giving those in power too much control. Also, asserted is that putting standards on what students can wear increases the cost to attend school and gives parents more to worry about.

While the opinions of those who don't think dress choice should be limited are considered, the most popular solution to issues concerning students clothing is to institute school uniform policies. School uniforms solve most clothing concerns and issues. Students socio-economic status can be hidden behind a uniform making school a more level playing field socially for students who are from low income families. Also, when all students come to school in an expected attire, no attention is drawn to specific students who use their clothing as an attention grabbing tactic. Some students rebel through their clothing choice, maybe choosing to wear things they know make others around them feel uncomfortable. Annmarie Kelly Harbaugh, a school teacher, starts practicing what she will say to her students when they start a new school year wearing revealing trends that make other students uncomfortable by coming up with things like, "Before school, you have one chance to cover your body. If you miss, then it's my turn" (1). School uniforms decrease the amount of times she would have to say this. Furthermore, school uniforms make it unacceptable to wear gang colors and harder to smuggle drugs and weapons onto campus.

Since school uniforms solve so many problems at school it is rational to support schools in their choice to implement uniform policies. Showing support for uniforms can be done in many ways. Communities can educate their families and citizens about the positive things that come from uniforms. If a uniform policy doesn't exist, parent groups and advocates can hold informational open houses, pass out informative brochures, have meetings with local educators, and write articles on school uniforms and their positive contributions in local papers. Doing these things will help insure that school uniforms can be implemented and have a positive impact on school atmosphere for deserving students.

Cause and Effect

In the argument for school uniforms there is a cause and effect rhetoric at play. The school environment is very important to learning and needs to be maintained at a positive level. School uniforms are a cause of positive outcomes in the school environment.  School uniforms are responsible for positive environment in many ways.
School Uniforms have positive effects at school and at home.  They reduce violent behaviors and discipline problems, which in turn improves attendance.  Not only do they improve attendance, but while students are at school, school uniforms foster school unity, self esteem and motivation.  Academic achievement improvement has been a result of school uniforms.  School uniforms reduce stress for families that have children attending school by being cost effective, and a simple option.  These are not the only positive effects of school uniforms, but they would be enough for me to give them a try with my kids. 

Tools of the Opposition

In any argument there is more than one side.  For my topic there are those for school uniform policies and those against.  I am for.  My opposition has their own reasons for being against.
Those that are opposed to school uniforms claim that uniforms are against the constitutional rights of students.  They cite the first amendment and freedom of speech as backup to their claim.
Another claim by the opposition is that uniforms don't actually have any affect on school performance or environment.  They point to examples of testing done by David Brunsma that asserts there is little or no change in a positive manner that comes from students wearing school uniforms.  They also point to examples of schools that have excellent academic scores and don't implement school uniforms. They assert that any positive change from uniforms in schools is only perceived.  They cite psychologists who say that anything that looks good is also assumed to have other good qualities also.
I think they have some good points, but the points I agree with more are pro uniform claims.