In our schools today, there are problems that take the focus off education and make it more difficult for a student to learn. These problems include ridicule and discrimination, violence, expense, distractions, fashion extremes, and the formation of cliques. School uniforms can eliminate the problems that arise and distract students from the main focus of school, their education. School uniforms put an end to the "grueling, expensive, and sometimes violent competition to keep up with the latest fashion"("School Uniforms"). With the implementation of school uniforms, personal image, focus on education, school and personal safety, and economic impact will be augmented.

Students must be able to feel a sense of security with their personal image. School uniforms eliminate social status in the classroom and all kids are the same, with their true selves being unchained by the clothing that they wear. All kids will fit in because they will all look alike and this will eliminate student focus on creating and maintaining their societal cliques according to different styles of dress. Every student will be dressed in a pre-planned school uniform and that will save time for the student who will be well dressed every day. They will know what to wear and not have to worry if their clothes won't make them look right in the eyes of others because everyone will be wearing the same thing. The extremes of fashion will be eliminated causing less stress for parents and school administrators. For example, it will eliminate the gothic look, grunge, super baggy clothing, and the wearing of overly revealing clothing. There will be more of an emphasis on the individual person rather than that of external dressing. The less affluent will not be able to be picked out by the clothing that they wear because everyone will be wearing the same thing everyday. Usually these kids are teased and ridiculed making it very difficult for them. With the implementation of school uniforms, they are given the same chances as everyone else. They are on the same playing field and nobody can be prejudged by the clothes that they wear. So, school uniforms eliminate the problems of expensive clothing, and belittlement of students due to the clothes that they wear. Uniforms also eliminate the cliques that are formed according to a particular fashion and the negative self-image due to the lack of in-style clothes. The feelings of being left out or not accepted by a clique could create a very distractive environment in school, which has a potential to induce violence and misbehavior.

School uniforms will increase focus and provide a socially sound learning environment directly enhancing education. Uniforms will sharpen students' focus on the task at hand, schoolwork. It will create structure and guidelines for the student to follow which is an aspect of life that a student needs to learn. It builds character for life because a firm set of structures and guidelines will need to be followed everywhere in life and students will learn how to handle them early. A safe environment will be created because everyone is treated at an equal level from the start and tension between students over "looks" will decrease. School uniforms will create a sense of school unity, pride and spirit. This creates good morale that emphasizes the purpose of schooling. School uniforms emphasize that the purpose of school is not to make a fashion statement but to learn.

School and personal safety is highly increased through school uniforms due to the elimination of status symbols and concealable baggy clothes. Unity creates a concrete and visible means of restoring order to classrooms. Also, uniforms help the school administration to identify outsiders, or unwelcome intruders. Gang violence may go down because the distinctive gang garments are no longer an issue, therefore eliminating one aspect of violence associated with dress code. Another is that uniforms will eliminate baggy clothing, which make it easy for students to smuggle in weapons, drugs, and other banned items into the school premises and this will make the school much safer with these cautions noted. The 'everybody is equal' environment decreases/eliminates teasing and fights with dress as an underlying or direct reason.

School uniforms provide a cost efficient wardrobe for both students and teachers that eliminate the problem of expensive school wardrobes, the spectrum of incomes, and in-style competition in regards to fashion. These uniforms are simple, they look nice and they are affordable. A government program that pays for the uniform expense will support those who cannot afford the school uniform.

Those who oppose school uniforms worry about the drain on teachers to enforce the uniform policy against student rebellion. Many students would ignore the rule or try to obtain necessary paperwork on file to "opt out," due to religious or aesthetic reasons. To enforce the dress code schools have homeroom sweeps and either hand out demerits, call the parents to bring the proper clothing to school or have a stockpile of extras of hand out loaner uniforms. One middle school principle states, "It's probably worth it. The uniforms connect to our higher standards. They send a message that school is not here for show. This is serious business" (Walker).

Many teens believe that school uniforms are an infringement of their rights, and that they have the freedom to choose their own clothing. First off, the courts have made it clear that students do not have the same rights in school as they do outside. Second, if there is a valid educational reason for imposing clothing requirements, then there aren't any grounds for considering a violation of their freedom of expression. As stated previously, structure and guidelines are part of developmental learning. A person can be an individual by expressing their ideas under the heading of education. The right to an individual dress code as its place outside of the school environment. Thousands of people attend/attended parochial schools over the past generations and their individuality did not suffer.

The strongest opinion against school uniforms is the squelching of ones individuality. When one chooses to play a school sport don't they wear the schools sports uniform proudly? The benefits far outweigh the oppositions, and school uniforms should be considered as a means to the end. The problems of ridicule and discrimination, violence, expense, distractions, fashion extremes, and the formation of cliques, will all be dealt and with positive results. With the implementation of school uniforms aspects such as, personal image, focus on education, school and personal safety, and economic impact, will be enhanced.

Bibliography

"School Uniforms."(Online) Available

http://www.edweek.org/context/topics

/uniforms.htm, date.

Walker, Reagan. "LBUSD Works to Link Uniform Policy to Higher Standards and Expectations."(Online) Available

http://www.middleweb.com/CSLB1Uniforms.html, date

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