Making the Case for School Uniforms
Benefits reported by schools and parents after adopting a uniform policy include:
School Uniforms Are Cost Effective: Trends change, quickly. A traditional uniform maintains its style throughout the year, year after year.
School Uniforms Cover What They Are Supposed to Cover: The fashion industry isn’t known for modesty. Some kids wind up feeling like they have to wear revealing clothes in order to fit in. A uniform policy eliminates both the "looking" and the "showing".
School Uniforms Improve Punctuality and Decrease Absenteeism: Students are no longer late because they can't decide what to wear and they no longer skip school because their clothes aren't good enough. As an added bonus, it is easier for merchants and police officers to notice a student who is not where he or she is supposed to be if the child is wearing a uniform.
School Uniforms Level the Playing Field: Uniform policies eliminate the pressure families feel to overspend on their children's clothes. Additionally, students are no longer victimized by others who want to steal their jackets, shoes, etc.
School Uniforms Broaden Horizons and Promote Individuality: When clothes don't matter, it is easier to nurture and appreciate individual talents and personalities. True outlets of expression are encouraged, thereby developing uniqueness, not restricting it.
School Uniforms Unite Students: Sports teams wear uniforms to show solidarity, instill camaraderie and elicit pride. Schools recognize these same benefits when students abide by a uniform policy.
School Uniforms are the Opposite of Casual Fridays: Just as businesses report lower productivity when the dress code is relaxed, schools report greater responsibility and seriousness when students are dressed to learn. School Uniforms Work!: In suburbs of Chicago and Atlanta; in Polk and Dade Counties in Florida; in Long Beach, California and Baltimore, Maryland; in Connecticut and South Carolina; in Cleveland, Ohio, and Birmingham, Alabama; in Seattle, Washington, and Orange, New Jersey; in Phoenix, Arizona, and Pasadena, Texas; in Houston, Texas, and New York City; as well as many other cities and metropolitan areas around the country.
