Should School Children Wear Uniforms?

This issue dates back more than a decade. When President Clinton said, “If school uniforms mean teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then it means our schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms,” it sparked a debate that continues today. However, many research studies and even a few books on the issue seem to only cloud the true worth of school uniforms. Some claim that requiring school uniforms can increase graduation rates, while other studies show they have no impact on a child’s educational experience.

Proponents of the school uniform debate argue that uniformity in dress among public schools encourages discipline, helps prevent social groups from forming based on fashion status, diminishes economic barriers, and allows children to feel a sense of pride in their school. Requiring uniforms also makes it easy to identify individuals who shouldn’t be at the school. However, opponents believe that none of these benefits truly exist. They argue that demanding uniforms violates a child’s right to freedom of expression, and it can place a burden on poorer families, serving as an unfair additional expense for parents who already pay school taxes.

Yet to this day, the debate remains. While some families seem not only okay with but also elated by the idea of creating uniformity in their public schools, others do not.

The Court’s Stance on Student Dress

In June 2007, the United States Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision regarding a student who wore an anti-Bush t-shirt to class, claiming that the child was utilizing his right to free political expression. Several other cases where students wore inflammatory t-shirts to school were also overturned by the courts, each based on the constitution’s “right to freedom of speech.” While cases like this are not rare, and dress codes are enforced in around 75% of all U.S. schools, the push for uniforms continues.

However, University of Missouri assistant professor David Brunsma feels that the debate over uniform appropriateness in public schools is more hype than substance. In his 2004 book The School Uniform Movement and What It Tells Us About American Education: A Symbolic Crusade, Brunsma researched hundreds of past studies on how uniforms affect academic performance. In his own analysis of two enormous databases—the 1988 National Educational Longitudinal Study and the 1998 Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Brunsma concluded that “there is no positive correlation between uniforms and school safety or academic achievement.”

Many parents believe that the ‘issues’ surrounding uniform implementation in schools simply don’t exist. They feel their child should be able to wear what they want, without school systems imposing regulations. Wealthier parents in school districts often voice the loudest opposition to uniforms. However, parents who struggle to afford ‘popular’ fashions and whose children are often teased for their lack of fashion sense tend to support uniforms. The truth is, in higher education, children are judged and teased based on their clothing.

But isn’t that just part of life? Isn’t it fair to say that the world will always have “haves” and “have-nots” living side by side? Are uniforms simply a band-aid to help foster liberal thinking?

Educators, who see firsthand the struggles based on dress in schools, feel that uniforms could solve some problems, but not all. Sure, the teasing and pressure students feel to fit in may be alleviated by the uniformity of dress. Yet, the real problems in education are not simply rooted in clothing.

After all, it is our differences that make each of us unique.

So, what is the answer?

Dress codes, which are available at most schools, succinctly outlaw any offensive clothing worn to school. Not only are skirts and shorts for girls required to meet a certain length to be deemed appropriate, but t-shirts with writing on them must also be tasteful. In Bremen City Schools, the middle school dress code is strict and enforced. It even disallows students from wearing jeans with holes above the knees. Students and parents must sign the dress code policy as a requirement for admission to the school system. The emphasis is on ensuring students (especially female students) dress appropriately and avoid clothing that could be distracting in the school environment. While the dress code is strict, it leaves plenty of room for students to express themselves.

Interestingly, many parents would be okay with a uniform policy that simply required jeans and a t-shirt. In fact, purchasing school t-shirts at around $5 each could save parents money. One of the issues with current uniform policies is that the collared shirts, khaki pants, and skirts are not only expensive to purchase but costly to maintain as well. Studies on student dress trends in grades 5 through 12 indicate that 3 out of every 4 students wear a t-shirt of some kind paired with denim to school. Would a simpler uniform policy like this spark the same kind of debate? Perhaps that is one solution to this often inflamed problem.

The bottom line is that parents must remain responsible for what their children wear to school. Over the years, what is deemed appropriate for an academic environment has become increasingly lax. In most schools, a simple dress code that is enforced could solve many of the issues surrounding clothing. To debunk President Clinton’s statement, the fact is, if a person is killing someone over a Fendi purse or jacket, the problems go much deeper than what changing clothing can solve.