School Uniforms

Mandatory uniforms is an answer that some give to stop the recent rise in violence and drop out rates in our public schools. Those that support uniforms argue that uniforms disguise economic and ethnic backgrounds, so students are no longer jealous of others. The financial burden on parents is lifted. But do uniforms really give all of these benefits? Can just one change in public schools make them so much better? Supporters of school uniforms say social and economic classes would no longer be revealed by students' clothing, schools will have more of a sense of community, and students' self-esteem will improve. Some gang members have hurt or murdered innocent people because of a colored item of clothing they chose to wear. These supporters feel that uniforms will reduce this type of violence in schools and, therefore, make classes safe and orderly. Uniforms have been shown to reduce absentee rates as well. In situations where there are several different f...