School Uniforms: A Good Thing

I came across an article recently on AC called Should School's Have Dress Codes, which was published on October 16, 2006, and it got me thinking about this issue as it is one that is front and center in my life.

My 8-year old daughter attends a wonderful charter school and has since she began kindergarten. When first deciding to enroll my daughter I had to weigh the pros and cons of school uniforms, which are mandatory at this particular charter school.

Before this decision I was what you would call anti-uniforms. I was one sided about this issue and sadly unwilling to entertain arguments for school uniforms. I was of the mind that uniforms stifled a child's ability to be unique and gladly show their personalities in what they wore. I believed that a child's individuality was based on what they wore. Now after 4 years of my daughter wearing a school uniform my views have changed.

Many people state that school uniforms cost more than buying regular clothes. I have found that you can get uniforms for just about the same price as regular clothes just before school starts. I buy my daughter's uniforms at Target about 2 weeks before school starts. I buy at least 3 pants, 5 shirts and either 2 dresses or pairs of skorts or a combination. This allows my daughter to still have a little control over what she wears each day all while abiding by the school uniform policy.

The beauty of this is I can wash all her school uniforms during the weekend and then I don't have to worry about whether she has clean clothes during the week at all. As far as spending more money, I find that is not true. By having the school uniforms my daughter's regular clothes last longer as they are not worn as much and I have to replace them less often, thus spending less money.

Even though the charter school has a school uniform policy all of the children are still unique and they all know that. They show their personalities with accessories, shoes and most importantly with words and actions. The uniforms force the children to find other appropriate ways to express themselves. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. I love that my daughter can express herself properly with words. The school gives the children plenty of opportunities to show their personalities, like show and tell, craft projects, and even certain homework assignments.

The school also has many free dress days where the children can wear what they want. The also have theme days, where the children can wear costumes, pajamas etc. The children all love these days and look forward to them.

Another benefit to the school uniforms is when there are class trips. My daughter's school schedules multiple class trips each year. Every child gets a special badge stating the schools name, address and phone number to wear on the class trips, which is great, but the uniforms also give a visual notice of the group the children are with. If God forbid, a child does get lost, then it is easy to describe what the child was wearing. Any form of safety for class trips is a good thing in my book.

Having school uniforms also eliminates the possibility of children being harassed because of their economic standing. Nearly 30 years after elementary school I still remember one girl who was constantly made fun of because she wore ragged clothes and never had the newest fashions. I always felt bad for her because no one bothered to find out anything about her. They simply judged her because of the clothes she wore. It turns out she had 3 siblings, her father ran off and her mother had a medical condition that kept her from working a steady job. Her mother simply didn't have the money to buy new clothes all the time. Children should not be judged because of their clothing.

Unfortunately many children today wear baggy clothes to school to hide weapons, while others wear specific clothes to advertise they are a member of a particular gang. Having school uniforms eliminates both of these issues, at least while the children are at school.

School is a child's first job. It is a place to learn and grow. It is to be taken seriously. School uniforms help the children know that they are off to work. In 1987 all 360 students at a school in Baltimore, Maryland voluntarily began wearing school uniforms. Nine years later the school principal reported that attendance was up, suspensions were down, children were more focused on schoolwork, fights were less frequent, and test scores were going up. In 1994 California's Long Beach Unified School District adopted a mandatory school uniform policy and records indicate that since then school crime has dropped by 76 percent and attendance is at an all time high.

While no formal testing has been done I believe that as long as both the parents and the school work together to allow creativity and personality to show through on the children then there is nothing wrong with school uniforms.

As long as both the parents and the school work together to allow creativity and personality to show through on the children then there is nothing wrong with school uniforms.

I really did struggle with the decision to put my daughter in a school that required school uniforms but in the end I decided the benefits of the school were well worth my daughter having to wear a uniform. After 4 years of attending the school I am now glad that I made the decision and truly believe that school uniforms are actually a good thing.