Should Public School Students Wear Uniforms?

Public school students should most definitely be mandated to wear uniforms to school, as it would alleviate several problems for both teachers and students.

For many schools, the biggest section of the Code of Conduct is the section titled Dress Code. School dress codes typically have a "No Go" section that includes: flip flops, showing of midriffs or bra straps, tank tops with a strap thinner than one inch, skirts shorter than the tips of you fingers with arms at side, extremely baggy pants, showing of boxers, guys wearing wife beaters, etc. Regardless of how many places the dress code is in writing or how many times it has been gone over with the students, there are still countless numbers of violations.

I went to a fairly decent sized high school (though the dress code problems started in middle school, for me). My graduating class alone was almost nine-hundred people, so the whole school was probably pushing approximately three-thousand students, if not more (tenth through twelfth grade). On any given nice-weathered day, well near one hundred students, just from my class, would be approached because of a "dress code violation". Some of the students really deserved that Saturday detention, but honestly, some of the rules were a little over the top. One that always bugged me, mainly because I got lectured on it quite often, was "no showing of the bra straps". Why? It's not like it is abnormal that I am wearing one. Finally, I got ticked off and said "Fine, would you rather me not wear one?" Took it off, and threw it at the teacher. Let me tell you, it didn't go over well.

What I am getting at is that public school uniforms would alleviate these problems. School faculty would not spend so much of their time approaching students with dress code violations (or getting bras throw at them). Students would not have to sit in class staring as so-and-so's boxers, or at entirely way to much cleavage or leg (since her butt cheek is practically exposed from her skirt that looks like was borrowed from her three-year-old sister) from the girl a few rows over.

By mandating public school uniforms, students are also encouraged to focus more on their studies. Clothes, fashion, and style are a distraction to students, especially teenagers. Many students, more or less girls, spend hours getting ready in the morning so they can impress their peers. This distraction continues throughout the day as the bathroom pass constantly travels back and forth from the classroom to the bathroom, so everyone can make sure they still look good to everyone else.

It is true that by putting students in uniforms will make them feel less like a person, but it is not as if we are taking away any special right. Uniforms will not take away individuality, because clothes do not define a person. They will still be their own individual person, not a number or another cluster of blue walking down the hallway. Children go to school to learn, not look pretty. Uniforms will help students focus on their studies.