School Uniforms

No Uniforms, Enforce the Dress Codes

The first day of the new school year has already past and many students had asked themselves that big question: What am I going to wear that am not too nice but cool enough for the first day back to school? Now days in more schools across the country, that question is no longer a problem. "An increasing number of public schools require that all students dress in school-prescribed outfits."(S. Bernard) How would you feel if someone had come into your classroom and stated that starting next week all of the faculty members must wear, black suits or dress suits with a maroon button down dress shirt, women black stockings, men black dress socks, and a white tie. All those who show up in street attire will be sent home. For the students they are to wear, Black pants no skirts, with button down maroon tops, all which must be tucked in, and blazers are allowed. Well unfortunately going back to school for some students is unpleasant knowing that they will begin to wear uniforms the following week.

Many say that doing away with street clothes in schools and having uniforms will help minimize: obscene phrases on clothing, gangs, cliques, discrimination against others, inappropriate dress such as short skirts, low tops, showing of undergarments, and more that would cause distraction in the classroom, although excluding street clothes can reduce the form of self-expression and the sense of individuality and creativity. Tom King stated on August 23, 2006 that he had worn uniforms from grade school through his undergraduate degree. "They do help prevent cliques and disparaging commentaries on dress and SES. However, they do cost money, and for some families that are an additional hardship they do not need. The problem with a dress code is finding a fair one and staff having the temerity to enforce it. Why not just common sense? These days common sense, as Mark Twain reminds us, "ain't so near as common as most folks think!"."(T. King) "Many Public schools adopted dress codes and uniforms after then -president Bill Clinton endorsed uniforms in his 1996 State of The Union address:

"I challenge all our schools to teach character education, to teach good values and good citizenship. And if it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms."(First Amendment Center)

A statement posted on August 23, 2006 by Edward Miller was that you should look into the research more because the effects of wearing uniforms in schools have not improved the behavioral problems and the academic standings of students wearing street clothes. Many people are stating that violence is the same if not worse when students are wearing uniforms; just because of looking, the same does not intend students to all come together. Some schools, instead of enforcing a uniform, just enforce a strict dress code, which consists of clothing that is not revealing of the body, any clothing that is not containing racial intolerants that does not promote alcohol, that does not promote tobacco or that does not suggest violence. These schools also are recognized for the same if not better student standings. Giving students their ability to express their individual inner self gives them no reason to slack in their schoolwork or have any behavioral problems.

"Some courts have upheld grooming regulations for students who wish to participate in extracurricular activities, including athletics. One court, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, justified grooming regulations as a "Reasonable means of furthering the school board's undeniable interest in teaching hygiene, instilling discipline, asserting authority and compelling uniformity" (in Davenport V. Randolph County Board of Education, 1984)"(First Amendment Center).

Those that are for the school uniforms and may be worried about their child or themselves being shunned due to a social class line which is mostly judging people by their cover, which happens in everyday life whether your a student or adult. It happens everywhere and will remain a problem throughout the future whether we like it or not. This problem will linger for the rest of their lives and ours whether you choose to adopt the school uniforms or not. People judge people everyday by their race, music, glasses, clothes, cars, and anything else you can judge a person by, unfortunately, this will happen for the rest of your child's life even if you choose to help stop it for a few years of their high school days by choosing school uniforms. Even if you try to keep your child out of that environment, you will still have girls with more expensive jewelry and boys with more expensive cars and so on, so what are the uniforms going to really change not too much of class lines.

Their was a case in 1994 in Nashville, TN where a rejection to a constitutional challenge to a high school football coach who's rule was any football player must cut their hair before being able to play football. Not only are the school boards looking at the school itself but also the extracurricular