The Economic And Social Challenges Of School Uniforms

Imagine how parents would feel if they saved hundreds upon hundreds of dollars by not buying designer clothes for their children to wear to school. Envision a student walking down the crowded hallway at school not fretting about someone teasing because of their outfit. Picture a school that is safe, and unified. With school uniforms, all of this is possible. First of all, uniforms save parents heaps on money. Secondly, uniforms can diminish the economic and social barriers between students. Lastly, uniforms can provide for a happier, safer school. Uniforms are cost efficient and can save parents hundreds of dollars. In 2012, families with school-age children spent an average of $688.82 on apparel and shoes back-to-school shopping.

In America, roughly 160,000 children miss school every day in fear of being attacked or intimidated by other students. Although this may not be linked directly to what they students are wearing, uniforms can provide a safety net for many students who suffer from bullying (Spencer). With everyone being dressed similarly, students won’t have to worry about fitting in or being dressed in the latest trend. Consequently, concentration returns to who the student is on the inside, rather than what they are wearing or what they can afford, thus diminishing the barriers that poverty and wealth naturally create. As a result of this, it is easier for students to build relationships through genuine networking skills rather than through popularity. After uniforms were mandated at Sparks Middle School, forty-two percent of students reported that they worried less about how other people looked (Wharton). Moreover, in 1998 Bruggeman did a study in which the factor of school uniforms affecting self-esteem was investigated. Two schools were compared, one with uniforms implemented and one without, and the results proved that students who wear school uniforms had significantly higher self esteem compared to students attending schools with no uniforms (Rodriguez 22). A number of other surveys completed have shown that students with school uniforms perceive their school climate in a more positive light than that of students without uniforms