The Pros And Cons Of School Uniforms In Public Schools

While nearly every public and private school in the United States has either an informal or formal dress code stipulating what students can and cannot wear to school, a required school uniform is not as common. Customarily only seen in private and parochial schools, a growing numbers of US public schools are now adopting strict school uniform policies. One in five US public schools required students to wear uniforms during the 2013-2014 school year, up from one in eight in 2003-2004 ("School Uniforms," n.d, p. 1). In today’s world, it is not uncommon to see media stories about crime in schools and our educators are constantly looking for ways to improve safety within this school. Some of these educators feel that school uniforms are one way to protect the safety and welfare of students and school personnel. Many kids find

Students are becoming more concerned with what they are wearing and they are being distracted from the learning process. Although many students are not happy with the strictness some of the school’s new uniform policies, the policies should stay in place in order to increase school safety, devote student’s attention to learning and reduce bullying and peer pressure.

During the early 1990’s, American political and educational leaders saw that the US education system was experiencing low academic standards, rising violence, and disenchanted teachers. In 1996, President Bill Clinton discussed the increase in school uniform requirements during his State of the Union Address. Clinton called upon school leaders to make uniforms an important part of their efforts to improve school safety and discipline. In late February of the same year, he issued a memorandum to the U.S. Secretary of Education, directing that the government 's Manual on School Uniforms be distributed to each of the country 's 16,000 school districts. And in his 1997 State of