School Uniform Dress Codes: Are They The Answer?

6 Pages 1618 Words

When choosing an outfit for school tomorrow, make sure it adheres to the shool district's uniform dress code policy. Uniform dress codes are becoming a way of life for more and more students across the country, due to school districts who have already implemented a policy, reporting the success dress code uniforms have given to students. Long Beach Unified School District in California was the first to require uniforms for elementary and middle school students in 1994, and as of 2003, twenty eight states were found to have some form of legislation pertaining to dress codes (Wilson 9). On the first day of school, a seven-year-old girl, with tears in her eyes, tells her mother, "Mommy, this uniform is so ugly, everybody will laugh at me." Her mother replies, "Honey, everyone will be wearing clothes just like yours. It will just take some time getting used to the new changes."
Nadine Strossen, President of the American Civil Liberties Union, was asked by a CNN.com chat participant, "What's the harm in dress codes?" Strossen replied, "Dress codes prevent students from expressing themselvs, either directly, such as through a tee-shirt that contains a message, or indirectly, by conveying attitudes through apparel" (Strossen 2). Children are sent to school to learn, not to make a fashion statement, or convey an attitude. Parents want their children to be treated equally among staff and the student body, but wearing clothing that attracts attention to students doesn't allow for this to happen. Students today put so much emphasis on wearing clothing that's 'in', it has been forgotten that learning is the reason for attending school, and if wearing uniforms reduce gang violence, improve student attendance and behavior, raise self-esteem, and are indeed constitutional, then parents should support this step towards improving their childrens' safety and education.
Gang and gang violence have become an overwhelming concern within our sch...