The Benefits Of School Uniforms

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Benefits of School Uniforms Traditionally, school uniforms have been adopted by private schools. Now many public schools are adopting uniforms as the norm also. There are many benefits to enforcing a uniform policy in public schools. These benefits include, saving time in the mornings, saving money, keeping appropriateness in school buildings, keeping students safe and preparing students for the workplace. In 1994, Long Beach, California, became the country's first public school district to institute a mandatory uniform policy. The reasons for this new policy were, 1) uniforms will put the students’ emphasis on schoolwork instead of dressing coolly, and 2) the uniform would help to lower school violence. The results of this change were so promising that it led to former president, Bill Clinton’s endorsement of school uniforms in his State of the Union address in 1996. He said: "If it means that the school rooms will be more orderly and more disciplined, and that our young people will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside, instead of what they're wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms." . “In 1997, 3% all public schools required school uniforms; three years later, the level topped 12%, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department also found that 47% of public schools enforced a strict dress code.” Critics believe that enforcing school uniforms will lessen the students’ individuality, creativity and self-expression but not every child expresses themselves appropriately and it gives the students’ an opportunity to express themselves in other ways. School uniforms also take the pressure off students to pay top dollar for clothes, according to Reginald Wilson, a senior scholar at the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C. "I think it does lower the

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