by Jayme Hansen

Created on: May 02, 2008

School uniforms are an out-dated tradition in private schools, a tradition that should not be brought into public schools. Uniforms promote conformity when we should be encouraging individuality. Clothes allow people to express themselves. We should not stifle creativity and imagination by putting our children in matching uniforms. We Americans pride ourselves on living in such a diverse country. Don't uniforms take us back a step?

Some argue that uniforms put kids on an equal level; that kids who can't afford designer clothes will be dressed like the kids who would otherwise be found in Abercrombie, and hence will feel equal to their peers. To which I have two rebuttals. One, how are those less affluent families supposed to afford uniforms in the first place? And two, you can find cute, affordable clothing these days at stores like Target and Wal-Mart. Kids can dress "cool" without looking like they are in hand-me-downs. And to a kid, that means everything.

People think that clothes can be a distraction and that uniforms somehow puts a stop to them. Not true. Just because you give a girl a knee-length skirt does not mean she won't hike it up to mid-thing level and just because you give a boy the correct size pants, don't think he won't figure out a way to wear them so low, to the point you think they will fall off. Button-down shirts can be unbuttoned and cleavage-bearing at lunchtime. All uniforms do is force kids to try harder to look different and standout.

Uniforms are also supposed to take the focus off of clothes and appearance and put it onto education. But what are kids learning when they are not being given a chance to express themselves. They are already forced to go to school at a certain time, eat lunch at a certain time, do this homework, take this test. They have plenty of opportunities to learn about structure, responsibility, education. Why can't they be given the simple choice of what to wear each day to allow them a small semblance of control over their own lives? Don't we want to raise self-sufficient, confident citizens? Not adults who feel they need permission to do everything in their lives? That's what I thought. So away with uniforms, and hurray to individuality.

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