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One of the best parts of school when I was growing up had nothing to do with academics, it had to do with buying school clothes at the beginning of the year. Every July, I eagerly awaited the August, Back to School issues of Seventeen, YM, and Teen magazines, the bibles of what to wear. Every year, I could reinvent myself with a new look and switch it around when the mood struck. I could be Preppy, Goth, Hip Hop, Girly or a mix of several styles at once. Expressing myself through how I dressed was my way of asserting my individuality and making it clear that I was unique.

I don't believe that public school children should have to wear uniforms because being young is the time to be free and creative. As an adult most people will have to don a suit and tie or some form of professional dress when they go to work everyday. You're not going to be able to get away with wearing ripped jeans and neon sneakers when you're 45, so you might as well wear them when you're 15. There are so many lame arguments why uniforms are good, but dispute them.

Making everyone equal: I know that some children may feel bad or be teased because they can't afford the fanciest clothes, but that's just part of life. I was such a child. My mother could only afford to buy clothes at the beginning of the year and in the spring time, so I had to be creative with my wardrobe.

I raided my mom's closet and made my own retro looks. I also borrowed clothing from two of my cousins who were around the same age and from friends. There were times that I felt bad because I didn't have as many new clothes as some of the other girls in my school, but I would still rather have had a choice about what I wore instead of being forced to wear a uniform. (It also would have been a burden for my poor mother to have to buy a uniform and regular clothes for me.)

Cutting down on violence: Violent children have serious mental health issues. Broken homes, alcohol and drug-addicted parents, and sexual abuse are just a few of the things that can do damage to a child and cause them to turn to gangs for support. A kid in a gang will still be part of that gang whether or not he wears a uniform. He can also signal which gang he is in by wearing his hair a certain way or some other means that may not be understood by adults, but clearly understood by other kids.

Less distraction and competition: Without stylish clothing, teens will just find other things to be distracted by. Hell, classmates of the opposite sex (or same sex, depending) can be a distraction. If everyone's clothing is the same, then kids will find other standards in which to compare themselves, hair styles, skin color, height, coolness, whatever. Somebody will always be on the bottom and that's just a cruel fact of life.

Children are not adults and they need to be comfortable, especially young children who will be running around the playground at recess. They will only be young once and youth is the time to express themselves and be free from ramifications.

I suggest school authorities focus more energy towards helping troubled kids leave gangs and making sure the curriculum is up to par instead of this superficial solution to all the problems that plague schoolchildren.

Learn more about this author, Melissa Washington.
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