by Leon Li

Created on: August 16, 2009

There are several reasons why a school will decide to implement compulsory uniforms. Most schools have them to create a reputation for high-class education, as well as lessening the chances of disorder. They have many social benefits for students, and in some cases, can make a school much safer.

A school can create an atmosphere that encourages maturity and responsibility, because when teens are wearing clothes that make them look mature, they will act more mature. It's the "clothes make the man" scenario with teens, and we should take advantage of that. With a compulsory uniform, a school will have more order, and the students will seem more civilized.

Another issue is the problem of over-tolerant or unenforced dress codes. In a society where fashion overruns a country in weeks and an age where fashion is getting more and more scandalous, uniforms are needed more than ever. Building on the "clothes make the man" scenario, if students dress like rap stars and supermodels, chances are that they'll want to act like them. It's not something that we want to happen in our schools.

Students will distinguish themselves from each other, be it by comparing the various gizmos they have or fashion senses. It's not something we can control or do anything about, it happens and will always happen. A lot of students can be picked on for wearing different or unusual clothes, and having school uniforms can prevent this. Especially among teens, the sort of clothes worn have a huge affect on social profiling (discrimination based on economic status), and having uniforms will be, at the very least, an impediment to that.

Lately, questions have been raised on the safety issues of clothes that students wear nowadays. I remember seeing a video on the internet that showed a teenager wearing simply baggy jeans and a baggy t-shirt, who pulled out twelve or thirteen guns from his belt line and pockets, including a Uzi sub-machine gun and a shotgun. It was a demonstration on the safety problems of students wearing baggy clothes, and it really made me think about how dangerous lax dress codes can be.

Teen gangs often have certain styles of dress or symbols that represent them. Having compulsory uniforms can definitely reduce tensions between rival gangs, and can prevent rival gangs from identifying each other. Furthermore, high schools have become a target for drug dealers, and students often contribute to this problem by dealing drugs and tobacco themselves. If a school uniform is well designed, then it can make it difficult for students to carry large amounts of drugs around whenever they're wearing their uniforms.

A school with a nice uniform will often have a good reputation. Especially when a school hosts an event or goes somewhere for a performance, having a mature uniform (even if it's not the normal uniform) will definitely impress parents and spectators.

School uniforms are a must in our education systems. For the well-being, self-esteem, and safety of our children, schools should implement compulsory uniforms, else we risk our children growing up into uneducated, uncivilized, and irresponsible adults.

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