Taken off of flickr.com. This picture shows what men's and women's uniforms could look like if they were made mandatory.[/caption]Do school uniforms help curb violence, foster a better learning environment, or promote discipline in students? Many people think so and are pushing schools to require them. Opinions about uniforms and dress codes vary about as much as the reasons for having them--parents seem to love them and students seem to tolerate them or strongly oppose them. Nevertheless, some schools have jumped on the bandwagon despite students expressing concerns about their freedom of speech.
Requiring all students to wear the same cardigans, slacks, or skirts is a practice employed throughout history and all over the world. England, for example, even required uniforms in all public schools for a time. Recently, American schools, desperate for peace and order, are willing to follow this trend in order to get their students on the right track.
The issue of school uniforms, whether in a private or public school, is not clear cut. They seem to work best when whole school communities discuss and agree upon a policy and then enforce it. And most proponents agree that requiring uniforms will only bring success if other programs accompany it.
”I think uniforms would stop some of the bullying,” said Tim Harper, a parent of a OHS student. Uniforms have been talked about for decades and the results are always the same--students prefer not to have them because of the lack of individuality. Students at OHS have no uniform policy, but they do have a dress code.
“I don't want uniforms for OHS because we wouldn't get to express our individuality,” said Rebecca Woodard, a freshman at OHS. Judith Brantley, an OHS assistant principal, thinks that uniforms would decrease bullying. She is thinking about a uniform consisting of a collared shirt with colored jeans. She feels this would help make school more safe. Brantley said uniforms haven't been talked about recently by the Orange County School Board.
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