School uniforms have always been a great topic for debate amongst school children, and there are both advantages and disadvantages to both sides, ensuring longevity to a seemingly unanswerable question.
School uniforms are generally accepted and encouraged in a wide variety of countries from Brazil to Britain, but no so much in the United States. Though U.S. children have no problem adhering to standard dress codes as proscribed by sports, say youth basketball uniforms for example, the average U.S. child is appalled at the thought of wearing any standardized uniform to school.
This phenomenon doubtless stems from tradition. Uniforms themselves stem from tradition, and many schools opt to use them simply because it is the way things have always been done. The British are staunch believers in making all school children dress alike, borrowing from the days when Britannia ruled the waves and the sun never set on the British Empire. The Unites States, by contrast, has its roots in rebellion and independence, and subscribes to the philosophy that whether someone says it should or it can’t be done, then they should be proved wrong in either case.
But what’s so wrong with the school uniform? Advocates of the unassuming shorts, blazer, and tie will tell you that nothing is wrong with it. It simplifies clothing decisions in the morning—something many mothers would call a clarion argument for requiring their daughters to don the colors. It promotes a sense of unity, much in the same way that football fans feel united when wearing their team’s colors and gathering together in a single cause. Beyond that, it removes the need to be involved in the daily fashion show that so often accompanies the reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic of a day at school.
And yet the public schools of the United States abstain, as do seventy-five percent of private schools. In the immortal words of the first President Bush, they’re “not gonna do it. Wouldn’t be prudent.” And perhaps they have a point. Do uniforms encourage the students to think independently? Does subjecting the individual to a forced communal clothing experience inhibit the expression of individuality? Does wearing school uniforms decrease bullying,reinforce against the formation of cliques, or prevent the ostracization of the at-risk individual? And how does all of this speak to the watchword of the day: diversity? Simply put, we don’t know. Where are the studies?
Yes, there was a study done in Kenya, years ago, that showed a correlation between school uniforms and reduced absenteeism, but are there any replicated studies in other parts of the world? None that any cursory search can find. The data is sparse indeed.
And so the argument returns full circle. While the rest of the world dons the scratchy collars and wooly jumpers of yesteryear in keeping with tradition, the United States sticks with its brightly colored youth basketball uniforms and smiles at the rest of the world for its absurdity.