Many parents oppose the use of school uniforms for their children due to their financial responsibilities. Parents may think that the cost for new uniforms is too high, but in reality, uniforms may be more affordable than regular dress. In a society where brand name clothing is of utmost importance to many teens, the cost of buying those items can greatly outweigh the cost of purchasing school uniforms. Most uniforms consist of solid-colored shirts and khaki pants that can be purchased in several department stores, as well as some of the most popular retail chains, at reasonably low prices.
Bullying is a big issue in today's school systems. Students can be teased for a number of things and it is not uncommon for one of those things to be the way kids dress. When students are required to wear uniforms, they are all dressed alike, eliminating clothing as a reason for bullying one another. Students who can't afford name-brand clothing will no longer feel as though they are frowned upon for the way they are dressed, and the students who would typically bully others will no longer have a reason, at least not where clothing is concerned.
The way a student dresses at school can cause distractions in the classroom. Although most schools have a standardized dress code, there are still issues that need to be addressed. Girls as early as the sixth grade go to school wearing tank tops or other shirts that are extremely low cut or pants that are extremely tight. While they may leave the home wearing a jacket or sweater, there is no guarantee as to what takes place once those students walk through the school doors. Boys will often wear their pants so low around their waists that their underpants show. Dress like this is inappropriate and distracting and would be eliminated altogether if students were required to wear uniforms. The use of uniforms may help reduce the risk of peer pressure where inappropriate dress is concerned.
Middle school and high school are pivotal years in children's lives. Fitting in with classmates is at the top of many students' priority lists, and a great deal of fitting in has to do with the clothing the kids wear. School-mandated dress may help raise the self-esteem of those who don't usually fit in with their classmates because they can't afford new clothes, top brands or simply because they don't wear the same style of clothing as their classmates. Uniforms may allow students to get to know one another without first noticing clothing and appearances.