What if someone believed one solution would end all bullying and increase safety in our schools?  Would you support this solution?  Well, uniforms would be the solution to many problems that take place in schools. Due to this, many school districts have implemented a uniform policy because of the great benefits.  In addition, school uniforms are helpful, effortless, and creates an environment based on equality. Studies have shown that uniforms benefit safety in schools like bullying.  However, some argue that uniforms take away students freedom of expression.  The issue of implementing the uniforms has been brought to many debates, court cases, and board meetings.  Thus, school uniforms should be mandatory in every school.  By wearing uniforms, the school community is enhanced, the students can focus on education, and are safer in the school.

To commence, school uniforms enhance the school community.  Many experts have commented on this topic.  According to the article, “Chris Hammons, Principal of Woodland Middle School in Coeur d’Alene, ID, stated that uniforms ‘provide for less distraction, less drama, and more of a focus on learning’” (“Should” 2).  Furthermore, school uniforms should be used to give the student a sense of belonging.  The fact is students are feeling like this all the time.  However, this will come to a stop when uniforms are applied.  In fact, according to the article, “Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms”, it states, “A 2002 study of over 1,000 Texas middle school students found that students in uniforms ‘reported significantly more positive perceptions of belonging in their school community than reported by students in the standard dress code” (“Should” 3).  This study shows that school uniforms contribute to the students having a sense of belonging, and fitting in without the confusion of what to wear all the time.  Ergo, school uniforms enhance the fact that students are having a sense of belonging.  Also, school uniforms make students come to school and diminish discipline.  Attendance is improved and discipline problems decreased when school uniforms were addressed in many different schools.  According to an article, “A 2006 Youngstown State University study of secondary schools in Ohio’s eight largest school districts found that school uniform policies improve rates of attendance, graduation, and suspension.  During the first semester of a mandatory uniform program at John Adams Middle School in Albuquerque, NM, discipline referrals dropped from 1,565 during the first semester of the year prior to 405” (“Should” 3).  In this situation, the school uniforms clearly showed that the community was enhanced when involving attendance scores, graduates, and discipline records.  According to the same article, “A 2007 peer- review  study found that after uniforms were introduced, ‘Teachers perceived an increase in the level of respect, caring, and trust… throughout the school’ and said ‘students are made to feel ‘important’ and as if they are a part of the team by wearing a uniform’” (“Should” 3).  Uniformed students help the student realize to be more respectful to teachers and peers in their class.  This study also gave some information on students feeling more like they are part of a team, which I really like about uniforms.  All in all, school uniforms enhance the school’s community in many different but helpful ways to have a better overall atmosphere in a school setting.

In addition, school uniforms keep students focused on education.  Students can be easily distracted by their clothes, the name brands, and what all their peers are wearing.  According to the article,”Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms”, it states,  “Chris Hammons, Principal of Woodland Middle School in Coeur d’Alene, ID, stated that uniforms ‘provide for less distraction, less drama, and more of a focus on learning’” (“Should” 2).  As I stated before, uniforms help students focus during class, and not on name brands, which leads to drama and people making fun about what their peers can afford or not.  This will all be prevented easily with the simple solution of a uniform policy. In addition, the same article says, “A 2010 university of Houston study found that elementary girls’ language test scores increased by about three percentile points after uniforms were introduced”  (“Should” 2).  This supports the fact that school uniforms help students focus on school, and their classes.  The students could get distracted from their clothes, and what their friends are wearing.  To add to, students may wear additional accessories to express themselves without picking out their clothes to wear.  In fact, “A 2012 peer- review study found that 54% of eighth- graders said they could still express their individuality while wearing school uniforms” (“Should” 5).  Accessories are good for two reasons, one is that you can wear them to express your individuality without having to wear your own clothes.  Accessories  come in so many different shapes and styles.  Also, it does not create the same amount of distraction as wearing your own clothes and causing drama with name brands and money.  To conclude, school uniforms are awesome to help students focus on school and not things like drama, name brands, and money.

Following that, school uniforms keep students safer.  Uniforms are the key to a safe school environment.  Many people have thought that the uniform policies stopped things like violence and bullying.  According to the article, “Little Consensus on School Uniforms Effects”, “Jafeth Sanchez, a research assistant professor at the University of Nevada at Reno, said surveys she gave students at three middle schools showed the kids felt like uniforms curbed violence” (Gillin 1).  The students felt more secure when school uniforms were addressed, which is a another amazing thing about them. A lot of the time, it is hard to get students to say what they feel like in their school.  In this survey, it was very obvious that the students liked uniforms, and they want to show that.  Countless experts have commented on this topic.  For example, in the article called “Debates over School Uniforms Rage On”, Lodi, the superintendent Frank Quatrone said, “An intruder can easily be identified and removed in school or on school grounds before, during or after school hours… Police and law enforcement officials can immediately identify our children at the scene of an emergency situation” (Murtha 2).  Lodi’s logic cannot be debated over.  It is true that if there is someone out of dress code, it is easily identified.  However, for this to happen, everyone must be in uniform everyday, so there aren’t any false accusations.  In the long run, this is a very useful point that makes our students safer, and numerous statistics were found to prove this.  In fact, “In long Beach, CA, after two years of a district- wide K-8 mandatory uniform policy, reports of assault and battery in the district’s schools decreased by 34%, assault with a deadly weapon dropped by 50%, fighting incidents went down by 51%, sex offenses were cut by 74%, robbery dropped by 65%, possession of weapons (or weapon ‘look- alikes’) decreased by 52%, possession of drugs went down by 69%, and vandalism was lowered by 18%” (“Should” 1).  This is only one study that found profound results.  This will happen when all schools switch to the one solution, a uniform policy. 

The fact is that uniforms are the key to every school problem.  However, many people will argue about this topic.  Some may say that with a school uniform policy, students cannot express their personalities.  This a huge fallacious belief that is simply not true.  These people try to circumvent the fact that school uniforms keep students safer.  To add to, students are always allowed to wear their own accessories, which can really express yourself through.  Also, people may say that it is not fair to wear the same outfit for different body types.  Furthermore, these people feel as if some kids will get bullied for how they look in an outfit, which is inane because studies have shown that bullying has decreased, and that feel less intimidated by everyone dressed the same.  Students feeling safer in school should be way more important than how they look.  In other words, all the students feel more united, and equal when a uniform policy is enforced. 

Overall, Every school should enforce a uniform policy.  Continually, school uniforms will enhance the school community, and spirit.  Also, these uniforms will help students pay attention to what is at hand, not on what they are wearing everyday.  Finally, these policies will make the student feel and be safer in school.  Are we ready to make dress code a thing of the past and school uniforms the present?  To conclude, This is the solution to many school environment problems.