Uniforms In Public School - A Persuasive Essay

Uniforms in Public School
Is your child part of an involuntary fashion show? Does your children"s safety and discipline come first? Or is self expression more important? Arguments over the use of school uniforms in public schools have been the center of growing debate in the last few years. Public and private schools in the United States have always had dress codes policies with uniforms being prevalent in private schools. With three young children of my own I began to ask myself if school uniforms are a good idea.
The biggest noticeable impact to me when my children began preschool was financial. Like many parents I felt appearance was an important factor in starting the journey; so I threw out the old T-shirts, holey pants, scuffed shoes and bought new clothes. The annual cost of clothes made a significant dent in my wallet. Has they grew up and moved on to public school they were required to wear uniforms. The uniforms were much more cost effective and from my spouse"s point of view, they were also more convenient. The stress of decided what to wear was not a factor and it gave my children more time to dress, eat, or watch some TV before school. I understand that appearance alone does not necessarily lead to academic success so I began to research other reasons to support uniforms.
Our children"s safety is another reason uniforms are a good idea. Nationwide, public school uniforms grew in popularity starting in the mid-1990s. During the 1996 State of the Union address President Bill Clinton stated, "If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms". As a follow up, all U.S. school districts received a manual citing the benefits of school uniforms, including a decrease in violence, theft of designer clothes and gang members wearing colors. Some schools have turned to uniforms in response to situations involving students concealing weapons in...