School uniforms in public schools are becoming more and more popular across the nation. Public school systems would benefit if a mandatory school uniform policy were to be adopted. Opposition is always a factor when trying to make changes. However, taking all things into consideration, the positive effects far outweigh the negative effects. School uniforms should be required in public schools because their use would lead to less violence, better education, and lower cost to parents.

Not everyone is in favor of school uniforms. In fact, the American Civil Liberties Union believes that public school uniforms are a violation of a student’s First Amendment right to free speech (Kuhn 86). Many parents and students use this argument to oppose school uniform policies. However, students can express themselves in other ways besides the type of clothes they wear.

By enforcing a dress code that requires school uniforms, public schools will have less violence on campus. Since 1994, when mandatory uniform policies were adopted in the Long Beach Unified School District, district officials have found that violence and discipline problems dramatically decreased. In the first year following implem

School uniforms will reduce the amount of money parents spend on clothes each year. Officials in the Long Beach School District point out that typically, a set of three school uniforms for the year costs between $70 and $90, an amount far less than many students spend for one item of designer clothing (Cohn 24). When dress codes or uniform policies are instituted, most families soon realize that the price of the uniforms is a lot less expensive. Families also realize that since their children are wearing uniforms it will not take their kids so long to get dressed in the morning or worry about what to wear. “Uniforms are usually considered cost-savers for parents because they require fewer, more basic items in the child's wardrobe” (NAESP 2). Many parents welcome dress codes because it leads to fewer arguments about the clothes their children wear. Additionally, students will not have any peer pressure to wear the “cool” clothes to school. Mandatory school uniforms are not a financial burden on families.

King, Keith. “Should School Uniforms be Mandated in Elementary Schools?” Journal of School Health. January 1998: 32.

entation, overall school crime decreased by 36%; sex offenses, by 74%; physical fights between students, by 51%; weapons offenses, by 50%; assault and

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