School Uniforms "If it means that the schoolrooms will be more orderly and more disciplined, and that our young people will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside instead of what they're wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms." -- President William Clinton (McDermott, 2009) The debate over school uniforms is not likely one that will go away quickly
This confirmation was followed by a new issue that had not occurred to me during my original thinking concerning dress codes: "The difficulty with clothing that may signify gang membership is that non-members also wear these items. Furthermore, many of these items have become fashionable at different times for adolescents with no gang involvement" (Griffin & Meacham, 2002, p
284). These authors add that most young people want to express themselves in ways that help them develop a sense of individuality and identity; overly restrictive dress codes (uniforms included) may inhibit this process (Hoge et al
40). Likewise, a school district in Illinois was considering implementing a dress code for their schools based solely on the belief that, "With everyone similarly dressed the threat of gang violence related to what students wear is reduced" (Wong, 2000, p
while some school boards have adopted the compulsory uniform policies. Some schools have clear-cut specific policies like banning certain clothes or appearance while some have vague policies that generalize the situation by making clauses like, "clothes should conform to the standards of good taste and decency" (Bhatti, 1999)
S. Constitution, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances" (Hoge, Field, Foster & Nickel, 2002)