An A- (90%) was received on this paper. The Dress Code Essay in public schooling has been a controversial issue lately, both inMassachusetts and nation-wide. I feel some type of dress code would cut down some ofthe everyday problems that schools have today. A dress code in public schooling would bea good idea because it would reduce violence, eliminate the problem of wearing hats orjackets in school, and make school more of an academic atmosphere, and less of a socialone.
In this paper, I will discuss why a dress code would be a good thing for public schoolsto have. A dress code would eliminate many problems including violence that occurseveryday in school. For example, if a simple shirt and tie with dress pants were worn byboys, and some type of skirt or dress for girls, baggy clothing would be eliminated whichcould hide weapons such as guns or knives. Fights also break out in schools because of theway students dress. Negative comments are often made at school by students about theirclassmates’ clothing which provokes fighting.
Obviously, some type of dress code wouldstop this. Studies show that a dress code reduces violence and makes students behave betterbecause it makes everyone equal, bringing all of the students to the same level: “A dresscode brings us together, like an athletic team. We’re unified, we stand for the same things,”said Bob Sanders, 57, a teacher at Antioch Christian Academy in Oklahoma City (David2). Principal of Minneapolis’ West Central Academy believes that uniforms help the schoolmeet five goals: foster greater school pride, enhance self-esteem, improve schoolattendance, reduce suspensions and improve school climate (Washington 1).
The number of suspensions in Long Beach, California, which now requiresuniforms for students, dropped 32 percent. Every category of infraction – from assaults todrug use to sex offenses- has fallen. Teachers and administrators in the Long Beach alsobelieve most students perform better academically because of the uniforms, making schoolmore of an academic atmosphere (Pertman 2). Officials in Long Beach believe that uniforms reduce escalating violence and gangactivity in schools, because students no longer get hassled by gang members because ofclothes with rival colors or insignias. They also help create a work-like atmosphere becausestudents spend less time discussing wardrobes (Pertman 1).
The same applies to Chicagopublic schools. Farragut High School in Chicago went from fifteen large gang fights aweek to an occasional fist fight when they adopted a school dress code: “It seems like wehave more togetherness because there are no gang colors,” Farragut disciplinarian, WalterBrown said (Rossi 1). A dress code would allow students to make friends on their personal qualities,rather than appearance. Too often students classify other students by the way they dress. Many students avoid some of their classmates because of the way they dress, rather thantrying to be friends with them.
Dave Bouronich, 13, a student at a school in the LongBeach District said, “If you dress the way you want, people compete and say you look likea nerd and stuff” (Pertman 1). Students would make friends with people that havecommon interests with themselves, rather than people that dress like themselves. President Bill Clinton is also for the dress code. Commenting on the public schoolsadopting school uniforms during his 1996 campaign he said, “The dress code is one thingthat has served to lower crime, violence, and increase attendance and increase learning at alot of schools. And I think a dress code is itself an important statement, because we wantour young children, whether they’re poor or rich or middle class, when they’re in school todefine themselves primarily in terms of what’s going on on the inside, not what they’rewearing on the outside. And I think it’s a very, very good thing” (U.
S. Newswire 1). Although many students say they are against a dress code in public schoolingbecause it eliminates self-expression, most of them wouldn’t mind it after they experiencedit for a couple of weeks. For example, many students at the few public schools which havea dress code are actually for it. Second grader at Prairie View Elementary in North CentralFlorida Tre Danzy initially worried about the uniforms which he would be required towear.
After a few weeks of wearing the uniforms Tre said, ” It’s OK now.You don’thave to waste time finding .
