The mandatory uniforms in the public schools have fired up a raging school uniform debate across many countries of world. The issue of mandatory uniforms in the public schools became a hot school uniform debate in the United States, following President Clinton’s 1996 State of the Union address, in which the President 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.
The President visited Long Beach, California, where the policy of mandatory school uniforms was having outstanding success. Mr. Clinton praised Long Beach for their remarkably successful uniform policy, and stated that he had signed an order instructing the Secretary of Education to send to all school districts across the nation the newly generated Manual on School Uniforms. The manual outlines specific steps for school districts wishing to implement uniform policies. This contributed in heating up the school uniform debate even more.
There are arguments and counter arguments in the school uniform debate. The exponents of uniforms in school uniform debate claim that school uniforms help improving education system and they are necessary for the smooth working of schools, but their opponents in school uniform debate strongly challenge their claims. The opponents cite civil rights violations by school uniforms; the violation of right to liberty and self expression, but the supports say that the benefits of school uniforms outweigh any loss of freedoms. The supports say that school uniforms help reducing “ganging” and facilitate creating proper and safe climate of learning in schools.
The people speaking against school uniform debate that school uniforms stand for tyranny of schools. They make students submissiveness and hinder compete personality development. The schools with mandatory school uniform policies just produce submissive citizens rather than free thinkers of tomorrow. However, the people speaking for school uniform debate that school uniforms instill sense of dignity and discipline; the schools with mandatory school uniform policies produce responsible, disciplined, and obedient citizens. The exponents of school uniform say that the people who speaking against school uniforms are just inciting children to disobey school authorities.
The people speaking against school uniform debate that school uniforms are expensive and put financial burden on parents. The exponents however say that school uniforms may have some demerits, but their merits outweigh their demerits. So, the school uniform debate is fierce; it sounds to be never-ending.