School Uniforms Popular

Barbara Pytel, Paulline Larson Photography

Posted by
Barbara Pytel
Apr 27, 2007

Distractions

Students face many distractions in school. Noise in the hall, intercoms making endless announcements, student behaviors, and outside noise. Boys in middle school are distracted by girls and middle school girls are distracted by boys. This has been leading to more and more single sex schools popping up in the U.S. Today, there are hundreds of all-girls or all-boys schools.

Clothing

Can clothes that students wear also be a distraction? Many believe that is the case. Students at Neal Middle School in Durham, NC, a public school, will be wearing uniforms in the fall. Students in this middle school are not faring well academically with 43 percent performing below grade level. Minnie Forte-Brown, board chairwoman, says, "The way we look changes the way we feel, and often the way we behave." [Samiha Khanna, newsobserver.com, April 4, 2007]

The Dress Code

Students will be dressed in school colors.

6th graders in gray
7th graders in green
8th graders in yellow
pants, skirts and shorts are khaki

Parental Reaction

Parents overwhelmingly support the idea. One popular reason is the economics. Instead of buying numerous matching outfits that will soon go out of style, students buy several changes of uniforms and they last all year--never going out of style. An added benefit is students will never spend time in the morning wondering what to wear. They get up, go through their morning routine, and throw on a uniform.

Fewer Distractions

Uniforms eliminate the following:

competition to be "best dressed"
social hierarchy
gang attire
spaghetti straps, short tops and short shorts
harassment for dressing poorly

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