We Should Not All Be Uniform!
Every day, millions of teenagers spend between six and eight hours in America’s high schools. They sit at their desks, listen to their teachers, and do their school work. In some of these schools, however, they are also forced to dress in school uniforms. This restriction is really too much. In America’s high schools, students should not be forced to wear uniforms because they take away a student’s sense of individuality, they do not allow for self-expression, and they absolutely do not save families any money.
First of all, students should not wear uniforms because they take away a student’s sense of individuality. Imagine this: 30 students sit in desks in a small classroom. Each student wears tan pants and a white shirt. They sit with their school books and papers in front of them. They all look exactly alike. Does this seem right? Of course not! We are all individuals! We are unique in many different ways. Why try to make all students look alike? This idea is supported by testimony from a 17-year-old student forced to wear uniforms. Her story was reported in National Catholic Reporter of March, 2002, and she said, "Everyone hated it. It completely killed any sense of individuality any one of us had. Everyone looked the same. It was sad to
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Duddles 2 watch" (3). Clearly, students with experience in wearing uniforms feel that they take away a sense of individuality.
Next, school uniforms do not allow students to express themselves. Teenagers are at an age where they are trying to establish their identity. Is it fair to prevent them from exploring self-expression by making them wear uniforms? By taking away a student’s right to choose what to wear, we also take away the opportunity to express oneself. For example, if a young woman is very interested in becoming a fashion designer, she may begin to take home economics classes