In the UK, one can purchase an entire school uniform for...
School uniforms are good
The first point that my opponent brings up is that school uniforms are too expensive, particularly as children grow out of them. This is simply not true, especially when the uniforms are basic. In fact, according to experts, uniform prices cannot drop any further while still maintaining a profit. In the UK, one can purchase an entire school uniform for less than �5, approximately $8 US currency. When compared to designer clothing, one can see that an entire outfit for $8 is much less likely to break the bank than a $50 pair of jeans. In addition to the already low price, most schools that require uniforms will provide them for free to students who are unable to afford them. My opponent also argues that individuality and freedom of expression are compromised by uniforms. My counter-point is: The clothes do not make the person. If a student cannot be an individual without altering his or her physical appearance, then that student has no real individuality to speak of. When everybody wears the same thing, personality tends to become the distinguishing factor. A student who is required to wear a uniform may indeed come out of the experience with more developed individuality in non-physical facets. Schools with uniforms are also required to make exceptions for clothing worn for religious beliefs and some even let students opt out of the uniform altogether. My opponent is under the impression that school uniforms will not cut down bullying among students, but with a little logical thought and statistics from previous studies I believe I can prove otherwise. First, my thought process. With school uniforms, students are unable to tell by sight which students are wealthy and which are poor. Since two of the main reasons students are bullied are appearance and social status, it follows that minimizing these factors in the school environment will also minimize bullying. Now for the statistics. The Long Beach unified school district in California mandated school uniforms in 1994 and in just 5 years saw significant results. Regarding the school system, crime rates dropped 91%, school suspensions dropped 90%, sex offences dropped 96%, and vandalism dropped 69%. These results may be in part because students feel more business-like in a uniform and are able to stay more school-oriented. I thank my opponent for his engaging argument and look forward to our next round of debate. My sources are as follows. http://www.bbc.co.uk... http://www.education.com... http://www.terrebonneparish.com... http://kidshealth.org... http://www.educationbug.org...