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Are School Uniforms Useful?

Education Issues

September, 1997

More school children are starting back to classes this year in uniforms. The idea is that uniforms will help create an orderly atmosphere in which learning can take place more easily. It's a trend public education specialists like -- up to a point.

The practice began in Long Beach, Calif., three years ago, and the schools there have seen a sharp drop in vandalism and crime.

  • This year in Chicago, 371 out of 557 public schools require uniforms.
  • In Dallas, 81 of 147 public elementary schools do.
  • The trend is making inroads in other cities, including Sacramento, Phoenix, Seattle, Kansas City, Memphis and Baltimore.
Uniforms, admirers say, make a statement about authority, namely that the school has it. But analysts argue that simply enforcing a dress code is a beginning, not an end in itself. Schools must use their authority to place a value on orderly conduct, good behavior and firmly-held values, these analysts say.

Source: Editorial, "Uniforms, Clean Bathrooms, Better Schools," Investor's Business Daily, September 5, 1997.

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