Students attending schools with mandatory uniform policies experience less pressure than do students who must choose their wardrobes. This is because school uniforms allow students and their parents to save money and time. The financial investment in uniforms at the beginning of the school year is far more economical than the purchase of an entire wardrobe of designer clothes and trendy styles. Students who do not have to deliberate what to wear each morning are able to invest their time in more productive ways, such as studying for tests or finishing homework. Uniforms may stifle students’ self-expression, but there are many other ways for them to reveal their individuality at school. Which fact best supports the author’s position?
On average, school uniforms cost $150 a year, which is much less than the average spent on back-to-school clothes.
Parents have the right to exempt their children from wearing school uniforms, but they must meet with an administrator to discuss the issue.
In 1994, a school district in California implemented a school uniform policy in grades K-8, which affected more than 60,000 students.
To assist schools in establishing a uniform policy, the US Department of Education has created an online manual.