Proponents of school uniforms claim the classroom is turning into a stage to showcase the latest fashion trends instead of a place to learn. And these feelings of inferiority, can also affect school performance. Advocates say that by introducing uniforms, competition among students about clothing will be eliminated and they will focus on their education. Rose Zanders, a mother whose children attend Strong School, loves the uniforms. And, their sense of belonging to a school is strengthened, too.
Proponents also point to the substantial savings school uniforms offer parents.
Instead of buying expensive new fashions throughout the school year, parents only have to buy the prescribed uniform at the start of the year. It eliminates any arguments about what to wear to school. School uniforms appear to be successful, but critics claim there is no evidence that school uniforms effectively increase student achievement or lessen violence and theft. Small classes, new computers, and modern, safe school buildings would be most effective in producing dramatic, long-lasting improvements while the issue of uniforms is only a diversion, he says. But the uniform policies implemented nationwide are targeted at elementary and middle schools, when most problems are in high school.