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Uniforms in Public Schools Essay Since crime is a staple in almost every community, it only follows that public schools, as indispensable institutions in the community, may be vulnerable to criminal predicaments, if not inevitable victims of crime altogether. Crimes in public schools range from trivial to serious cases. According to a DPI news release, most of these crimes have something to do with possession, be of illegal substances, firearms, and explosives, or even petty alcohol (DPI, 2006). However, although not as rampant, crimes in public schools also involve robberies, as well as physical and sexual assaults. Even more alarming nowadays is the fact that public schools can also become targets of massacres or killings sprees, as was proven by the Virginia Tech incident in a CNN article dated April 17, 2007 (CNN, 2007). Thus, the current situation of public schools becomes rather alarming, and parents worry about their children who are in school. Marcus Nieto, author of Security and Crime Prevention Strategies in California Public Schools, says that the causes of school crimes vary along with different perspectives regarding the matter (Nieto, 1999). Joel Turtel, author of Public Schools, Public Menace, on the other hand, states that some consider lack of discipline in schools a primary cause, while others believe that it is lack of moral values and parental guidance (Turtel, 2005). Facts show that drug use is also a precipitant of school crime and violence, and there are those who maintain that it is due to â€Å"glorified violence† in culture and the media (Nieto, 1999). Survey shows that negligence of parents is also a contributing factor, and was also identified in a CNN poll as one of the top three causes of crimes in schools along with access to guns and the media (Nieto, 1999). Numerous strategies have already been and are being employed to prevent such crimes within schools. Such preventive measures range from simple and inexpensive to downright elaborate. Simple preventive measures include â€Å"assigning teachers in hallways, grouping troubled students in alternative schools, and requiring visitor registration (Nieto, 1999). † Other strategies involve creating a peaceful ambiance conducive to teaching and learning through â€Å"comprehensive school-safety plans, zero-tolerance policies for drugs and weapons, and community collaboration (Nieto, 1999). † More elaborate preventive measures include providing telephones for each classroom, installing surveillance systems, stationing of uniformed police officers and creating anonymous hotlines and websites through which anyone in possession of weapons and other illegal material can be reported. The U. S. Department of Education states in the Manual on School Uniforms that the increasing violence within schools prompts parents and faculty members to subscribe to the implementation of a school uniform policy (Department of Education, 1996). According to Linda Lumsden, the associate editor, and Gabriel Miller, a research analyst and writer for ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management at the University of Oregon, the matter of school safety is a concern that renders the idea of a dress code or uniform policy rather attractive (Lumsden Miller, 2002). However, the implementation of a uniform policy cannot possibly solve the crime problem altogether. The U. S. Department of Education furthers in the Manual on School Uniforms that â€Å"uniforms by themselves cannot solve all the problems of school discipline, but they can be one positive contributing factor to discipline and safety. † II. Presentation of Proposal A mandatory school policy may not be the entire solution for the growing levels of violence and public school crimes. However, it can contribute significantly, though indirectly, to the maintenance of a safe and disciplined environment that is conducive to learning (Department of Education, 1996). Moreover, the implementation of a dress code or school uniform policy comes along with several more benefits. The benefits enumerated by the U. S. Department of Education include: â€Å"decreasing violence and theft—even life-threatening situations—among students over designer clothing or expensive sneakers, helping prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at school, instilling students with discipline, helping parents and students resist peer pressure, helping students concentrate on their school work, and helping school officials recognize intruders who come to the school (Department of Education, 1996). † More importantly, as one parent commented at a forum regarding dress code policies via internet e-mail, uniforms can help students take school more seriously with a renewed respect for that place where they are being prepared for the future, where they will, most likely, also be required to observe a dress code. III. Summary and Rebuttal of Opposing Views Studies may have shown that no difference exists between students who are in uniform and those who are not. However, a mandatory uniform policy provides a sort of equality among students, for the same dress code will more or less reduce the superficial gap between the impoverished and the well-off. This will then lessen the pressure among students, especially adolescents, to dress in order to fit in (Middleweb, 2000). The implementation of a dress code policy may also be contested by another counter-argument, that is, a required dress code will further challenge the purchasing power of families from the poorer neighborhoods. According to the U. S. Department of Education, non-uniform outfits are usually more expensive than uniforms. According to an August 2002 article of the Wall Street Journal, the cost of uniforms range from $25-$40 per outfit (NAESP, 2002). An article from USA Today states that parents more or less spend $185 for non-uniform outfits for each child. Nevertheless, implementation of a uniform policy might still be a burden for families who cannot afford them (NAESP, 2002). Still, school districts can come up with provisions to assist those families. For instance, the school itself can provide uniforms to the students who cannot afford them (Department of Education, 1996). Community and business leaders can also provide financial assistance, and school parents can help each other provide uniforms for their children (Department of Education, 1996). The school alumni can also donate their used uniforms to the less privileged (Department of Education, 1996). IV. The Justification for the Proposal Argument A. Feasibility The implementation of a uniform dress code in public schools is highly feasible, as many school districts have already required their students to observe a dress code. Cherry Hill Elementary was the first public school to subscribe to a mandatory uniform policy (NAESP, 2002). Then Long Beach Unified School District in California followed suit in 1994 (NAESP, 2002). Since then, more and more schools have adopted uniforms. Promowear listed the top ten cities with the most schools with a uniform policy, namely: Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York, Houston, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington DC, New Orleans, Detroit, Jacksonville FL, and Atlanta (NAESP, 2002). B. Cost-Effective As a proposition of policy, the implementation of a uniform policy in public schools calls for a change in the status quo. Thus, the cost of this change must be considered. However, if the advantages are weighed against the disadvantages, the implementation of a uniform policy in public schools is cost-effective. As was mentioned above, a mandatory uniform policy comes with several benefits while the disadvantages are only minimal. Furthermore, the disadvantages comprised by the supposed repression of self-expression and additional expenses can be addressed. The U. S. Department of Education recommends that the uniform policy should not prohibit wearing â€Å"expressive items† with uniforms like pins or buttons, for instance, â€Å"so long as such items do not independently contribute to disruption by substantially interfering with discipline or with the rights of others (Department of Education, 1996). † The financial dilemmas can also be solved, as was already mentioned above. C. Does it work? The uniform policy apparently works, as many schools, both public and private, have already been observing a mandatory uniform policy for years. D. How will it be implemented? According to the U. S. Department of Education, the decision to implement a mandatory uniform policy is made by â€Å"states, local school districts, and schools (Department of Education, 1996). † Moreover, in the Manual on School Uniforms by the U. S. Department of Education, it is stated that parents and faculty members must also be involved in the evaluation on whether or not to adopt school uniforms (Department of Education, 1996). V. Moral Acceptability Since there exists an assumption that students have a right to liberty of expression, a sort of controversy springs in the midst of the idea of implementing a dress code. â€Å"Although students retain constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression, the Supreme Court has held that these rights are limited (Madrid Garcia, 1999). † In fact, the Supreme Court has recently articulated that schools can instill students with â€Å"state sponsored values and ideals;† hence, school officials have the power to regulate expression, especially if they distract such values. Another warrant or assumption might be the aforementioned notion that uniformed students are no different from those who are not. Again, the matter of concern is not individual differences but the safety and well-being of the learning environment and the school population as a whole. VI. Conclusion A mandatory school uniform policy may not be the entire solution to the predicaments regarding crime and violence within public schools, but its positive contributions to making the school environment safe, disciplined, and conducive to learning must be considered. The adoption of a school uniform policy may entail minute disadvantages, but these can be addressed and are minimal compared to the benefits a uniform or dress code policy provides. The students only have to realize that it is for their own good. CNN. (2007). Witness survives by pretending to be dead. Retrieved April 25, 2007, from www. cnn. com/2007/US/04/16/vtech. shooting/index. html Department of Education, U. S. (1996). Manual on School Uniforms [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 03, 2007 from http://www. ed. gov/updates/uniforms. html. DPI. (2006). Latest Annual Report on School Crime and Violence Released. from www. dpi. state. nc. us/newsroom/news/2005-06 Lumsden, L. , Miller, G. (2002). Dress Codes and Uniforms [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 03, 2003 from http://www. naesp. org/ContentLoad. do? contentId=417. Madrid, M. J. , Garcia, E. A. (1999). STUDENT DRESS CODES: Constitutional Requirements and Policy Suggestions [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 03, 2007 from http://www. modrall. com/articles/article_13. html. Middleweb. (2000). Some Thoughts About School Uniforms. Retrieved May 03, 2007, from http://www. middleweb. com/INCASEUniforms. html NAESP. (2002). Public School Uniforms [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 03, 2007 from http://www. naesp. org/ContentLoad. do? contentId=929. Nieto, M. (1999). Security and Crime Prevention Strategies in California Public Schools. Retrieved May 03, 2007, from www. library. ca. gov/crb/99/12/99-012. pdf Turtel, J. (2005). Public School Prisons. Retrieved April 26, 2007, from www. homefires. com/articles/public_school_prisons. asp