The Value of School Uniforms

The subject of implementing the use of school uniforms into schools has been circulating for years, gaining momentum during the late 1980's and increasing steadily throughout the early 1990's.

The movement has received several boosts in the last year or two, the biggest being President Clinton's endorsement of the use of school uniforms during his State of the Union address in January of 1996. Concerning student safety, he said: "...school uniforms are one step that may be able to help break this cycle of violence, truancy and disorder by helping young students understand that what really counts is what kind of people they are, what's on the inside." As part of his efforts, the Department of Education distributed a manual to all the nations 16,000 school districts with suggestions on how to make school uniforms mandatory and reviews of several 'model' programs.

This nationwide uniform effort is rooted in strategies being developed to assist in restoring order to unruly classrooms, promote self-discipline and a greater responsibility for personal appearance, improve self-esteem among the student population, and invoke a higher feeling of school pride and community within the school.

A uniform should also, over a period of time, reduce the cost of providing school clothes and reduce the competition of students based on name-brand clothing.

There have been several successful programs implemented during the past few years, with the Long Beach, California program being by far the most widely reviewed and written about. The program began in the fall of 1994 and requires uniforms for 70,000 students from K-8th grades. With a 98% compliance rate, results during their first years have been dramatic. The first year alone, the school saw a 43% reduction in suspensions, 54% fewer fights, 70% reduction in substance abuse, over 20% fewer cases of weapons possession and robbery, and over 50% reduction in reports of battery against employees. Other school systems nationwide reported similar statistics. And while those improvements cannot be linked entirely to the use of school uniforms, they are none the less part of a growing trend seen as school uniforms.

From our experience here at Catholic Supply, we believe the following factors need to be considered when establishing a school uniform policy:

#1 The program will work best if it is mandatory.
#2 It is better to begin the program in lower grades (K-5) and let
        the policy grow with the students into the higher grades.
#3 Your school should only deal with a qualified uniform retailer
        who carries a full selection of quality uniforms year-round.
#4 Choosing the style of garments should involve parents,
        students, teachers and administration.
#5 Garments should be durable and readily available in all sizes
        from a source that stocks the uniform all year.
#6 The program must address and provide for seasonal options.
#7 A uniform recycling program where uniforms are sold/traded
        is helpful to parents.

Thank you for visiting our school uniform web site!
For more information or to schedule a presentation of our products and services, please contact Jan at (314) 644-0643 or jan@catholicsupply.com.