The cons outweigh the pros when it comes to making private school students wear school uniforms.
Who wants to be told what to wear to school?
Why would you want to dress like everyone else at school?
I understand why schools make it mandatory for their students to wear conforming uniforms, but I do not fully agree with it.
Identical clothing unites the school community, reduces distractions and creates an environment free from competition and peer judgment.
On the other hand, students are withheld the freedom to choose their own outfit and dress themselves how they please.
I do not think wearing the same thing as everyone else to school is beneficial for the student body.
Being able to dress how you want is a freedom we are given in this country.
Expressing yourself through style should be encouraged, not hindered.
If we all dressed the same there would be no such thing as individuality.
I went to public high school where we were allowed to wear whatever we wanted as long as it conformed to the school’s dress code and I feel that it was important for my classmates and myself to be able to do so.
Statisticbrain.com says 19 percent of public schools required uniforms in 2009 to 2010.
School uniforms are not cheap either.
Annual school uniform sales in the United States have topped $1.3 billion.
The average annual cost to parents for school uniforms is $249.
Not only do these uniforms hinder the students’ ability to express themselves through style, but they cost a good chunk of money as well.
Personally, I like the look of school uniforms.
Khaki pants, a button-up shirt and a blazer is a very classy outfit I must say.
I would not be opposed to wearing this outfit if I was the only one and I was not being forced to wear it.
I interviewed two students at Missouri Baptist University on their thoughts on school uniforms and the outcome was just as I expected: The one who did not have to wear uniforms in grade school was not for the uniforms, and the one who did was all for them.
“I never went to a school that made it mandatory that students wear matching uniforms. I do not think any schools should make their students wear uniforms because that takes away from the student’s individuality,” said Taylor Klingelhoefer, junior at MBU and graduate of O’Fallon High School.
Not everyone thinks that school uniforms are a bad idea, some actually think they make a positive difference.
“Wearing my school uniform every day made me feel I was a part of the student body. I have always had to wear a uniform, so I am not really sure what it is like to wear casual clothes to school, (that) would feel weird,” said Austin Shearer, graduate of MBU and Elkhart Christian Academy.
Wearing a school uniform is not a bad thing, but it can take away from the individual growth each student goes through while in grade school.
There are many opinions on the topic and each side has credible arguments, but I say let the students wear what they want (within reason) and let them express themselves like they want to.
Triston Buckley 
Emily Retzer