No, I'm strongly against school uniforms. It limits the students ability to express him/herself. As, in one case, a school restricted one student from wearing a Korn shirt [because metal apparently wasn't allowed/frowned upon in that school {which is ridiculous, in my opinion)].

Although, there should be a dress code, obviously, to prevent anything overly (and actually) inappropriate.

If my school had a dress code I probably would've gone even less. Why sit through lecture when you can't skirt chase at the same time?

Of course not.

What is the point of school? Might as well cut out a child's tongue so he doesn't interrupt class, break his legs so he can't move around and perhaps drive a nail through his forebrain so he can't think critically.

If school is for learning and thinking, then freedom of expression and thought is very important.

If school is for daycare of teens, then who gives a fuck.

The only arguments I have ever heard in support of school uniforms are: (1) that it diminishes bullying; and (2) it helps increase focus.

In response: (1) If schools are actually serious about addressing bullying then the solution is not to change what students wear (believe me students still get bullied - you look funny, you talk funny, etc.) but to actually seriously address incidents of bullying within schools. You need to create an inclusive and tolerant community wherein bullying is actively discouraged and appropriately responded to. One of the greatest problems surrounding bullying is the silence and ineptitude of the adult administration to handle it. (2) It just doesn't. I don't think very many students worry about their clothes to the point that they miss instruction (and if they do then it's their own fault and they'll either grow from that mistake or reap the consequences later on), and those that do would just find other distractions (e.g. how is my hair, is my make-up okay, is that cute girl/boy looking at me?, etc.).

Arguments against a strict dress code: (1) freedom of expression; (2) development of identity; (3) better allocation of energy and resources; and (4) strict dress codes are often discriminatory in terms of what is deemed acceptable and the student populations they target which in turn risks causing institutionalized bullying and marginalization of students by the institution.

My last post was a little BS and I felt bad about it, so here is my actual take on the issue:

My school didn't have assigned uniform and had a pretty light dress code. Miniskirts and sports bras were frowned upon, but generally everything else was fair game. Such was this dress code that the girls, for example, were able to wear low cut shirts or short shorts, as they often do in the real world. Being around these girls everyday made me comfortable with their real world attire, and also taught me valuable lessons, like "women don't like it when you stare their chest for long periods of time." This is a lesson I would have been without if my school forced all the girls to dress like nuns.

Schools that either segregate girls and boys, or have a uniform, or both, are not preparing their students for the real world because the real world is not divided based on sex and there is no universal uniform. It's better to learn to deal with the opposite gender (even if they're dressed like a skank) because you will almost certainly have to deal with the opposite gender both at and outside your place of work, and frequently people in the real world dress like skanks, so you ought to be prepared for that, as well. Schools that eliminate "distractions" for the sake of study aren't doing their students any favors, because the world is filled with distractions. Better to give the students the tools to deal with the distractions than to fruitlessly try to eliminate them altogether.

When the school is willing to pay for school clothes, they can mandate whatever they want. Until then, it's up to the parent.

School uniforms waste money, and is always hot and sweaty. We should not waste money on stupid school uniforms