Across the nation the once popular notion of school uniforms is finding itself in disfavor. In the past ten years, many public schools have chosen uniforms as an answer to gang violence, high school shootings and other school ills. Yet the difficulty of enforcing a dress code has outweighed the benefits of a uniformed student body. An opt-out provision in many districts has led to the eventual demise of many uniform policies.
"Many people thought it would lead to better discipline, self esteem and cut down on competition," says Steven Korner, Ph.D. However, uniform policies have brought some unexpected problems. Teachers have been spending more time enforcing uniform policy and less time on teaching itself. Some problems, such as school violence, remain too complex to be dressed over with a simple uniform policy. One child psychologist spoke of an overweight client who was traumatized when he had to special order a uniform because of his size.
