Editorial: Student uniforms a no-brainer

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002 | 8:32 a.m.

Six elementary schools and two junior high schools in the southeastern region of the Clark County School District are polling parents to see if there is enough support for a mandatory uniform policy. If a policy were adopted, jeans would be out; khaki, blue and white clothing in approved styles would be in. The Clark County School District has a voluntary school uniform policy, but an optional dress code really is no code at all. A voluntary uniform policy undermines the reasons why a code is needed.

As was clear from a story last week by Sun reporter Emily Richmond, clothing can be a distraction in schools. The competition among children to wear the latest fashion at times can seem to rival the ferocity of the Cold War arms race. One junior high school student told Richmond that she opposed the policy because "girls have to look cute." Meanwhile, a handful of junior high school boys told Richmond that uniforms would make it difficult for boys to figure out "what kind of bodies" girls have. Those remarks alone show why a uniform policy is needed.

Uniforms also cut down on gang-related violence and, in a benefit that many parents appreciate, they cut down on a student's clothing costs. The one-upsmanship in clothing also can hurt the self-esteem of children from lower-income families who don't have enough money to buy designer clothes. Still, the initial cost of outfitting a family with uniforms could be a burden on some needy parents, including those who have families that are homeless. But Edward Goldman, superintendent of the 56 schools in the southeast region of the Clark County School District, said that the schools would ensure that students without the money would receive their clothing for free.

Some parents will object to uniforms, saying that they will restrict their children's freedom of expression. But it's long been established that schools have the right to impose dress codes. Uniforms are hardly revolutionary -- they were a staple at many public schools until the early 1970s.

Uniforms won't instantly make kids smarter -- better school facilities, improved teaching and additional education funding are more important factors. But by the same token, uniforms can help restore some discipline and reinforce to students that they are at school to learn -- and nothing but good can come from that.