Should High School Students be Required to Wear Uniforms?
             Uniforms have been a major issue to the school systems for many years. In the last forty years, public education has seen many changes in school dress styles. Many private and public schools have adopted a uniform policy, but other schools do not believe uniforms make a difference. In most present day public schools, students are permitted to choose what they wear with limited restraints. As most school districts allow the students this freedom, the schools are viewed by the public as a panacea for the ills of society. Schools are expected to solve all of America's social, economic, and political problems (Evans 139). The tragic incident at Columbine High School reveals a dress code allowing students to wear what they liked; however, the incident at Columbine may have happened anyway, with or without uniforms. School districts have been permitted to institute dress codes and many have established a written dress code (Evans 140). Uniforms do not help students concentrate more, they do not give the students a chance to express individuality, and they do not stop violence.
             Many schools have refrained from getting involved in school uniforms. Some opponents of uniforms argue that uniforms will not change the way a child learns. The push for school uniforms raises issues of student self-expression. These issues are raised as more school officials want to promote discipline and school pride through uniforms (Mauro). The UCLU states that requiring uniforms is a meaningless response to the problem of school violence. Nathan Hentoff, longtime advocate for student rights, strongly objects to uniforms and dress codes, which he calls "problematic" (Mauro).
             The debate about school uniforms is not a simple yes or no answer. Much of the answer depends on the chemistry that exists in a school between students and staff. Uniforms might appear to the public...