Facts About School Uniforms

In some schools in the United States, school uniforms are a requirement. School uniforms may be required for any number of reasons, including creating solidarity within the school, ensuring modesty and lessening distractions to enrich the educational process. While most schools do not require uniforms, the number has slightly risen over the years.

In the United States, schools that require uniforms are generally either private, prep, charter or religious schools, rather than public schools. While there are some variations in the actual rules of the uniforms, there is a somewhat of an unofficial standard across the board.

• For males, typically the requirement is for a collared shirt, such as a polo or button down shirt, or a sweater in weather that necessitates it, dress pants or slacks (shorts are also sometimes acceptable in warmer weather) and flat soled or dress shoes. Some schools also require a tie and blazer or jacket. 


• For females, the requirement may be slightly more varied. Acceptable female attire may include a polo or sweater, a skirt, skorts, jumper style dresses, culottes, tights and flat soled or dress shoes. In some schools, dress pants or slacks may be an acceptable alternative to the skirts, dresses, etc. for females. There are also often specific color guidelines for uniforms.


• Some schools issue the uniforms directly from the school itself, while other schools choose to provide a list of uniform guidelines and allow the students and/or parents to purchase the clothing from a merchant of their own choosing.


• As of the 2007/2008 school year, only 18 percent of schools required uniforms. However, this number was an increase from the previous 12 percent requirement back in the 1999/2000 school year.

While many people are opposed to school uniforms, more often than not, parents and students have options when choosing schools. Therefore, they do often have a choice on whether or not to enroll in a school that has these requirements. Even for students or parents who were without a choice and were initially opposed to the uniforms, often they will later decide that they prefer them and feel the reasons for them are valid and beneficiary.