Assignment #14: Persuasive Essay: Uniforms

If I were to be called to the principal’s office to share my thoughts and opinions on whether we should have school uniforms at our high school I would tell her that I do not think that we should have school uniforms at our school. I think this because I haven't had to wear uniforms for three years now and I haven't had trouble with my peers or with the school. I think that having uniforms would be bad because high school is the short amount of time you have before you become a full grown adult living on your own in the world, and in that world you don't have to wear uniforms all the time. However, there are cases where you would have to which could be at a job. Other than that women would have to learn how to respect their bodies and dress right where ever they happen to be going and the men would have to learn how to dress too. This is not just about uniforms. There is a bigger picture here in the end. The people my age, my generation, we are going to be different we have many different things than the last generation already and were not even fully grown. Were the ones that are going to have to grow up and try to fix this world. Uniforms are just a small part of the responsibility that we are going to have to take on and if we are faced with the challenge of learning how to dress appropriately then that's just one more responsibility on our plate, it's only going to make us that much stronger. I think that it will make us stronger in the sense that we will be able to handle both the bigger and the smaller responsibilities that are put in front of us.


My main reason for argument against school uniforms is because, in most cases, many children had been wearing school uniforms their whole life so they know how it's done. In high school though we stop wearing our uniforms and move on to either more formal clothing or just the everyday attire. We do have to learn how to dress ourselves though because in the long run were the ones that are going out into the world once we graduate high school and sometimes were going to have to make choices and one of those choices may be what we wear. Most girls my age are interested in how they look right now than the boys my age. This just means that the boys my age still need time to mature and they can do this while were in high school. That is where we learn, that is the place where we make mistakes and it's ok.

I know that the school board or the principal might have their own argument that may sound something like this, "In the real world there are going to be situations where you are going to have to wear uniforms, and what are you going to do then? How are you going to handle that situation if you don't practice now while you’re still in high school?" This is what I would say to them, "There are going to be times when we’re going to have to wear uniforms at any various job, I know that. This is the fact though, we have worn uniforms before, it's not like we haven't. If that does happen we would be responsible enough to handle the situation because obviously we were responsible enough to even go out and look for that job. If we really wanted or maybe even needed that job, you’re going to wear the uniform, wouldn't you?"

I have researched on the internet that most high schools do not demand the uniform policy. It is mostly enforced by private schools or religious schools, which usually include all the grades kinder through the twelfth grade. These schools have very responsible kids attending them but so do the public schools that don't require the use of uniforms. Anyone can do something if they just put their minds to it. At my school I know that we don't have to wear uniforms and it is working out just fine and the kids look great "rocking" their new outfits. It is said at our school, mostly by administrators, that we can do anything we want in life and we WILL graduate highs school and we WILL graduate college. If everyone thinks this and believes this then why can't they trust us with the fact that we know how to dress appropriately and with dignity all the time? I just think that this is something that the people my age can handle and if one person messes up then only that person should be punished. They could be sent home or given clothes that the school has provided and there the problems solved it all just depends on the students because we have to be the responsible ones in the situation. I also know that there are solutions if this ever becomes a problem, which it shouldn't become.

In conclusion, if I were called down to the principal’s office or asked in front of the school board about my opinion and thoughts about school uniforms I would agree that high schools should not have to wear them. I think this for a number of reasons the main ones being, we have to learn how to be in the real world, we have to take responsibility for our actions when we abuse our privilege, and we have to show the people who do and don't believe in us that we do take responsibility for ourselves. If this ever became a problem the solution would be to make us wear uniforms. This is a privilege and not a right to not have to wear uniforms during school and if we break the rules then obviously there has to be consequences. I think that we can handle it though. I do think that we, as in us teenagers, can definitely handle this situation because we have been doing well for three years in a row now, the kids in my grade and school anyway.