common ground

All around the world, no matter the location, education stands to be one of the most important elements in a child’s life. Most parents are concerned that their child gets the best education possible, fits in with his or her peers, and to have the best possible experience he or she possibly can. Parents will search schools around the area they live and try to pick the best school that will give their child everything they need. However, when it comes to schools, there is one controversial issue that each school encounters, every year: whether or not the children in their school will be required to wear a uniform. In the article “The Pros and Cons of School Uniforms,” Michelle McDermott explains that 23% of schools in the United States require uniforms. Some parents want their children to go to a school with required uniforms, some parents do not want their kids to wear uniforms, and other parents could not care less on the issue. No matter where each parent stands on the issue, there will always be a few things that all parents will agree on, and that is the fact that they want their children to receive the best education they can. While talking on the subject of school uniforms, Alison Mitchell, a writer for the New York Times, quotes former President Clinton in her article titled “Clinton Will Advise Schools on Uniforms.” Clinton stated, “If it means that teen-agers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to require school uniforms.” President Clinton also said, “If it means that the schoolrooms will be more orderly, more disciplined, and that our young people will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside instead of what they're wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms." Agreeing with Clinton, some parents believe that children wearing uniforms makes the children and classroom more