Uniform Persuasive Letter

Kaylie Cruz
123 Spork Lane
Fork Town, CA, 37890

Dear Mrs. Cruz,

In 1996, only 3% of public schools in the United States made uniforms mandatory. As of today, 21% of public schools use uniforms and it is raising graduation rates. In 2005, a professor, Virginia Daa reviewed attendance at all Ohio public schools who used uniforms and compared them with attendance scores of public schools without uniforms in the area. She concluded that the proficiency and graduation rates are above average at 64 public school in Ohio with uniforms. This study shows that uniforms are a good investment in students, schools, and parents time, money, and best interests. I believe that students in public schools should wear uniforms because it promotes community spirit, focuses learning, and demonstrates equality.

Community spirit is something all schools try to enforce but some kids are just not into pep rallies or school football games. If uniforms become mandatory at public school then everyone can feel like they belong to the school. It’s just like if you play on a sports team like soccer or baseball. They give you a uniform so the team will look like a team and the kids will belong to the sport. If you make the uniform something all kids have to do they will feel unified and this will prevent clothing cliques. Some say that uniforms are a waste of money, still doesn't prevent other types of cliques and can make some students look bad, but most clothes that kids by nowadays are more expensive. Cliques can never be totally eliminated because they are groups that kids fit in to. Uniforms make everyone feel like they belong somewhere and it feels good to feel that way.

Without the distraction of getting dressed in the morning students can focus on why they are at school in the first place, to learn. PBS asked a teenage girl in a high school that had uniforms about getting ready in the morning. She stated that at her middle school they didn’t use uniforms so it took a really long time for her to get ready in the morning, but when she entered high school the uniform eliminated that amount of time it took her to get dressed. Also, if school social life wasn’t so focused on whose shirt is the coolest then the new focus would be on learning and their educations. Some people may say that may interfere with a student’s “self-expression”, but clothes isn’t the only way you can express yourself. There are so many other options like art, or sports, or hobbies that express themselves the same amount or even more that clothing does.

Among the reasons why school uniforms are a good idea, the most strongly stated one is that they promote equality. Distinctions made on the basis of economic status are reduced. With everyone dressed alike, there is a hope that kids will judge others based on character instead of the clothes they wear. Some people can’t afford the new trend or those cute boots everyone is wearing, but with uniforms we don’t need to worry about this. Everyone is the same and this shows students that just because someone might look different than you doesn’t mean they can’t fit in. Equality is something everyone is trying to achieve nowadays and frankly, if uniforms don’t demonstrate equality, I don’t know what does. School uniforms are costly and buying a lot of them can be challenging, but they are usually less than most things kids wear today. The average uniform is around $60. Studies show that the average cost of a wardrobe of a girl is over $1,000. Five uniforms cost $300, which is significantly less than $1,000.

In conclusion, the adoption of a uniform policy is something public schools should adopt because it uses less time, money, and energy that need to be put towards learning and other things. If the uniform policy is used among more public schools maybe more people will graduate and go to college, and therefore put educated, equal people in the government, in school, and in homes.

Sincerely,

Talia Matityahu
345 Manzanita Way, Woodside
CA, 94052