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Conclusion
When they are justified by a school’s circumstances, wisely conceived in
collaboration with the community, and coupled with other appropriate
interventions, dress codes and school-uniform policies may positively influence
school climate, student behavior, and academic success. However, it is critical
to keep such policies in proper perspective and avoid overestimating or
exaggerating their potential benefits.
Forest (1997) contends that instituting student uniforms to stop violence is
akin to applying “a bandage on an enormous wound, instead of attempting to find
ways of truly dealing with the bleeding.” Lane, Richardson, and Van Berkum
(1996) warn that “any belief that schools can control society’s problems by
regulating what students wear or how they wear it, is hopeful at best, and
hopelessly simplistic at worst.”
Above all, according to researchers and experienced administrators, any dress
code or uniform policy must be justifiable, reasonable, and manageable. The
challenge for school officials is to develop dress codes and uniform policies
that respond to the needs of their district or school without being unduly
restrictive. Forcing dress codes or uniforms without the cooperation of the
whole school community only invites problems.
Yet, in spite of the best intentions and input of school board members, parents,
and even students, the onus for implementing and enforcing a dress code or
uniform policy ultimately falls on principals and teachers. Principals and
teachers must continually work to balance school safety and academic achievement
with students’ rights and individualism, not an easy task. And adding the job of
“fashion police” to teachers’ already heavy workloads is bound to put a strain
on individual teachers, schools, and even districts.
With more empirical research will come more enlightened dress-code policies;
with more successes will come more cooperation. And in time, who knows? Dress
codes and uniforms may become de rigueur, or they may become outmoded and fade
away like last year’s fashions.
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