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The History Of School Uniforms

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The uniform debate is one of the most hotly fought fights in the history of schools. Parents, teachers, administrators, and students seem to find it impossible to land on a middle ground on the topic. The topic of discussion is not going away, but rather growing. In 2000, twelve percent of public schools utilized uniforms. By 2013, that percentage was up to over twenty. Originally, uniforms were used as a means to set children of the upper class apart from those of the lower class (IES NCES). It was a quick way to show who has money and who was just scraping by. Recent statistics, however, indicate that they may have much more merit than merely a way to show prestige. Parents are constantly worrying about money, watching how much they are spending or saving like a hawk. It is no surprise that those opposing the dress code often bring up seemingly steep price of polo shirts and khaki skirts. However, when considering the average amount spent on uniforms per year versus the average amount spent on street clothes per year, the difference is daunting. Parents spend around $200 on uniforms per year for their children but $850 goes into the average yearly wardrobe of an American child. Since children spend around fifty percent of the 365 day year in a school uniform, only about $425 must be spent on street clothes. This means parents of children in uniform spend $625 annually on their children’s while parents of children who wear street clothes to school pay $850 annually. A

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