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It’s 8:00 am and Khalil Holmes, age five, is finishing his breakfast and slipping into his burgundy cardigan sweater, the last piece of his school uniform. He keeps looking at himself in the mirror and asks, “Grandma, how do I look?” Mrs. Thompson, Khalil’s grandmother says she is glad he wears a uniform. “School is not a fashion show,” she says, adding that even at Khalil’s young age, “He is dressed for success.” Last February, the New York City Board Of Education President Bill Thompson proposed that the city's 555,000 public elementary school students be required to wear uniforms by fall of 1999. Under this new plan, individual schools and parent associations could vote against uniforms. At least 115 schools have initiated the policy. Last year 135,000 students wore uniforms an increase from 75,000 the prior year. As of October 31st of this past year, nearly half of the city’s public school students were in uniforms. When school opened in September, the Board of Ed counted 400 of the city’s 1,100 schools adhering to school dress codes which included uniforms. Another 137 schools reportedly voted against a dress code. According to Thompson, “If the city’s uniform policy is to be effective, as many schools as possible must participate, and parents must be informed of the benefits.” At P.S. 30 on East 128th Street in Manhattan, where Khalil Holmes attends school, more than 70% of the children wear uniforms. “I iron all of his uniforms at the beginning of the week, so he is able to get ready for school quickly,” says Mrs. Thompson. She also thinks the three uniforms her son purchased will last for the entire school year. Margaret Richardson, 40, a parent of two school-age children in the Bronx says she does not see anything wrong with children wearing uniforms. “It instills a senses of school pride and self esteem.” Richardson recalls when she attended elementary school in Jamaica in the West Indies she had to wear a “clean and pressed uniform” everyday. She says it is cheaper than trying to buy the latest designer jeans and sneakers for her two elementary school age children. “I insist my kids wear uniforms to school.” Bill Thompson, believes, uniforms will reduce friction over fashion. In turn, they will help curb school violence, and improve school spirit. He also believes dress codes will also boost reading scores by helping students focus on their schoolwork. There are no conclusive studies on the effects of uniforms on student's performance, however, and some educators caution that uniforms should not be viewed as a cure all. All the same, many parents and educators who have seen school uniforms in use rave about the benefits. Some even say uniforms help to keep the kids more focused and improve attendance as well. In a recent poll conducted by the Board of Education, support for uniforms was highest among minorities: 87% of African-American and 74% Hispanic parents surveyed supported a mandatory policy, while only 50% of white parents in the poll were in favor. Parents can end up paying widely varying prices for school uniforms according to a survey of 26 stores throughout New York City performed by the Consumer Affairs Department. Depending on whether they choose low- or high-end outfits, the average cost of a girl’s uniform is $57.22 or $85.06. For boys, the average is $68.28 or $98.98. The survey was based on outfitting a girl with five blouses, two pleated skirts, a cardigan and a tie, and for boys, five shirts, two pairs of pants, a cardigan and a tie. Thompson says the school uniforms that are required for PS 30 were less expensive than buying clothes for the school year, and she believes students are more focused. “City schools could use more discipline,” Mayor Guiliani has said in endorsing the proposal to require students to wear uniforms in public elementary schools. “I think it’s a very good idea, and I support it.” A 15-year-old, high school student, Taina Figueroa said she does not agree with the mandatory uniform policy and is fortunate it does not affect her. Figeueroa doesn’t believe the move will decrease school violence, however. “Gangs will be able to spot their rivals other ways,” she says. She also feels that dress codes won’t cover up socioeconomic differences. “Why not help children learn to accept differences than cover them up. The Board of Education needs to focus on real solutions to problems that plague public schools.”
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