Many public schools around the nation are deciding to have school uniforms because they think it will help students Public schools in Wilson County, Tennessee and ALVIN, TEXAS now require that all students K-12 where uniforms. Now the biggest problem most kids are saying about this is now am going to look ugly or like a nerd. But there is even a bigger problem then that; it goes against the Freedom of Speech. In the Supreme Court case in Tinker v. Des Moines they found that where clothing is another way of expressing your self and
individuals doing so is protected under the Freedom Of Speech. Even in public school the Supreme Court found that:
"In our system, state-operated schools may not be enclaves of totalitarianism. School officials do not possess absolute authority over their students. Students in school as well as out of school are 'persons' under our Constitution."
-- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas, Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969)
Even though it is protected many adults feel they have a right to trample over students right whenever they feel that it will “help the kids”. Some reasons why they might want to put uniforms in school is because it will help reduce cliques, that poor kids and rich kids will look the same and so on and so on. Well those arguments are stupid. I was in schools that had uniforms and we still had the popular group that made fun of everyone else. The poor kids still did not have as nice as shoes, jewelry, even uniforms as the rich kids did and where made fun of. The fat kids where picked on even more because the uniforms the school picked out did not look good on anyone but the skinny people.
Some other reasons why not to have uniforms in public schools is because of religion. I have many friends who are Muslim and whey are not allowed by their religion to show things like ankles and hair. The uniforms now days restrict on Muslims. And then if we say that everyone but the Muslims has to where the uniforms the divides the peers even more
The answer is kids want to experiment with there ideas and some of that is by experiment through what they where and that is protected under the constitution and there is no reason that will give the school a right to trample over the students rights to freedom of expression.
By MaRcEa
