Mandatory school uniforms are debatable as to whether they are preferred or not. Some would say they agree with uniforms, while others would disagree. The dispute is debatable and both sides have reasoned well. Personally, I say that all schools should have mandatory uniforms. School uniforms were originally used in the 1980s in Catholic schools. Public schools then began to be compared to Catholic schools, even adopting the fact of having uniforms. According to advocates, school uniforms are now used to help prevent gang representation, encourage discipline, increase school pride and decrease peer pressure or social barriers among students. Basically all students can be “equal,” which is a great thing. Solid color polo shirts and khaki or dark colored trousers are usually mandatory. Same thing for the ladies, but with skirts. (Probably something made up of school colors and/or logos.) Students are also often under pressure to fit in or keep up with the latest fashion trends, so having uniforms would balance them out to some extent. There are many reasons why having mandatory school uniforms for all schools is a good idea, but there are also many reasons why it would be good not to have them. Before expressing my personal opinion on why, it is necessary to explain the other reasoning as well. Unfortunately, having uniforms so everyone is the same can take away from self-expression. A student or individual will not have the same opportunity to express who they are and be themselves. Self-expression is an important thing and can be taken away by the simple act of dressing. Without this option, students may lose who they are as a person and not meet peers who are similar to them. Mandatory uniform...... middle of paper...... the latest fashion trends. Let's say that if one doesn't do this and wears something out of the ordinary, bullies are more likely to come into one's life and one chooses them just for their looks. This happens too often and dressing would be easier if everyone wore the same thing. In ONLY one sample survey, the University of Nebraska surveyed 1,000 students to find out if they had ever encountered a situation involving their clothing. 56% of students said they had been. This is MORE than half of the students and is simply a sample survey. The number would approximately increase the loads if more were detected. Works Cited “Do Uniforms Make Schools Better?” Great Schools. GreatSchools and Web. November 12, 2013. "School Uniforms: Pros and Cons." SFGate. Macy's and Web. November 12, 2013."What are the pros and cons of school uniforms?" WiseGEEK. WiseGEEK and Web. November 12. 2013.