For the past 400 years, certain schools have required students to wear a school uniform. Originating in the United Kingdom, this practice was so that students had a sense of unity, and also served as identification to what school they belonged to. But should school uniforms be required in the 21st century, or more specifically, in schools in the Yorktown School District?

Yorktown graduate Sophia DiFrancia gives her two cents on the matter. “Let’s put it this way- if they’re ugly, you’re stuck with it.” Sophia does have a very good point with this very straightforward approach to the subject. Not having the ability to choose what you wear every day, especially as a teenager, can feel extremely restricting. Also, not loving what you wear can just lead to overall frustration.

Sophia isn’t the only one with an opinion about school uniforms, an anonymous Yorktown High School student commented, “I don’t think we should have school uniforms because I believe everyone should be able to express themselves.” The anonymous student brings up the very true point that, for teenagers specifically, clothing is a major form of expression. 

Continuing along these lines- “I think kids should be able to dress the way they like” asserted Lilly Cesarz, a junior at the Yorktown High School. The “pro-expression” stance seems to be a common stance that the students at Yorktown High School are taking.

“As someone who went to a school that required uniforms, I felt you wanted to dress in the styles that you prefer, and you also wanted to see other people’s fashion sense,” stated Laurie DiFrancia, who believes taking away the freedom to dress however you want would lead to boredom, as everyone would look exactly the same all the time.

On the other hand, how do the teachers feel about school uniforms? Ms. Soohoo, an English teacher at the Yorktown High School added, “They could help take away some of that social stress for kids.” 

Laurie has an identical approach claiming, “The upside to having a school uniform is that financial disparity is not as evident with everyone being dressed the same.” This is a tremendously important point to bring up because for kids going to schools where not everybody has the same financial situation, a mandatory school uniform can save them from feeling out of place. 

Another significant point made by an anonymous Yorktown High School student is that “[Uniforms are] easier than picking out what to wear.” It seems that based on opinion, uniforms can be useful when it comes to not feeling left out and when choosing what to wear to school every day.

While keeping all these riveting points in mind, how do you feel about wearing school uniforms in the Yorktown School District?