Meet Isaiah, he is 8 years old and goes to his local public elementary school where is bullied every day. Isaiah tries to put up with it, but as time goes on, his grades drop, and his motivation to go to school every day diminishes quickly. Even though Isaiah is extremely funny, and is very talented, he isn't even given the chance because he lacks the ability to wear the newest trendiest clothes. Meet Isaiah's mother, she is a single mother taking care of 3 children and works 2 jobs. There is no lack of love for her children, but there is a lack of money to be able to pay for Isaiah and his siblings to get new clothes every year before school starts. Sadly, Isaiah isn't the only child who struggles with the embarrassment and harassment that comes with the inability to wear the newest trends in fashion. Isaiah's mother moved him to a local private school that requires all students to wear a fixed uniform every day. He is no longer bullied and had a genuine liking for school. His grades went up significantly and he can't wait to go to school every day.

Isaiah’s situation is nothing new, children in public schools are bullied on the grounds of how they look and what they wear all the time. Treatment like this has an effect on a child's mental and physical state, which may lead to poor performance in school or even self-harm. Change must start somewhere, and the implementation of school uniforms will begin to help these issues. Although some would argue that school uniforms encourage conformity, destroy the individuality of students, and lower students self-esteem, I believe that the implementation of school uniforms will not only level the playing field amongst students, but will also reduce gang activity/colors and distractions caused by clothing from the school and classrooms and may begin to increase the attendance, performance, and decrease violence in public schools.

School uniforms are nothing new, the first evidence of school uniforms dates back to 16th century England, where they wore “a robe-like outfit called the ‘cappa clause” (procon.org). In countries like the United Kingdom, South Africa, and many parts of Asia, a strict school uniform is required for all students. Although the uniform itself has definitely evolved, the idea still stays true to this day. The earliest uses of school uniforms were to promote cohesion and the ability for students to be able to fit in regardless of their socioeconomic background. The idea of the uniform has gone from the traditional slacks and tie to a more modern khaki bottom and polo-type shirt. The effects of this show that over time, the use of school uniforms has gone beyond the level playing field as they began to see the effect on attendance, grades, and violence levels. As time went on, leaders in places like the United States started to realize that the use of uniforms was producing positive results, and continued to implement them. It quickly spread throughout the world.

The United States started to see the rapid implementation of uniforms, and decided to test it out “in Maryland and Washington, D.C., in the fall of 1987, with Cherry Hill Elementary School in Baltimore, MD” (procon.org). From there on, it made its way quickly into mostly all private schools and begins to make its way into public schools. In the 2015-2015 school year, nearly 1 in 5 public schools have incorporated a uniform into their dress code. It has been found to decrease bullying levels and increase performance levels. Students can learn a lot from getting into this habit such as the ideas of discipline and professional dress at a young age can provide students with a great advantage in life.