When you think of school uniforms, what pops into your head? Do you automatically think of Catholic school students with their plaid skirts and knee-high socks? When I was in high school, I immediately would have refused to wear a school uniform. However, now, as a future educator, I see the lasting benefits of school uniforms, including keeping your children safe.

You might be thinking, "How in the world do school uniforms make such a difference?" Well, it's bigger than you may think. It can improve students' behaviors in the classroom. A professor from Youngstown State University conducted a study that observed 64 schools all across Ohio reviewing attendance, graduation, and proficiency rates. The professor was shocked to find that schools with uniform policies had higher attendance, graduation, and suspension rates. Another study conducted looked specifically into the attendance rates in middle and high school students. For girls in schools with a uniform policy, their attendance was 0.3 percent higher than girls with no school uniform policy (about a half day of school). Although that doesn't seem like much, that would be 3-4 classes that the student could be missing.

There are other non-academic benefits for school uniforms. For example, it takes students less time in the mornings to get ready. A testimonial from a female student who wears uniforms states that she was talking to a friend who said it takes her 45 minutes to get ready for school without a uniform, while the girl with the school uniform said it takes her about three minutes to get ready. Less time spent in the morning means that there is less of a chance of students being late to school, feeling rushed in the morning, and it even gives students more time to do homework.

One of the most surprising things about school uniforms is that it can make students safer. In the tragic world of school shootings, we need to make schools safer, as well as make gun control stricter. One of the ways to fix this is with school uniforms. If all of your students are wearing uniforms and someone walks in wearing street clothes, it is easier to identify them and catch them faster. Another safety issue is theft of clothing. If a student were to have an expensive coat and bring it to school, it could definitely be coveted by other students. Some of the students may try to steal the clothes from the student's locker, backpack, etc. Also, in areas of gang violence, it can prevents fights from students who might wear colors to represent their respective gangs.

Some of you reading may say, "Wait, but having students wear school uniforms is stifling their freedom of speech!" Yes, people do wear clothes to express themselves, but they can also express themselves in other ways. Some examples include the ways that they style their hair, paint their nails, do their makeup, etc. In some places, school uniforms are also changeable. You can wear a turtleneck and a skirt one day, then a polo and khakis the next. Overall, freedom of speech is not one hundred percent oppressed with school uniforms.

To go even further with this, I asked my cousins about how they feel about school uniforms. They go to Catholic high schools in the greater Cincinnati area and I knew that they would be honest with their answers. One of them said that she liked them because "you easily know what to wear every day and don't have to worry about picking out clothes." Another one said that she "doesn't mind them because she doesn't want to pick out an outfit and everyone wears the same thing so no one stands out and outfits can be distracting." My other cousin said, "Over all, they are annoying because you can't wear what you like to wear," but he understands why they are in place. So, even those who have school uniforms may have likes and dislikes, but the overall look towards them is positive.

So, the next time when you find yourself talking about school uniforms, remember the positives that they can bring to a community. Think about the statistics that prove that student behavior is improved in the classroom, the benefits that they bring to the individual student, and the safety that they can guarantee a community. Even though there are some negatives to uniforms, the students who wear them can even see why they would be in place. So, if you don't support school uniforms, maybe you should open your eyes and see the advantages that they can bring.