Dear Future President,

Currently, I am an eighth grade student at a Catholic middle school in Ohio, and I am looking at Catholic high schools. I have been going to a private school my whole life, and when I looked at a public school, I was completely overwhelmed. When a teacher told the students to discuss with their classmates, they would turn to their peers and talk about what they were going to wear the next day. Never did the students focus on the topic they had a quiz on the next day. I was quick to realize that the problem was not the students attending but their clothing. People were more focused on their clothing, instead of their education. The students would tease their comrades for what they chose to wear that day. This lead to bullying and peer pressure among their classmates. School uniforms could help minimize many behavior and money problems that come with wearing everyday clothes to school, and I would like for you to put support behind the idea of giving children in underprivileged areas school uniforms. If a federal organization was created for this cause, it could benefit many future Americans. School uniforms could help them continue to grow in their learning experiences which can provide all people more academic opportunities.

School uniforms help students stay focused on their education and not on their clothing. Test scores of schoolgirls’ language tests increased by about three percentile after uniforms were enforced in an investigation the University of Houston ran back in 2010. When uniforms became a standard at the school, the girls were able to focus more on their tests instead of the clothes that they were wearing.

Also, when students wear school uniforms, they are able to be equal with their peers. This factor allows for bullying and peer pressure to minimize. Students feel as if they fit in with their classmates, which makes for a more peaceful environment. In a survey done by Lands’ End and the National Association of Elementary School Principals in 2013, 86% of school leaders claim that uniforms make a “significant, positive impact on peer pressure.” The survey also claimed that 64% of school leaders said that uniforms reduce bullying. School uniforms can help create a more positive and safe environment for students.

Lastly, school uniforms could benefit many families who struggle financially. On average, a uniform company by the name of French Toast sells their complete uniform sets for about $45, and claims that 2 sets will last a student throughout the year. Over time, this proves that uniforms become more beneficial and cost effective than everyday clothes.

Having presidential support behind school uniforms could benefit so many people. Enforcing uniforms across America could make for a safer and more positive environment for students and could lift a large financial weight off of many families’ shoulders. I hope that you look into my idea of giving school uniforms to children in underprivileged areas, or at the very least, recommend uniforms to schools across America. By giving people school uniforms, we are giving them the chance to have a better learning experience from a young age to help develop them into the people that America needs in order for it to continue thriving. I hope you take my ideas into consideration, and I wish you the best of luck in your presidency.

Sincerely,

Maria.