PE Uniforms Facts

School uniforms are defined as specific clothes that a certain school requires its students to wear. Uniforms generally consist of a dress shirt for both boys and girls and either dark blue or brown pants for both, or a dark or plaid skirt for girls. Shoes may be dress shoes or plain dark shoes.

Statistics on school uniforms show that as of 2010 in the United States, there are over 20 states with public school systems requiring their students to wear uniforms. A case study from 1999 conducted in Long Beach, California showed that instituting a uniform policy greatly reduced violence and other issues in the school. Crimes, suspensions and sex offenses were all reduced by at least 90 percent and vandalism dropped by almost 70 percent.

School authorities have a responsibilty to provide a safe learning environment for students of all ages. Dress and manifestation play a part in doing so. Both PE uniforms and school uniforms play an integral role in the sense of belonging, discipline, and safety.

School uniforms results in:

Reduction in violent behavior
Inculcation discipline and regulation among students
Less bullying/less picking on students for clothes choices
Less demand on faculty to enforce dress code policies
Decreased commotion amongst students
A strong sense of society
A valuable teacher tool for identifying those who do not belong on campus

PE Uniforms, or physical education uniforms, tend to be more gender neutral, than the typical school uniform. There is a standard PE uniform ensemble which includes a logo T-shirt, shorts, a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Many Los Angeles schools take advantage of the mild climate and opt to have PE outside, but some days can still be chilly, making the decision to purchase sweatpants and sweatshirts a wise one. PE Uniforms and school uniforms follow similar trends and while many would consider the point that uniforms bring culture to the setting a matter of opinion, many would cite it as fact.