Where do you stand on the issue of school uniforms? Does the dress code have a direct impact on students' overall performance In the past few decades, many schools have made wearing school uniforms mandatory. Although critics of mandatory uniform policies remain, the evidence of positive effects is substantial. Mandatory school uniforms offer extraordinary benefits to students and school systems including improvements in students' self-esteem, academic performance, and graduation rates.
It has been observed that wearing uniforms boosts students' self-esteem. When everyone wears the same clothing, students from underprivileged families do not stand out from others. No one wears expensive jewelry or designer labels, and no one wears gang colors or other clothing that shows they are part of a special group. Uniforms can enhance students' sense of belonging and increase morale. Meanwhile, peer pressure and competition are reduced. Uniforms help to create unity amid diversity by easing ethnic and cultural tensions and encouraging positive values, such as tolerance and empathy. Uniforms eliminate the pressure to conform and allow students' attention to be directed to learning and growing.
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________Mandatory school uniforms can also lead to an increase in students' graduation rates, which would have positive effects on socity as a whole. "Dressed for Success," a pro-uniform editorial, highlights a recent study showing that graduation rates at sixty-four high schools in five cities improved after they implemented mandatory uniform policies. The study found that graduation rates at these schools rose by 10.9 percent in the past decade, while graduation rates at similar high schools without mandatory uniform policies dropped by 4.6 percent. The editorial concludes that, since high school diploma is often seen as a gateway to success beyond the classroom, more diplomas will translate into increased job and training opportunities for young people.
The subject of school uniforms has generated a good deal of controversy. Some see the policies as discouraging free speech and repressing individuality. However, their objections are not persuasive enough. There is convincing evidence that mandatory school uniforms have significant benefits. If such policies are conducive to improving students' self-esteem,
academic performance, and graduation rates, the policies should be embraced and promoted. After all, the potential for positive changes has proven a big plus.
【正确答案】：
In addition to enhancing self-esteem, wearing school uniforms improves academic performance. When students don't have to worry about what to wear, what is in style, and how to dress themselves, they focus more on their schoolwork. Some educators think school uniforms contribute to higher academic achievement because students aren't distracted by clothes-theirs or their classmates'-and they treat school as their job. Without the distractions, students tend to perform better in tests and exams. After all, when students feel more a part of the school community, they are more likely to attend school and concentrate on learning when they are there.
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