Imagine how it would feel to see students with freshly ironed uniforms going to school — knowing that they are going to a place solely to learn with minimum distractions. Pretty nice, right?

Montgomery County should institute uniforms in public schools. School is a place where students go to get a good education and to learn to become a better person. Without rules and guidelines, students are free to do whatever they want. However, the real world has restrictions– a police officer has to wear a police uniform, a lawyer cannot show up in the courtroom in jeans, a doctor has to wear scrubs in medical facilities, and a teacher cannot go to school with inappropriate clothing. The world is full of guidelines to follow in order to be successful, and school should be the same.

Our society has order, and so should schools. One cannot get a license before 16, one cannot vote before 18, and one cannot be president before 35. Everything is done in an orderly fashion with rules and guidelines, so should they be in schools.

Students don’t know how to control themselves as adolescents. At my school, girls wear crop tops, low-cut shirts, short shorts, and revealing skirts. I am even guilty of it myself. This is the reason why we, as students, need a uniform regulation to hinder excessive exposure from girls and the distractions it causes between the sexes.

One day, I was in class, and two boys talked about whose sneakers looked better and which pair cost the most. One of the boys said, “Mine cost more; these joints are $250.” I couldn’t believe that they wasted over thirty minutes of class on sneakers that won’t exist in their lives in the next 10 years, but it’s sadly clear that the knowledge they lost will eventually affect them in the near future. Young boys find it ‘cool’ to wear their pants below their butt but, with mandatory uniforms, young men would have to wear their pants on their waist with  a belt and  black shoes .

According to Professor Kenneth Johnson of Howard University, “Uniform is a form of order and, without order, learning cannot take place. “Uniforms give students structure to focus on what is most important at school: getting an education.

Some may say that the principal and administrators should enforce proper attire. However, they have so much on their plates that inappropriate clothing should not be their main focus. School uniforms would provide a structure that students need to earn a good education. With so many students, the principal and administrators may not catch everyone who is not following the dress code. The uniforms would keep everyone in check and, if one person falls short with following the rules, it’s easier to see.

It’s understandable that students want to show their personality through their dress; however, uniforms do not hinder who you truly are. The way students fold their pants, wear makeup and tie their shoelaces is just enough to show the public who they are with just a touch of order and authority.

A class cannot function properly with everyone doing what they want and talking; therefore, a school cannot function without strict orders for the students to follow to become successful.

Montgomery County should institute school-uniform policies within its schools so that students can have the goal of earning a top-notch education with minimum