Why Uniforms?

The goal of the OTA uniform policy is not to prevent students from expressing their style but to help them concentrate, while they are in school, on academics and on long-term goals–not to mention helping them get up and out the door every morning. On the weekends and on in-school free dress days they will have many chances to break out of the restrictions of the uniform, or in OTA’s case, the multiform, guidelines.

What Do Students Think of Uniforms? Many (secretly) Like Them

Ask students what they think of uniforms and–if they are in front of other students–you will often get a laundry list of complaints. Ask students (who already go to a school with uniforms) privately what they really think and you are more likely to hear something like this:  “It’s the first day of school and you have to find the perfect outfit to make a good impression. Lucky for me, I don’t have this problem: my private school requires I wear a uniform. Some may think this is not a good idea, but I think it is very positive.

In school, one of the most important things is your style. The more you have, the more popular and noticed you will probably be. With uniforms, there’s no discrimination because of what you’re wearing. Everyone is united under the same style.

Clothing often reflects who you are and who you socialize with. In most schools, there are groups of students who dress alike. All the jocks dress differently from the preps who have a different style from the punks. You may even avoid a particular person because of what they are wearing. Uniforms require students to get to know each other by finding out about who they really are….”