http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080403/OPINION02/8040303
17/1014/OPINION

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE





School uniforms don't improve test scores

It has been almost 10 years since the idea of forcing students to wear
uniforms in public schools came into vogue. Results can be judged by
nationwide studies on school performance. States that require uniforms rank
at the bottom. States without school uniforms rank at the top.

According to 21 factors chosen from Morgan Quitno's annual reference book
"Education State Rankings 2006-07," Vermont is number one and Massachusetts
is number two for the best public schools. These states do not require
uniforms in public schools.





Since Vermont is rural with a lot of retirees, it may not be a typical state
with policies applicable to Guam.

Massachusetts certainly is typical. It is urban and largely immigrant. It
shares social and economic problems found in most states, including
violence, drugs and gangs.

Yet, Massachusetts has an exemplary public school system where, by law,
school officials may not "abridge the rights of students as to personal
dress and appearance" by imposing dress codes unless personal dress
"violates reasonable standards of health, safety and cleanliness."


This contrasts sharply with states that allow schools to impose mandatory
uniforms on students. For example, Arizona ranks as having the worst public
school system (ranked No. 50). California ranks at fourth from the bottom.
Oregon is in the bottom 10 and Utah is 12th from the bottom.


In Guam, we can see no positive results since the imposition of mandatory
uniforms. In all categories -- violence, vandalism, test scores, drop-out
rates -- Guam public schools are as bad or worse off than ever.


Throughout the world, school uniforms are the hallmark of Third World
countries. They are the product of a philosophy that society in general --
and schools in particular -- can be run like clockwork. This philosophy is
rooted in an intolerance of ambiguity, and hence, is incompatible with
democratic society. It is the philosophy of totalitarianism.


Oddly enough this philosophy of social-engineering correlates with an
inability to engineer the things that actually should be engineered. As can
be seen in Guam, this means broken air conditioners, unsanitary bathrooms
and school budgets that can't be balanced.


Isn't it time (as a first step in emulating Massachusetts' proven
educational success) we drop the school uniform superstition and once again
run our schools in the traditional American way?


PAUL ZERZAN


Barrigada






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]