Right: School uniforms of a century ago are not dissimilar to some of those worn today.Further implications
If the current federal government wins the upcoming election, it will be interesting to see if the tax rebate on uniform costs which it is offering to many parents will alter the different state governments' policies on school uniforms. Currently in most Australian states and territories, though school uniforms are required, they are not mandated to the extent that schools can limit the educational opportunities of students who do not wear them. More rigorous policies are likely to be contentious as it would be difficult to justify suspending or expelling students simply because they did not adhere to their school's dress code. Should popular support for school uniforms intensify, then it is possible that State governments might attempt to make their policies stronger.It is to be hoped that this would not happen without significant community debate and thorough study of the supposed benefits of wearing school uniforms.
Obedience or compliance are not automatically desirable and if schools are going to be better able to enforce school uniform policies then the benefits of wearing a school uniform would have to be demonstrated as conclusively as possible.
There have been a number of informal studies conducted in the United States that do appear to suggest that requiring students to wear a school uniform has a positive effect on school discipline and reduces truancy; however, the casual connection between uniform-wearing and an increase in other desirable student behaviours has yet to be established.
Thus far, it seems the jury is still out on the desirability of school uniforms. While this is the case, it would seem to lend support to those commentators who have argued that there are better educational costs for the government to contribute to - textbooks, computers, even the cost of transporting students to school.