What are the most common arguments used against school dress codes? For starters, parents point out that the school dress codes are completely ineffective when it comes to hiding economic disparities from children. If a child does not own a computer at home or cannot afford a high speed internet connection, he or she will automatically be out of the cool and fun group.
Children are not stupid enough to believe that everybody is equal simply because they wear the dress of the same color. There have been instances where children wear hand me down school uniforms obtained from their siblings or even from their older friends. In such a scenario, the ultimate goal of using a common school dress code is defeated.
Secondly, parents question the basic premise that presence of economic disparity will not encourage free and frank interaction between students. The use of school dress codes and the attempts to hide the economic disparities is only going to have a negative influence on the minds of children.
When they do find out that life on the outside is very different and that money and status matters a lot, they will end up ill-equipped because their schooling never included this education.
Thirdly, it is a mistake to say that all those who have studied in a school with a common school dress code respect people no matter how rich or poor they are. In the same way, those who have studied in schools where there was no common school dress code do not end up judging people on the basis of their clothes and material assets.
Finally, schools often convert the requirement of a uniform dress code into a money making option. They specify the seller and the transaction ends up as one where the school and seller earn a lot. A simpler dress code would help parents manage expenses better.