Guide to English Writing

THE WRITE IDEA - Education
36
WritetoTop.com
SAMPLE ESSAYS
Some schools make all students wear uniforms, while other schools allow the students to 
choose what to wear. 
W c a
oac do ou 
n
o ud n
 o
a d
o
n W
Many people believe that schools’ main functions are to educate young people and ready 
them for adulthood. Accordingly, some people advocate a dress code as a way to help kids 
concentrate on their studies. Others counter that giving students options better prepares 
them for a future in which they will have to make their own choices. In my opinion, uniforms 
should be mandatory from freshman to junior years, with seniors free to choose their outfits.
The main argument for mandating uniforms is that doing so removes certain social pressures 
and creates an atmosphere of academic rather than social competition. In other words, 
students can differentiate themselves not by the labels on their shirts, but by the scores 
they achieve on tests. This argument is reinforced by studies demonstrating that institutions 
requiring uniforms experience fewer incidents of bullying, a key feature of which is singling out 
struggles, allowing young learners to develop academically.
In the real world, however, adults compete both in and out of the workplace, and quite often 
these contests are judged by material standards, such as one’s car or one’s clothes. Schools 
would therefore better serve their pupils by allowing them to dress as they please, at least 
during their final year. This would provide seniors a first-hand experience of the consequences 
of making a choice and offer them a taste of adult social reality. Moreover, this freedom can 
also act as an early exercise in shaping one’s identity; for example, wearing torn jeans and a 
stained T-shirt might allow one into the company of struggling artists, but it certainly would 
not open the doors to a Wall Street lounge. In other words, young people must learn that their 
clothing choices may affect their lifestyles as well. 
In conclusion, school life is a microcosm of adulthood, and teens ought to prepare for it by 
accumulating qualifications as well as an understanding that there are consequences to their 
choices. Requiring uniforms early on, with an additional year in which to make up their own 
minds may be the best option for both schools and students.
(358)
@IELTS_Council

---