Can school uniforms been proven to really help?
Possibly. There are several reasons why uniforms help in general:1. Savings for cash-limited families - school uniforms are far less expensive than designer clothes, often more durable, and can be sold on or swapped when they are too small for the student.2. Putting on the school uniform can result in a greater professionalisation in the stude up to go to work. Schools report that when students in uniform take a more serious approach to their studies.3. Schools report that arguments over fashion and clothes, and hence bullying, are reduced by the use of uniforms. Children may pick on those without trendy clothes, whether that's because they can't afford branded clothes, or simply because they have no fashion sense.4. Arising from the previous paragraph, avoiding distractions such as fashion and visually revealing clothes reduces distractions from learning, both at home and in school.5. Wearing a school uniform increases school coherence and pride and generates a feeling of belonging.As for learning effects, there are studies that show a very small correlation between the use of uniforms and academic results. The main problem in any study is that uniform codes are more commonly enforced in better schools where there is parental involvement and higher expectation from the students - distinguishing the effects of the uniform from other effects in the school environment is very difficult.