On the other hand if there’s enough open market that you can buy them at Macy’s, there’s no reason you’d be any less able to buy second-hand uniforms than any other clothing.
So the options are:
You have to buy them from the school. That sucks.
They’re provided by the school. Now the poor kids are actually equal to the richer kids.
You can buy anything that adheres to the right dress code, and that’s your “uniform”. In this case there’s nothing stopping them from buying them second hand.
The only failure mode then is when you have to buy them from the school, at which point poor families are more put upon … assuming the uniforms are more expensive than other clothes. But it’s the same with textbooks, sports equipment, etc.
Obviously the schools should provide them.
On the other hand if there’s enough open market that you can buy them at Macy’s, there’s no reason you’d be any less able to buy second-hand uniforms than any other clothing.
So the options are:
The only failure mode then is when you have to buy them from the school, at which point poor families are more put upon … assuming the uniforms are more expensive than other clothes. But it’s the same with textbooks, sports equipment, etc.