Breaking The Dress Code In Etobicoke Schools

Dress codes in middle and high schools are a form of discrimination against teenage girls in today’s society. Parents and students all over the country argue that dress codes are directed mainly at girls and are a blatant example of gender inequality. The idea behind the strict enforcement of a dress code is that it will teach self-respect and raise moral standards for the students. However, when the reason for many dress code violations is questioned the rationale is often to prevent distracting the male students. Young women across the country are being shamed and punished for wearing what schools consider immodest and being a distraction to their male peers. This discrimination against female students results in their clothes being strictly regulated and dress coded more often than male students’ clothes are. The enforcement of these discriminatory dress codes has become a form of public humiliation for female students. Theoretically, a dress code makes sense and should be effective. In reality, it does not affect how students dress but causes a distraction and interruption of a girl’s education.

To some, arguing over student dress code seems trivial and useless. To others, it goes deeper than that. Dress code might seem like the typical “first world problem”, but to the average high school student, gaining the freedom ‘no dress code’ grants is incredible. The fact of the matter is, the rigid enforcement of student dress code has gone too far in today 's society and dehumanizes us as citizens. Although school dress code attempts to promote modesty and protection, it also reinforces gender inequality, smothers individualism, is unconstitutional, and should not be enforced in public schools.

As the temperature rises, so do hemlines and the suspension rate. Students get suspended for violating school dress codes by wearing outfits that ‘show too much skin.’ One can argue that revealing clothing is distracting, but some families and students agree that school dress code implementations end up just shaming girls. Dress codes, the epitome of high school, teach girls to act ashamed, not modest. According to most school boards that come up with the dress code, the outfits young women wear come across as too distracting for their peers, especially men, and make it unable for women to be viewed by the public with dignity and respect. Everyday, school dress codes target females—especially females that are more developed.

America, the “land of the free, and home of the brave.” Unfortunately, this doesn 't mean “land of the free to wear whatever one desires.” In fact, school dress codes are taking away American students’ self expression, infringing on their freedom of speech, and enforcing sexist discrimination all over the country. A recent case, that occurred at Tottenville High School in Staten Island, New York, blatantly displays the negative effects dress codes are having on students, especially females. In the first couple of days of the semester, this high school managed to give 200 detentions to students for violating the dress code. Ironically enough, 90 percent of these students were girls (Swafford). The discouraging part is that schools are easily able to get away with this kind of discrimination. This is made possible by state laws that give school boards the power to enforce whatever dress codes they think are necessary to promote a distraction free learning environment, maintain discipline, and to push students to dress similarly in order to create a uniformity in the schools (“School Dress Codes”). The purpose of dress codes may be to create a distraction free learning environment; in reality, however, they produce an environment where students feel discriminated against and aren 't free to express themselves.

That well known court case is Tinker vs. Des Moines. Tinker vs. Des Moines was a Supreme Court case that happened in 1969 dealing with dress code. Students got suspended from school for wearing black armbands to publicize their objections to the hostilities in Vietnam.The Supreme Court ruled that public school officials could not censor student expression unless they could reasonably forecast that the student expression would cause substantial disruption or material interference with school activities or would invade the rights of others. This case established our second amendment right; the freedom of expression. Students were getting in trouble for expressing themselves. How can you get in trouble for simply expressing yourself? Rachel Zoe said, “Style is a way of saying who you are without having to speak.” Dressing up and wearing the clothes we wear is how we convey a message. What I’m saying is that girls should not be getting in trouble of what they wear if it is not disruptive. Our outfits are not interfering with our schooling. If anything the dress code is telling us that a male's education is more

It is the beginning of August, the dreadful days in school have finally arrived. Since it is still ninety degrees outside and the AC can not keep up, most boys walk through the halls with shorts and cut-off tank tops. Girls, we wear long pants such as, jeans or leggings, “Why?”, you ask, Why would one ever want to wear that? Unfortunately, It is not a choice for us. Girls face the question when deciding to wear shorts, “Are these long enough, am I going to get in trouble?” Despite the warm temperatures outside and inside girls can not wear what they want, because it shows too much of their bodies. Boys? Can wear their cut-offs showing more than girls. Do they get in trouble for showing too much? The answer, usually is no. .To this day women are not equal to men in, school, the workplace, or at home. In this article, Rowena uses ethos, a very limited amount of logos, and no pathos to make an argument about the sexism towards school dress codes and how it promotes rape culture.

Is it really a female student’s fault that a male peer failed a test because her collar bone was distracting him? The school boards across the United States have girls feeling like it is. Dress codes have become an excuse for male students and a way to devalue female morals and education. Removing students from class time and verbally harassing them for their choice of dress has become a common practice within too many schools across the country. School systems use dress codes for various reasons upon campus.

For many elementary and middle school students, the possibility of being dress coded looms as an ever-present threat. Shorts must reach the mid-thigh and be no shorter. Tank top straps must be at least two inches wide. Anything less means the the inevitable trip to the principal’s office in which talk of appropriate clothing choices is thrown about. Though a once accepted reality of public schooling, the traditional values are being challenged. Girls across Canada are questioning the necessity for such rules, as well as the reasons behind dress codes. While they are not without their place, dress codes still hold strong connotations of gender inequality at a time when these values are being strongly challenged.

The controversy about dress codes asks an important question: are dress codes targeting girls and transgender students? Several sites including:https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/table-talk/what's-fair-and-unfair-about-student-dress-codes, stated that when they spoke to girls they said they feel shamed and judged by dress codes. Are dress codes limiting students creativity. Should these girls really feel harassed men and boys at their school?

The author penned, “there’s also the disruption and humiliation that enforcing the attire rules can pose during school. Frequently, students are openly called out in the middle of class, told to leave and change, and sometimes, to go home and find a more appropriate outfit. In some instances, girls must wear brightly colored shirts that can exacerbate the embarrassment, emblazoned with words like, ‘Dress Code Violator’,”(Zhou).

This is not your call.” presents strong arguments on why the dress code is degrading students by the way it is being enforced. Following these arguments, there are many things addressed about each one of the points made in this analyzing. Due to the things addressed, Manicotti wants support on not sexualizing female bodies on the dress code. Along with making male students responsible for their actions, teachers and administrators need to fairly enforce the dress code policy. Not only were there facts to prove all of these points, but there were specific details supporting the evidence. This article would make for a good read if there were more statics, facts and clear cut evidence supporting the argument. It might still be an intriguing read if people actually believe schools are abusing the dress code

This article makes the reader see the dress codes are becoming an issue for school and the student’s education. In a small Texas school district, over 700 students were suspended in a single month (Essex). That is a lot of students getting in trouble and just for clothes. I do believe school are going too extreme when comes to the dress code and how they punish the students who break the dress codes. One-day suspension for the first violation, a two- day suspension for the second violation, and two-day plus loss of school privileges for a third violation (Essex). Missing school or class time don’t really help the children with anything and sometime it will be over something stupid like; the collar bone is showing. Another thing about this article,

In the constantly evolving 21st century and the age of new and modern ideals, the world is continuously reshaping and progressive movements are becoming increasingly more mainstream. One of the most immense ideas the nation is facing is equality for all. Whether male or female, gay or straight, black or white, individuals all deserve to be equal and to be able to profess their beliefs in a secure way. Unfortunately, from experience, a myriad of people know that society has not reached equality and that there is still a lengthy route to get there. One of the toughest challenges is that since childhood, kids have been taught and instilled in their minds that they are different and that it is okay to generalize girls in one category and boys in another. The biggest way this is put into children's minds is through the dress codes that are mandatory from age 5 until graduation day. And while dressing appropriately for school is vital to an effective education, it is also important that kids get to convey themselves through their clothing. Because of their need for expression, many kids are revolting against the education system until they are able to wear

School dress codes are sexualizing girls by restricting certain clothing because it makes the girl look “sexy”. The school also restricts certain clothing such as tank tops, shorts, yoga pants etc.. because it is “too distracting for the boys” which is giving boys the power of dictating what girls can and can’t wear to school. In certain cases, the parents take the complaint up to the school board and they will revise the dress code and set up a community meeting to go over it. “Prior to this incident, the school had a community meeting on April 7, 2017, to discuss the dress code and Molly told me that they focused largely on the girl's dress code," Neuner said. "They wanted to make sure girls didn't wear clothes that would be distracting for the boys. That was their concern."” (Shankar) is something that was said to some parents at the meeting about how the dress code works and that their daughter wasn’t their concern, that their concern was the education of the boys at the school. This teaches girls that their bodies is an object and this is teaching boys that they are just objects to use, that they aren’t human beings and the only thing about a girl is their appearance and body. Schools are saying that a how a girl wears her clothes is a “distraction” to the men and boys at the school. This is allowing the school to make dress

The problem that is taking place in Alvord High is that the enforcement of the dress code is an unfair and prejudice act that has no viable reasoning to why it was put in place to begin with. An interview with the Principal of our school revealed a lot about what goes on inside the “Great” minds of our school.