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School Dress Codes Persuasive Essay

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Are those shorts too short? Is that an off the shoulder top? Are those open toed shoes? Students face foolish problems like these on the daily. School dress codes have been around for ages without much change. They are meant to prohibit students from wearing certain styles or types of clothing. Despite this, school dress codes are not faultless. They fail to create a diverse, distraction free, and equal learning environment. For this reason, school dress codes need to change.
School dress codes need to change due to their discrimination. To begin, dress codes are particularly directed toward females. They cause shaming that restricts the female body and causes body image issues (Sunseri). Strict dress codes teach women that they can’t be proud …show more content…

Although some would argue that it is easy to dress within the code, there are still countless instances where this isn’t possible. To start, there is no real reason why they are around. Dress codes work to prohibit certain styles of clothes based on the fact that they express something (Robson). Appearance for students is protected under the First Amendment (Hamilton 18). Neither the U.S. nor the states regulate school dress codes, only local school boards decide them. In 1925 the supreme court ruled that states do not have the power to standardize children, school dress codes seem to do just that (Robson). Expression can only be limited if it causes a foreseen disruption with school activities (Hamilton 18). “When looking at school rules in this context, it’s clear they rely on anti-democratic principles” (Robson). On another note, the expression that these dress codes still deny limits a student’s identity. Everyone should be able to feel beautiful and confident in the clothes that they wear to school (Sunseri). It’s hard for students to truly identify themselves with a constant dress code in place (Hamilton 28). School dress codes continue to limit student’s right to express

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