The Importance Of Dress Code In Schools

The prominent reason behind the various overdone school rules regarding dress is the loose power that administrators have been given. They have been “reserve[d] the right to determine if a clothing item or accessory is appropriate for school” (Carroll High School Student Handbook 2010-2011 18). The officials at school are using their own personal opinions to judge the students’ dress. Since styles change as time goes on, the generation in control and the

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.

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.

School dress codes send a loud and clear message, “Your individuality is inconvenient.” (Rowland 22). The constitution guarantees the right to free speech,which can be interpreted as the right to freedom of self expression, and students use clothing to express themselves. Another message that dress codes send is that “the self identity that you want to express does not belong here.” Self expression is not an inconvenience or a distraction, it is the lifeblood of our nation. (Rowland 22). Schools tell students that they should be confident in themselves, but how can they if they cannot express themselves? School dress codes now are more about shielding the boys then protecting the girls which implies that boys are immature. Calling a girl’s clothes distracting is implying that she is at fault for any disruptions. “That 's like saying that because a store has a cash register, it 's the store 's fault if it gets robbed!” (Menza 1). Students are going to be distracted anyways. Sexist dress codes are like saying that an article of clothing, or a body part showing on a female will distract male students from learning. Dress codes should be simple for both genders, everyone should wear clothing that covers up the same area. With dress codes, students are forced to dress the same as other students, taking the individuality out of school, but schools try to send the message, you are individual. Figure 1 shows a strict dress codes for both students and

How many times have you heard of a child being sent home due to their outfit? In so many towns and cities there is ridiculous dress codes. Most of the dress codes are directed towards females. These rules somewhat make them feel as if they have to hid their bodies so they won’t distract men. High school dress codes are detrimental to all student’s confidence outside and inside the classroom.

School dress codes have become a very large issue,though it always has been, but now that students have been protesting against their school's dress code there have been many more problems that are surfacing between the school district and the students. School dress codes are taking away the purpose of school, students come to learn, and to be educated, but instead are forced to change their clothing because it doesn’t fit the school dress code. The dress code solely takes away students creativity and their right to explore with clothing. The administration also tells students to “not care what others think” then take students out of class and tell them that the length of their shorts is making a

Dress code is teaching girls that’s it’s not okay to wear shorts or tank tops because “boys will be boys” and we need to cover up to create a distraction free learning environment for them. The blame is being forced upon the girls, saying that it is our fault for how boys perceive us. We need to teach male faculty and students to stop over-sexualizing a woman's body. These rules are degrading girls and making them feel bad about their bodies all because a boy can’t control himself in front of us. Why are we teaching boys that it’s okay to blame girls for their lack of self control? Dress code promotes rape culture and sexism, how could anyone think that that is

One issue that is often presented in public schools is dress codes. Each school has a variety of different policies for both boys and girls, yet most are more biased against what girls wear. We often find in a student handbook the amount of sentences for what girls aren’t allowed to wear compared to boys. These dress codes are seen as sexist because they require girls to cover anything that seems to be “distracting,” but mainly these codes are made mainly for a boy’s purpose. Regulations include such as, nothing revealing, as for the exposure of shoulders, shorts or skirts have to be a certain length and often yoga or leggings are banned. When girls violate the dress code they are often sent to the office to change or suspended because they didn’t follow the rules. These policies also take over school events like prom and homecomings. It is such an issue because they limit a girls freedom of what they want to wear. Also, it is sexist because most of these regulations are made for boys in order to not be distracted on what a girl wears. These dress codes are problematic at public schools and girls are more targeted on these policies. Throughout the years they have faced discrimination and the effects, yet some agree that these dress codes serve a purpose.

Although the code—mandating that shorts and skirts must be at fingertip length and forbid any attire that exposes undergarments, it’s much more than that. There’s been an issue where a transgender individual was sent home because what they had on was inappropriate for their sex. And not only does this happen in high school, it happens in middle school and elementary. There has been a case where a girl got sent to the principal's office for showing her collarbones!!! It was said that she failed to wear a shirt that covered her collarbones, she was wearing jeans, a tank top and a white cardigan, which was a violation of the dress code at Woodford County High School. At South Orange Middle School in New Jersey, a group of girls had enough of the situation of dress code and in response, they formed a group called #IAmMoreThanADistraction to raise awareness about what it means for middle school girls to be told that their appearance is frustrating her learning environment. They had to take action because no one was doing anything about

“Wow, I’ve never seen a belly button or shoulder before,” said no teenage boy ever. Dress codes have become a big issue in public schools. Teachers are becoming far too strict. School dress codes should not be as strict because, teachers are more attentive to the dress code rather than academics, the dress code is very sexist, and why should girls be punished because boys are too distracted?

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

Students struggle throughout high school and go through a great deal of stress. Whether it be making friends, or working hard to pass a difficult class. To make things more pressuring, they are not allowed to wear what they want. The administration made the decision that it is best to suspend a student for their choice in clothing. If they go against the rule of dress code, there will be serious consequences. What students wear should not affect their class work. If a student gets sent home for their outfit, it is affecting their grades and attendance. Punishment disrupts the students education more than what they are wearing. High school students should feel free to embrace their individuality without being pressured by dress codes; therefore, it should be eliminated from all schools indefinitely.

“I like the idea that, for one night, I don't look like everyone else” (Condie 19). Distinctiveness, equality, individuality, fairness, someone’s bona fide identity, all etiolated by an ordained school dress code. School dress regulations arrogate our freedom of speech and sexualize women by generating standards that solely target/impact females. Between school uniforms to dress code violations, it affects millions of students. Slowly growing popularity, this problem spotlights exclusively one problem in our world today, a problem in today’s society, a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

There have been so many girls who are speaking out against their high school administrators for their school dress code. Calling it sexist for girls, stating it promotes rape culture and body shaming for the young girls. What could be so horrible about a girl's shoulders that she must be sent out of class, sent home, given detention, or even shame suits? Everything, our high school dress code systems promote sexism, body shaming and rape culture.