School Dress Code Controversy

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Alexander Wright Mr. Greco ELA 11 18 March 2024 School dress codes have long been a subject of controversy, sparking debates over individuality, equality, and safety in educational environments. Some people argue that dress codes promote a sense of professionalism and minimize distractions, while others claim they often suppress self-expression and can perpetuate gender biases. This paper will explore the multifaceted implications of enforcing dress codes in schools, examining their impact on student freedom, educational outcomes, and the school culture at large. The implementation of more lenient school dress codes can foster greater self-expression and individuality among students, ultimately enhancing their overall educational experience. …show more content…

Another example of the school going out of their way to punish someone for wearing dress code was when a girl was punished for wearing jeans while it was cold outside and not the school skirt. The school dress code has always been demeaning kids for wearing what they wanted to wear and in a similar situation, a school would punish someone for wearing something they felt comfortable in. For instance, a school in Canada would punish a girl for just wearing a dress and jeans on different days (“School dress codes are demeaning”). In 2015, Lauren Wiggins saw that her school dress code policies were unfair and needed a change, so she decided to go against these standards by wearing a full-length halter dress. Lauren was later taken into detention and told to change out of her clothes and not do this again. However, Lauren wanted to show them that it's okay and wore jeans to school the next day. She was later taken to detention and told not to do this …show more content…

They think that it's fair for the school system to take away other clothing like see-through garments, spaghetti straps, hats, and gang-related colors (Rowena). They also note that boys wearing baggy pants, showing their underwear, can be a distraction in a classroom, too. Although some of these may be reasonable, they have no right to take out colors just because they are gang colors or spaghetti straps because they may be too inappropriate. While some school students can take advantage of the school system, they don’t have the right to take away from everyone. Furthermore, with lenient school dress codes, students can express themselves among their peers and gain a higher level of confidence and enhance their experience in school. Some more examples stated in this paper were when a high school boy figured he could wear a dress to prom and face no consequences, but was fined $249 for the incident. Another example was when a girl in Canada went against her school standards and wore a full-length halter dress, was reprimanded, and told to never do that again, however the next day she wore jeans and faced more

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