What if you were called out of class for wearing your favorite sweater, but it was “too revealing”?The first school law to require a dress code was established in 1969 by the U.S. Supreme Court, known as the Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School District case. Dress codes and uniforms have been the center of controversy between student and teachers from the start. Lately students have been saying that dress codes or uniforms repress their ability to express themselves in a school environment. To truly understand how this is such a big issue in the United States, we must know how this started, the positives, and the negatives of school dress codes.
Dress codes have been a part of school life since 1969. A dress code provides guidelines …show more content…
The primary reason of dress codes was to promote safety and provide better behavior (“School”). A study in Johnson county found that there were fewer distractions due to students being preoccupied because of the differences in clothing others are wearing (Daniels). A dress code or a uniform policy cancels out differences that teachers say cause bullying and peer pressure. Also, it can be argued that dress codes also are a form of school spirit (“School”). According to a study, 79% of teachers believe that dress codes affected their class’s discipline positively and 62% of teachers noticed a positive effect on school safety. Finally, 72% of teachers saw an increase in school spirit and 75% indicated peer pressure among students had a positive effect (Daniels). Dress codes in schools have had a positive effect on students sued by teacher for four main …show more content…
The main disagreement is students feel like their first amendment rights of freedom of expression is being violated because of dress codes. Students believe clothing is a form of self expression and this being taken away is not right (“School”). For example The Tinker case, involved students wanting to wear black armbands to school to protest U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The school found out and quickly enforced a no armband rule, beginning the first dress code (Haynes). Next, female students have limited clothing options due to a laundry list of clothing not allowed because they cause a distraction to other students. However, male students have fewer limitations and are not punished as often (“Are”). For example, a girl in Maggie Sunseri’s class was dress coded for wearing jeans and a tank top with a cardigan over. This was because her collarbone was peeking out of her shirt. She believes, “... all women should have the freedom to wear what makes them feel comfortable and beautiful.”(Sunseri). Finally, school uniforms send the wrong message to students by saying they cannot make their own decisions (“School”). Alabama’s Shelby County school district believes if a student’s clothes have teachers questioning or is inappropriate will be not allowed to attend class. (Shelby 15). Dress codes and uniforms make students not as confident in themselves because they
Dress codes have been a part of school life since 1969. A dress code provides guidelines …show more content…
The primary reason of dress codes was to promote safety and provide better behavior (“School”). A study in Johnson county found that there were fewer distractions due to students being preoccupied because of the differences in clothing others are wearing (Daniels). A dress code or a uniform policy cancels out differences that teachers say cause bullying and peer pressure. Also, it can be argued that dress codes also are a form of school spirit (“School”). According to a study, 79% of teachers believe that dress codes affected their class’s discipline positively and 62% of teachers noticed a positive effect on school safety. Finally, 72% of teachers saw an increase in school spirit and 75% indicated peer pressure among students had a positive effect (Daniels). Dress codes in schools have had a positive effect on students sued by teacher for four main …show more content…
The main disagreement is students feel like their first amendment rights of freedom of expression is being violated because of dress codes. Students believe clothing is a form of self expression and this being taken away is not right (“School”). For example The Tinker case, involved students wanting to wear black armbands to school to protest U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The school found out and quickly enforced a no armband rule, beginning the first dress code (Haynes). Next, female students have limited clothing options due to a laundry list of clothing not allowed because they cause a distraction to other students. However, male students have fewer limitations and are not punished as often (“Are”). For example, a girl in Maggie Sunseri’s class was dress coded for wearing jeans and a tank top with a cardigan over. This was because her collarbone was peeking out of her shirt. She believes, “... all women should have the freedom to wear what makes them feel comfortable and beautiful.”(Sunseri). Finally, school uniforms send the wrong message to students by saying they cannot make their own decisions (“School”). Alabama’s Shelby County school district believes if a student’s clothes have teachers questioning or is inappropriate will be not allowed to attend class. (Shelby 15). Dress codes and uniforms make students not as confident in themselves because they