Dress Codes


Imagine having a child that goes to a Junior High. Then imagine them attending a school that has a strict dress code or school uniforms. Now do you think that is fair to him/her? Uniforms don’t let you express yourself freely and openly. What I think, is that students should be able to show their own personalities by dressing themselves in what they want to wear. My mother used to dress me when I was a little girl, and I hated it! But now that I am older I have the freedom to dress myself. So the last thing I would want is to have my school board telling me what I can and can’t wear. So the reasons that I dislike strict dress codes so much is: one, they take away the students right to express themselves freely. Second, a strict dress code is also bad because of religious reasons. Third, it makes it harder for the students parents because not only will they have to buy the regular out of school clothes they wear out of school, but now they will be pressured into having to buy a uniform for their kids. And if you ask me that is a waste of money if the kids are only going to wear it only during school hours.

So back to my first reason. If students have to wear a uniform, or are not allowed to wear what they want, administrative are taking away their freedom of expression. In Philadelphia a lawyer stated that “ Public schools are supposed to be teaching democracy. Uniforms are antithetical to teaching people how to make choices” (Kizis). And I totally agree. Because how are the students going to be able to express their true personalities if they were told they could only what their school board wants? If the student was one of those kids who really liked bright, bold colors. So if you weren't allowed to show your personality clothing wise, then you would be more apt to talk when your not supposed to and show off in class. Just be a total distraction to the other students trying to learn. All because you are not able to speak up and show off your true self with your clothing.

Now for my second reason. If you where say Jewish and believed strongly in your religion. Most Jews only wear certain articles of clothing. Like for instance the cap the men wear on their head. Or they also sometimes wear black clothing. They don’t just do this because they choose to. Their religion is based on their Bible or Torah. In their Torah it states that you are not to shave your head. That is why orthodox Jews wear their sideburn so long (Miecevole). So if the specific school that they are attending has either a strict dress code or states they must wear uniforms. Then that is almost like handing out a pass that states it is ok to bully the Jews or Indians or the African Americans because the religion that they believe in tells them how to dress and they follow it so they can not wear the uniforms.

Last but not least my third reason. If you have to buy regular clothes like a pair of jeans, a tee-shirt, and sneakers,but also have to buy the uniform that students will only wear about half of the day. The regular parents budget may be surpassed. Because after school hours the students aren’t required to dress to their schools dress codes and they can dress however they want to dress. So it is most likely that once they get home they are going to go home and change into whatever they want. The parents won’t be happy about the double expenses that are coming out of their checks.

On the other hand, I do have to semi agree that uniforms and strict dress codes can be good in some way. Like in some areas the schools have to worry about gangs. So a uniform would ba a good way to make sure that no one is coming to school wearing gang colors. They may also give certain students more of an opportunity to study their schoolwork and pay more attention in class, because the stress of what they are going to wear the next day isn’t lying on their shoulders all day long.

But no matter how true those statements may be, a school dress code kills the many personalities that are shown everyday through the fashion of the students. So before you agree to a uniform you may want to check your reasons. And make sure that you will fully back your decisions in the long run. After all, when James Madison got the idea to write the Constitution and the first Amendment, freedom of speech. I am sure he did not want others to disobey and take away that right to that. Even if the facility members that wrote the rules think that all they are doing is controlling what the students wear. They aren't doing just that, they are taking away the students right to freedom of speech and free expression.