Dress Codes?

Question

All schools should have student dress codes;
good/bad idea (why/why not)

Answer 1

Good idea:
1. Reduces tension between classes. Everyone dresses the same, everyone looks the same. NO one gets teased for wearing hand-me downs, discount store specials, or non-trendy clothes.

2. Reduces distruption in the classroom. Skirts and shorts are appropriate length. Shirts cover the torso. Boys are not pulling on rips in their jeans instead of focussing on school work. Girls don't call other girls names because of how premiscuously they are dressed. students are not wearing clothes with inappropriate sayings or beer/smoking advertising.

3. In inner city schools, students are not shot for wearing gang or non gang related colors or trends. ( It's true, i worked in a school with wear this happened.)

4. Students can spend less time getting ready for school and use the time for studying, helping parents around the house, or hey even watching the idiot box.

5. Students can still express their indivuality somewhat through school uniforms by accesorizing.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, since not everyone can be counted on to use good taste when they dress for school, dress codes are necessary. A school's reputation often hinges on how its students appear. How they dress probably has just as great an impact as how they dress. First impressions are usually lasting impressions.

Back in the early sixties when I was in high school, our dress code included things like:

1. The boys had to wear shirts intended for outerwear, i.e. no plain white t-shirts (undershirts).
2. The boys had to wear belts if their pants had belt loops (and removing the belt loops that came on virtually all men's pants back then was forbidden).
3. The girls had to wear dresses or skirts except on pep rally days when we had to climb bleachers which was tough in the straight skirts popular back then. Also, kids could get under the bleachers and some guys would try to look up girls' skirts, so we could wear slacks or jeans (no shorts). The skirt or dress requirement was painful on days when we waited at an unprotected bus stop in below zero degree weather.
4. Girls couldn't wear curlers to school.
5. Clothes had to be reasonably neat and clean.

By the time my son started in high school over six years ago, dress codes had drastically changed, but I supposed part of the change could be attributed to our move to California and from a very small, isolated town to a suburb of a large city. His dress code had things like:

1. No underwear showing, that is, the boys had to wear their pants high enough (or shirts long enough) that their underwear did not show above their belts. Before that was added to the dress code, I saw boys with several inches of underwear proudly displayed. (I seem to remember that this one was added when he was a sophomore.) Also, the girls couldn't wear skimpy tops that didn't cover their bras or pants so low that undies showed.
2. Shorts and skirts had to be as long as where your longest finger would be when standing up straight with your arms at your side--i.e. no short-shorts or micro-mini skirts.
3. No belly buttons showing.
4. Girls had to wear underpants, but I think they could get away with thongs.
5. No sunglasses in class.

Because of problems with dress codes trying to keep up with current fashion, more and more public schools are going to school uniforms which help solve many dress code issues and remove the stigma of being unfashionable for those students who can't afford new clothes every year. It also saves parents money. Even though uniforms are not cheap, they are no more expensive than regular clothes, and the kids don't need a closet full of clothes so they can wear something different all the time.

Answer 3

It is good idea to have dress code in schools. This gives identity to child. And also there is no complex and competition among school mates coming from different economic background with respect to dress.

Answer 4

Good idea because kids are mean. Fashion is so important to them and when the poor kids can't buy Gap or Old Navy they get picked on. It's not thier fault. Some of the nicest kids aren't rich but they get treated like crap. Kids (and even teens) don't care enough about each other to ever think if the shoe was on the other foot.

Answer 5

I think that dress codes are good ideas, as long as they are not super strict. Just some reasonable guidelines are all that's needed.

Answer 6

Good idea. I would say that they should have a dress code, but I don't agree to the one that says you have to keep your shirt tucked in. I think boys could have that code, but I think they should say that the shirt has to be tucked in only if it goes pass your pockets for the girls.

Answer 7

Good idea.

Prevent boys from looking like hoodies and girls looking like their going to the club.