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Five reasons schools have dress codes

With protests at two Ontario schools this week making the news, attention has turned once again to the topic of dress codes. As Andrea Stokes, the mother of a student who drew national attention for a dress code violation in 2014, said, it’s “getting to be that time of year again.”

Most of the conversation around dress codes has focused on the unnecessary sexualization of teen girls, and the issue of whether dress codes promote rape culture. But as the protests have gotten louder, more administrators are speaking up to say no, dress codes aren’t just about distraction. While the rules vary from school to school, Yahoo Canada found five reasons why institutions say their dress codes are necessary.

To uphold school principles
Nicholson Catholic College is a public high school in Belleville, Ont. The school’s motto is “Enlightened by Knowledge. Enriched by Faith.” Originally founded as a private school in 1960, the school is part of the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board. Not all students are Catholic, but the school’s dress code reflects the emphasis the school places guiding the development of its students.
"The school uniform is intended to develop a sense of pride and self-discipline and unites us as a Catholic Learning Community...the uniform policy reflects our commitment to nurturing modesty, personal dignity and respect for self and others."
That ideology is prevalent across many of Canada’s Catholic and private schools, where uniforms are required and enforced strictly.

To reflect the environment around the school
At Kitsilano Secondary School in Vancouver, B.C., principal Ellen Roberts tries to walk a fine line between allowing students to express themselves, and and ensuring decorum is maintained in her school. But she understands her school serves a different community than others around the city.

“If you go to Lord Byng, that school looks different,” Roberts told Yahoo Canada. “You have to be sensitive to the uniqueness of your school culture.”

Jim Costello, director of education for the Lambton Kent District School Board, told the Chatham Daily News that his board adheres to a similar philosophy.
“We want the dress code to reflect the community where the school is situated,” Costello said.

To protect the rights of other students
Many of the students speaking out against dress codes are being lauded for their willingness to stand alone. But there are cases where that individuality isn’t something to be celebrated. Sheila Powell, superintendent at the Thames Valley School District where one of this week’s protests occurred, told the National Post that while students should be able to express themselves, “there are limits.”

The rules aren’t just addressing clothes that are too revealing but clothes that might contain racist or hateful language. Most workplaces have such expectations, she said.

Parents and educators told Yahoo Canada that it’s a challenge to know what is or isn’t allowed when the kids are just dressing in what they see in stores. But there have been a number of cases in the recent past where popular teen stores were accused of selling offensive clothing that wouldn’t have a place in schools.

A shirt featured by <a href=https://ca.shine.yahoo.com/photos/urban-outfitters-offensive-clothing-slideshow/eat-less-shirt-photo-1387478661189.html target=_blank>Urban Oufitters</a> in 2010
A shirt featured by Urban Oufitters in 2010




Parents want schools to enforce dress codes
Stokes said she supported her daughter’s attire. But administrators also say parents look to the school to lead on the issue of appropriate clothing.

“Parents like a strict dress code,” Roberts said. “Every year in the spring we send a letter home explaining the dress code; there’s always a parent who says “thank you.”

In fact, Roberts said, parents want her to be stricter about it; something she doesn’t think schools should be doing.

“10 years ago we would have come down harder. I’ve had lots of parents criticize me (for not punishing kids who break the dress code),” she said. “I’m not changing your child, it’s not my place.”

At Central Peel Secondary School in Brampton, Ont., uniforms were put in place earlier this year - because parents asked for them.

Parents repeatedly asked for uniforms, says Lawrence DeMaeyer, the school's former principal, who oversaw the start of the year-long pilot project. (He left in early 2015 to become the Peel District School Board's school support officer.) Many parents felt the business-like attire would help kids focus on their schoolwork, he says.

Even some students want dress codes in place. The Federation of Young New Brunswick Francophones adopted a proposal last week asking the province to standardize dress codes across all schools.

To prepare for the future
Costello told the Chatham Daily News that students need to be prepared for dress codes when they enter the workplace; if they’re in co-op placements, they’re already expected to dress appropriately. Roberts cited students going on work experience or foreign trips, who are expected to represent the school and community respectably.

“The basic assumption is you dress for school like you dress for work,” Roberts said.

And while a common refrain from students is that they wouldn’t work somewhere that told them how to dress, the reality is there are ramifications in the real world as well. In November, 2014, British physicist Matt Taylor made news for all the wrong reasons, when he was spotted at the launch of the Philae Lander wearing a bowling shirt festooned with images of pinup girls. Taylor was forced to apologize for wearing the offensive shirt at such a high-profile event.