There has been a lot of controversy and debate around school dress codes, and whether or not they are rules made in order to discriminate against girls. Schools imply rules stating that certain clothing is distracting to other students, taking the focus off of learning and placing it on girls bodies.
An example of this was given in an article by Newsela, “A video on the dress code policy at Marcus High School in Texas showed only girls as rule violators. The video went viral. In St. Louis, Missouri, Oakville High School's principal is on video apologizing to parents after telling female students they should not show off their bodies for fear of "distracting" male classmates.” (https://newsela.com/read/do-dress-codes-discriminate-against-girls/id/46250/) Many schools claim that a dress code prevents distraction and creates an appropriate and safe learning environment. But, over the past few years, there have been many internet posts showing real-life experiences of dress code for girls, causing outrage, with people saying that it is wrong to disrupt a girls school day and send them out of class, easily humiliating them.
This brings us back to the title of the blog: What is fair and unfair about school dresscodes? Do they provide rules for an appropriate, non-distracting learning environment, or are they rules implied to discriminate against girls and make them feel guilty for wearing certain clothing?
