The Debate About Dress Code

Emmy Russ 

10th Grade

BC Early College High School

Does the way one dresses have an impact on how they, or those around them, learn? Dress codes are a hotly debated topic among many. The Brunswick County Early College handbook states, “Dress and personal appearance of

 students greatly affect their academic performance.” However, many question the validity of this statement as well as the responsibility of the faculty to enforce the policy.

The problem that many have with the dress code is that it limits the ability of students to express themselves and wear what is comfortable to them. On the flip side, it is argued by a minority of the students and some of the faculty that a dress code is needed to maintain order in a classroom, so certain clothing that is said to be distracting is not allowed. 

One faculty member that was interviewed said that they disagreed with the dress code because “I’m not here to monitor your appearance; I’m here to teach you. It takes away from class time.” A student that was asked about the dress code said, “At my old school, we were allowed to wear whatever we wanted, and no one showed up to school wearing anything bad. We just wore what we were comfortable in.”

Ms. White, a teacher at the Early College High School, said that she agrees with the dress code because “Our culture has established that it is better to have little clothes.” She admitted, “Some things are excessive, like who cares if you wear yoga pants?” Overall, she expressed that she agrees with a dress code because “There should be some limits on modesty…No dress code leaves too much room.”

Vice Principal Anthony Tantillo said he sees both sides, stating, “I get the need for a dress code, but on the other hand, we need to balance that out with students being able to express themselves via what they wear. I feel there’s a need for a dress code because you sometimes have students who want to shock others/make a wave, so they go and do something extreme with the way they dress (shirt with curse words, something overly revealing, etc.).  School is not a place to be shocking others/making a wave.”

As shown, opinions on dress codes aren’t always black and white and can differ in many ways. It is a subject that many are passionate about and impacts how students feel at school. Regardless of opinions, it is important to respect others and ensure one is kind when discussing such subjects.