The controversy over dress codes has become a contentious issue worldwide in recent days. Different parts of the world have different views on what kinds of clothes students should be wearing. While some countries have adopted the notion that students should be able to have free expression in their classrooms and wear whatever they’d like, others have taken up the notion that certain clothes just don’t work for school settings and are mere distractions. In addition, some of the latter schools have been accused of being racist, sexist, and homophobic with these codes. Nevertheless, the issue is not only hotly debated but also has multiple aspects that are discussed worldwide. Here, we will examine different views on dress codes in the regions of the U.S., South and East Asia, and Europe.
United States
While some public schools across the U.S. have uniforms, the more common practice is dress code policies, which range from restricting the types of hairstyles students can wear to prohibiting the wearing of sheer clothing that exposes bare skin of private areas. However, in recent years, specific grievances about American dress codes have risen.
Racial discrimination: According to a report about dress codes by ACLU Texas from February of 2024, over 7 percent of the Texas school districts they surveyed prohibited racially and/or culturally significant hairstyles in their 2022-2023 dress codes. Some school district dress code policies include language such as “boys may not wear braids,” “cornrows are not permitted,” “no afros or puffs,” and “dreadlocks are not allowed.” All the hairstyles mentioned are significant to black culture and heritage, in which hair expression is a significant part of identity. Not only are they culturally significant, but these specific hairstyles are utilized for their ability to protect the natural texture of this type of hair and to prevent breakage, damage, and loss. Some districts have gone as far as prohibiting students from participating in school activities and even graduating, due to their non-compliance with the school’s “hair codes.”
Sexist policies: Another grievance has been that dress codes disproportionately target female students. Though many districts have seemingly reasonable dress code policies, stating that only the wearing of clothes that expose cleavage, an excessive amount of shoulder, and/or the buttocks is prohibited, other districts have maintained the right to “dress code” whoever they think violates these codes, even if those individuals technically might not be doing so. Female students feel overly sexualized and targeted by these policies, especially since the intended purpose of them is to reduce distraction for their male peers, not just to reduce distraction in general. These female students argue that boys should learn to control themselves and their reactions to the simple features of their female peers, like a mere shoulder or collarbone. Experts argue that this can fuel the culture of male entitlement and toxic masculinity at such a young age where it will only continue and grow as the kids get older. It fuels this culture of “boys will be boys” and that girls need to find ways around that sentiment in how they dress, making sure that they do not tempt the males, rather than teaching boys that girls are not objects to be tempted by.
Religious discrimination: According to the same report by the ACLU, 83.5 percent of surveyed Texas school districts prohibited “essentially all hats and head coverings,” and only 21 percent of them noted that religious exemptions to the policies were available. In a country where freedom of expression and freedom of religion are outlined in what is referred to as the supreme law of the land, activists find it frustrating that school districts are able to get away with implementing these policies. They find it even more frustrating that things like hats, scarves, bandanas, and other headwear are banned due to seemingly minor reasons such as potential gang affiliation, the inability to identify students, and the creation of distractions. While these concerns in and of themselves are not small and should not be dismissed, prohibiting the wearing of headwear to eliminate them seems extreme to both activists and students, who argue that there are other applicable solutions.
Inequitable for Sexual Orientation/Identity: In a country still facing prejudice and continuous activism towards justice for people of the LGBTQ+ community, policies against them in school only discourage them further and, more importantly, discourage them from being a part of that community in general from a young age. The biggest commonality amongst the Texas districts examined in the ACLU study regarding policies against the LGBTQ+ community is the targeting of more feminine things male students (male by birth, that is) might do, like wearing nail polish, makeup, skirts, and dresses, which are all prohibited in most dress code policies. Some schools have gone as far as prohibiting these students from entering the school due to the way they are dressed. These students argue that their sexual orientation does not conflict with either their desire or ability to get educated, nor does it do so to their peers. They argue that educators could potentially just be using dress code policy implementation as an excuse to intentionally discriminate against members of this community due to homophobic intentions.
Asia
Both similar and different arguments and concerns have been made and raised by students and other people involved in the education scene in Asia. Below are two examples, one from the southern region and the other from the east.
India
Success in education is an incredibly important part of Indian culture. The average Indian student spends about thirty hours in school weekly, two to four hours on homework daily, and has only every Sunday and the second and fourth Saturdays of every month off. Practically all schools from primary to secondary (equivalent to the 1st through 10th grades in the U.S.), have uniforms. These are most commonly button-up shirts for both female and male students, paired with skirts going below the knee for girls and khakis for boys. Both student groups wear the same sneaker-like shoes with socks. Some schools mandate ties for both groups as well.
Not much controversy has been raised for these students; more has been raised for students in college (10th class and up), particularly female students. Colleges in India do not have uniforms, but, similar to American public schools, they do have dress code policies. While many colleges allow for so-called “Western wear” (blue jeans, T-shirts, skirts, etc.), many require female students to wear traditional Indian clothing, like salwars and churidars paired with dupattas, some going as far as kicking female students out for not complying with these codes. Colleges emphasize that these policies are in place to ensure modesty; however, female students grieve that they are just being put down for free expression. It is also, they say, just more fuel for a misogynistic nature that already exists in India, emphasizing that women should “cover up” and “dress decently” so as to not distract their male peers.
Vietnam
While Vietnamese K-12 schools have uniforms in place, the colleges run much differently than in other Asian countries. Colleges in big cities, like Ho Chi Minh City, have no dress codes, and students have more latitude to dress as they’d like. This is particularly relieving for female students, who see more restrictions in the way they should dress practically everywhere else in the world. Many of these Vietnamese students come to school in clothing that would most likely be seen as appalling in other places and would be immediately “dress-coded” for it, clothing like miniskirts, microdresses, tube tops, and low-rise jeans. Not only does this allow for freer self-expression, but it also allows for preparation, in a way, for these students’ futures, as most students will be going into fields where their superiors will not dictate exactly what they should wear to work every day, unless it is overly conspicuous and/or practically inappropriate for the setting. Furthermore, students at these colleges take relief from these policies as well; with no dress code or uniform requirement, they are able to cope better on days when they are running late, for example, and just want to come to school in their pajamas.
Europe
While countries in Europe vary in their stances regarding dress code policies, most require uniforms for students in public schools (primary and secondary schools, as they are called in the region). These countries include Britain, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. However, the countries of Norway and Germany are unique in their own ways.
Norway
Norway is unique due to the fact that Norwegians carry a general sentiment that childhood is a period of life where children have independent value and should be allowed to decide what to wear in order to “find themselves.” Consequently, most Norwegian schools do not have dress codes or uniforms. Students of primary to secondary school ages wear clothes ranging from leggings to skirts, wool sweaters to crop tops, and sweatpants to jeans. However, this practice has a flip side, too. Because of the non-existence of dress codes and the allowing of students to wear whatever they want, the creation of a class hierarchy regarding socioeconomic status is very present and visible. Schools have even seen bullying by students of higher “classes” towards their peers who are of lower economic status due to what they are wearing. These students then feel pressured to wear the correct brands and types of clothing that they cannot afford. It also severely isolates them in a setting they are in for practically the whole week, leading even to suicide for some.
Germany
German schools are also unique regarding dress codes and uniforms as the policies are the “exception ,not the rule;” in other countries—not just in Europe, but worldwide—it tends to be the opposite. This is due to the fact that the country places tremendous importance on the right of free expression for all Germans, which has historical significance specific to the country. Dress codes and uniforms have historical connotations, as during the Third Reich, uniformity was incredibly important, and such can be seen in the clothing worn by members of the Nazi party (which was practically all Germans at that point): similar colors and styles, armbands, boots, etc. Germans, thus, tend to have a negative attitude toward dress codes and uniforms. They hold dear a “never again” principle regarding the evil things they caused to happen during that period of their history and strive to eliminate all connection to that dark time, including dress policies in schools that promote uniformity.
In conclusion, dress code policies are different worldwide, and all countries having their own different reasons for why certain regulations should exist in certain regions. While some advocate uniforms and policies to eliminate distractions, promote uniformity, and decrease adverse relations between social/economic classes, others strive to promote the idea of free expression at a young age to be carried on for the rest of life. These policies are continually changing and will most likely do so for years to come.
Read more stories related to education around the world topic on our Zealousness blog Education Around the World – iN Education Inc.
Sources
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