State of Cape Cod

You Have To Dress the Part

To anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in traffic behind a bright yellow bus filled with children in the morning or afternoon it will be obvious that our schools are open for business. Whether that business is education, political correctness, or monkey is open to debate. Despite the best efforts of the NEA, some teaching and learning does, inevitably, take place but it does so under the noxious eye of the politically correct crowd. Schools are obligated by laws like MCAS and No Child Left Behind to successfully teach specific subject areas. Students, in turn, are required under the same laws to demonstrate mastery of those curricula. The children, on the other hand, have been bestowed with sharply defined rights as to the conditions under which they may allow themselves to be taught.

Among those rights, ruled by liberal judges to have been granted by the first amendment to the constitution, is to dress as they, the students, see fit. Sheltering otherwise inappropriate student attire under the vast umbrella of freedom of expression, as has been established by some misguided court decisions, makes it difficult for school administrations to establish dress codes for students.

So it was with no surprise that, while driving past a local high school at dismissal time, I observed young people in all manner of what most discerning adults would consider grossly inappropriate clothing for the business of education. There were boys with trousers several sizes too large in every direction. Too wide, too long in the leg and crotch, and too low on the hips. Girls flaunted their burgeoning sexuality with pants several sizes too small and bare midriffs, often flashing bejeweled navels. There were also the usual hats worn backwards, ill fitting shirts – too long and large on the boys, too tight, short, and low on the girls – often imprinted with questionable graphics, unkempt hair of garish hues on both sexes and an embarrassment of hardware: chains attached to clothing and assorted metallic adornment threaded through various portions of their anatomy.   

Education should transcend mere memorization of facts. It ought to extend beyond being taught to read with facility, to express oneself with clarity, and to calculate efficiently. It constitutes far more than learning about the earth around us and the history and customs of the peoples who populate it. All of these are laudable and vital objectives, but the overriding goal, ultimately the most important purpose of education, is to prepare young people to take their place in the world – to provide students with the means to become productive members of society. Specifically, to support themselves, raise a family, pay taxes, obey the law, live in peace with their neighbors, and not be a burden on their fellow citizens. To that end they must be able to find and maintain gainful employment. They must be able to get and hold a job. They must know how to conduct themselves at an interview. They must learn to speak politely and correctly. They have to be taught to write a coherent resume. And they have to be made aware that appropriate attire is an important tool in attaining that lofty goal. This is especially true in a place like Cape Cod where good jobs are scarce and so many employment opportunities involve the tourist industry and dealing with the the public. Schools, therefore, not only have a right to require proper attire, but a duty to do so.

A student's job while in high school, in addition to all the academic subjects, is to learn to dress in a manner appropriate to the scholastic environment. Just as most businesses have standards of dress for their employees, so should schools establish rules delineating proper attire for the job at hand. Schools ought to have a dress code. It need not be elaborate or too demanding. Common sense can dictate what kind of clothing is conducive to the educational process and which will be distracting. No hats, no midriffs or underwear showing, no printed shirts, skirts and trousers of appropriate lengths, all properly fitting, would be a good start. No garments, styles or accessories that might prove disruptive to the learning process, as determined by the School Committee, should be permitted. Neither would it be unreasonable to grade students on their personal presentation as part of the educational process. 

To be effective, a school dress code cannot be confined to the students alone. Teachers must lead by example. They, too, should be required to present themselves as they might for a business career. Shirts with collars for men and slacks, no jeans, for either sex. Women's skirts and dresses should be of proper length with suitable blouses or tops. Flip flops are out for everybody! If a teacher comes to class sipping a cup of coffee, needing a shave and wearing jeans, sneakers and a sweatshirt, he or she isn’t doing the job. Appropriate clothing standards are vital in order to promote an effective learning environment, establish discipline, and encourage respect.

The idea that schools have no right to mandate proper attire as part of the educational process is both naïve and negligent. They not only have the right, they have an obligation to do so. It may, in fact, be the most important part of their job.

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