We all know that middle school students judge one another, but teachers judge students as well, and we want to talk about the issue of dress coding and teachers judging kids by what they wear. Some teachers say they have to; they say it’s part of their job, but we want to ask if dress coding is really necessary and fair to boys and girls.

Some students, especially girls we’ve talked to at BMS, have become offended by policies of dress coding and have felt that the rules of dress coding are more strict compared to boys. Girls have been keeping an eye out for when boys violate the dress code, but are not punished for something that they feel they would be dress coded for instantly. Most boys never actually realize that their boxers are showing, and the teachers never pay attention to that, only to the girls.

The teachers and the school have a certain image of how girls should come to school. High cut t-shirts, a sweatshirt and if it is summer, shorts that are longer than your arms’ length. Maybe, some girls stretch the rules a bit, but girls seem to think teachers over judge and limit the use of clothing that is appropriate for school.

Look, we understand that teachers need to dress code kids who dress inappropriately. It’s a school policy to enforce a code of dressing so students know what is appropriate to wear to the beach and what’s appropriate to wear to school or work. It’s a life lesson for the future.
We understand that teachers are required to make sure all students obey the dress code, but the way they are addressing it to students is unfair and sexist. Sporty boys have been spotted sagging their pants but, we have not seen teachers speak up.

There are many articles that point out that nationally, girls are more frequently dress coded for appearance than are boys, and at BMS students we’ve talked to say it seems that teachers have dress coded more girls than boys. While some teachers may view a girl’s outfit as inappropriate, girls see it as an outfit that they are confident in wearing. When teachers tell girls that they can’t wear what they are confident in, it is like they are taking away a part of their self-esteem.

We believe that dress coding should be allowed, but not all the time and especially not just girls because they are usually the teachers’ targets. Being dresscoded makes a kid feel judged and like all eyes are aimed at them. Letting the kid know in private is better because kids are less uncomfortable when their peers make fun of them.

Teachers need to learn to accept what students wear. Instead of calling students out on outfits they find distracting to other students, they should conference with the student privately.
This bring us to our final point. You shouldn’t just be telling girls not to distract others, you should also tell others not to sexualize girls’ bodies. School is supposed to be a place where kids feel confident, feel safe, and learn new material.