Whether or Not Schools Should Establish Dress Codes (Essay Sample)

Should Schools Establish Dress Codes?
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Should Schools Establish Dress Codes?
A lot of schools have adopted dress codes to act as guidelines on how and what the students should wear while they are in the school compound. Although many oppose this move by the schools, arguing that it impedes the students’ creativity and freedom of expression, there are sufficient benefits to be derived from uniformity in how students dress.
Dress codes promote equality and acceptance among all the students. The teenage years are by far the most vulnerable stage in the human life. Teenagers have the urge to be accepted, and if they feel they do not belong, it can lead to serious emotional problems (Crews, Crews, & Turner, 2011). In such cases, teenage students have been known to experience a decline in their grades, withdraw from their families, and in extreme cases they become hostile. On the other hand, a dress code ensures that all students look alike which in turn helps the students feel like they are a part of the group while at the same time eliminating the problem of not having the “right” clothes in cases of students living in poverty and cannot afford fancy clothes.
Dress codes also contribute to the education of the students by preparing them to dress for the working world. The next step in life for the majority of the students after graduation is the employment sector. In today’s work environment, most jobs have a dress code which is mandatory for all employees (Nath, Bach, & Lockwood, 2016). It is thus important that the students know how to dress for a job as tight and revealing clothes are not appropriate in the working world. Accordingly, a dress code, while adopted early on in the students’ life, can teach such students to differentiate between what is appropriate and what is not suitable to wear.
Although various arguments are made that a dress code restrict personal freedom, it is crucial to note that the dress code only applies in the schools. Students are free to express their individuality on thei...