More on controversial school dress code.

As a student of Sydney Academy, I wanted to comment on the recent protest against the dress code that a large portion of the Sydney Academy student body participated in. Our protest is not an isolated event. Youth across Canada have been protesting for a more inclusive and destigmatized dress code that highlights freedom of expression over the restriction of it.

Perhaps some readers hold the belief that this is something that will blow over in time, but after having talked to many people who participated in this demonstration I can safely say this is an issue that has been prevalent long before today. This letter aims to show the perspective of the students who feel this set of rules is unfair, restrictive and misogynistic.

The dress code, as quoted from the Student Handbook found on the official Sydney Academy site, reads “In general, clothing must be socially acceptable for the school environment. In particular, it is required that shorts be at least mid- thigh and that t- shirts and blouses provide adequate and suitable coverage ( i. e.: tank tops, tube tops, thin strapped tops are inappropriate). Midriffs must be covered. In addition, writing or pictures on clothing that implies or suggests violence, racism, vulgarity, etc., will not be tolerated at Sydney Academy.” (Student Handbook, 2020)

While the lack of tolerance towards violent, vulgar or racist comments is commendable, the issue stands with the actual articles of clothing that are being withheld. Midriffs and shoulders (which are not mentioned here but are implied) are not inherently sexual.

Some could argue that the prevention of wearing these articles of clothing is a method of protection for the individual wearing them. In actuality, by placing a dress code on an individual, which often ( intentionally or not) humiliates and makes an example of that person, it teaches the harassers that the responsibility is not on them to change their behaviour, but instead on the victim to dress in a way that will not warrant this behaviour. In this sense, the dress code also perpetuates a sense of victim blaming that’s already instilled in our society, and only hurts those who wish to dress the way they’re comfortable with.

Another fear is that this clothing causes distraction to people around them, hindering their ability to work. I find it important to note here that this is mostly assumed about men, and that the people who wear less conservative clothing are often assumed to be women. This is important because this is once again a method of victim blaming, and quite frankly an inaccurate assumption of the people in my classes.

Now, even if we were to ease down the dress code, would it actually work? To answer that we need to look at some of the schools across Canada where the protests have been successful, and the schools and administrations have let go of some of the more restrictive dress code policies. One such case is Chilliwack, a school in Toronto that loosened the restrictions of the dress code in June of last year. After many complaints from different students, the dress code became more relaxed and allowed students to express themselves. There was a massively positive reaction from both student and faculty alike, with students feeling relieved they’d be able to express themselves, and no longer fear admonishment by authorities, and staff feeling grateful they were no longer tasked with policing the dress of students.

If we wish to continue with conversations regarding the dress code, we need to continue with diplomacy and equity among voices. The recent decision by the Sydney Academy administration towards assembling a group of students to give the School Advisory Council the opportunity to listen to their concerns was an excellent step towards that.

Hopefully, we can continue in this path of listening to students, and while doing so we can create an environment where students can express themselves how they see fit.