‘Sexist’ dress code angers students

Rangitoto College students are rebelling against a “sexist” Year 13 dress code. More than 800 people signed a petition started on the Change.org website stating: “Women are feeling objectified as the rules only being enforced on them, with teachers referencing that they may not wear tights as it gives male teachers arousal.”

The petition was taken down yesterday after a deputy principal complained that staff had not used the word “arousal”, and the school rejects suggestions its staff have been distracted by female dress.

The college, New Zealand’s biggest school with 3157 students, does not require Year 13 students to wear the school uniform but its dress code states: “Smart-casual workplace attire is expected — ie. not dressed for a day at the beach.”

Students say the code has been tightened this year to ban low or V-neck tops, tights, ripped jeans, long or coloured fingernails, more than one ring or ear piercing and “anything you can see through, up or down”.

The rebellion is the third case this year of students complaining about school rules on appearance.

Rangitoto College principal Patrick Gale said the school rejected the suggestion that male teachers were “distracted” by female students’ clothing. “We completely refute the suggestion that teachers are distracted by mufti. While we admire our students’ social conscience, we try to ensure that we create an environment for our community that enables all of our high educational expectations to be delivered.”