Students must learn to dress smartly

editorials and columns in these pages have denounced the “nanny state” antics of the educrats. These days, some school administrators go too far in telling kids and parents how to live their lives.

Remember the case of Jessie Sansone? He’s the Waterloo, Ont., parent who was paid a visit by the police back in 2012 — and even strip-searched — all stemming from the fact his young daughter drew a picture in class of her daddy shooting the monsters. Clearly this was a case of way too much intervention.

But when it comes to enforcing dress code standards in an educational environment, the admin folks aren’t in the wrong.

Several recent news stories from across the country have highlighted this. The most high-profile case concerned 18-year-old Alexi Halket. She was called to the principal’s office for wearing a top that looked like a sports bra.

Halket didn’t like this and, along with many other students, staged a protest. A number of the protesters wore bras or sports bra. Students from other schools shared their own pictures on social media in solidarity.

“Girls go to school to learn,” Halket told MTV News. “What they are wearing should not matter.”

Really? Because many adult women go to the office to work, but they know it’s inappropriate to wear a sports bra while doing so.

Which is why they don’t do it. Just like men don’t wear muscle shirts to work for the same reason.

Women should be able to expose a bit of their arms or legs on a summer’s day without being harassed or told that they’re dressed scantily.

But we also know that in today’s increasingly sexualized youth culture, many kids just don’t know where to draw the line.

It’s all about finding that boundary. And one of the things kids learn in school is socialization.

If you’re still in school it means you’re not an adult. It means you don’t rule the roost yet. You can’t vote. You can’t buy booze or cigarettes. Many can’t drive.

It also means teachers, parents and other community leaders are going to impart values and lessons on you. This is no great scandal. It’s the way all societies work.

Learning to dress appropriately in the real world is just one of those lessons.