by Aiden

Created on: March 06, 2007   Last Updated: September 10, 2009

In today's society, the ideal is to have everyone be equal. The schools have decided to take this ideal to the max with standardized dress. (Unless the child is in private school, the dress code is standardized dress because when claimed as uniforms, the school districts must pay for them.) Standardized dress usually requires dress slacks in khaki, navy blue, or black, and a collared polo style or button down shirt of a solid color. A belt is usually required as well on pants it applies to. The above information is coming from a handbook for a High School in Southern Texas.

The main reason public schools went to a new dress code was to try and prevent another incident like Columbine from happening again. But in all reality, a new dress code, put in place to prevent social discrimination within the schools, was bound to fail even before it began. Any teenager can tell a Wal-Mart shirt from a Hollister or Abercrombie shirt. The same goes with the pants and other accessories. With that being said, wouldn't and don't the teens who wear Wal-Mart clothes get looked down on by the kids who wear labels? It is sad but true. The high school I went to, the one in which I was speaking about the outline for standardized dress, I made sure to be able to wear all the labels. Maybe it was vain, but what kid in high school doesn't want to be accepted by some clique.

Another valid point to the argument as to why dress codes do not work is the fear of weapons being concealed onto school property. From my experience at my high school, there were more than a dozen gang fights including knives, and yes, the occasional gun. Now I don't want anyone to get the misconception I went to a ghetto school. My old school was ranked best in our little district for academics and behavior. That being said, my school also did not have metal detectors, which in my opinion is the only way to truly prevent violence with weapons at school. Not with a dress code that still allows room for discrimination financially.

Learn more about this author, Aiden.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.