“But… But then everyone would become nudists!” –A common response I receive nearly without fail, every time I express my belief that public schools should not have dress codes. Literally, this response is so predictable, it’s almost laughable. Almost. Because obviously those animals we call teenage girls can’t be trusted with their own bodies and if left on their own, would choose not to wear anything. Whether or not the response is meant in a legitimate way, it illustrates the underlying social assumptions that 1) people can’t be responsible for their own bodies, therefore 2) they must be controlled by a set of subjectively bias rules.  I present this small example not as the root cause to the main problems I will be addressing, but merely as a symptom to the epidemic that has slowly eaten its way through our world for hundreds of years: the vilification of the female body.

In the 2008-2009 school year, 57% of public schools enforced a strict dress code, (strict being defined as not just how much skin clothing exposed, but color, style, or logos on dress apparel). Dress codes disproportionally attack females, laying out stricter requirements for, and sending home more females then males on a regular basis. Dress codes do make an impact on students. In just a few weeks earlier this year, 200 High School students, overwhelmingly female, from a single New York institution, were given detention as a result of dress code violations. Thousands of girls around the country weren’t admitted to their prom dance in 2014 because their dresses didn’t make the cut. The very idea of public school dress codes can be harmful in many ways. The main reason for justifying said misogyny, is to “create a distraction free learning environment”. A distraction free learning environment for who? Mostly boys.

We go to school for education about more than just graphing complex rational polynomials and World War 2, school is supposed to prepare us for life. When girl’s bodies are “distractions” and the “culprits” and punished for “harming a boy’s learning environment” it sure teaches a strong message. A message that 1) a boy’s education is more important that a girls and 2) that it’s the girls’ responsibility to control the boy’s thoughts and desires.
It is so strongly engraved into common thought throughout our society that inevitably a girl is going to be sexualized and objectified, it’s basically woven into public school rules. If it weren’t so widely accepted that boys can’t control themselves and will always be distracted by a little extra skin, there would be absolutely no need for dress codes. How it is, the responsibility is on the girls. It’s their fault boys are being distracted, so they are being punished. This is both an unfair, and harming mentality. Unfair because it turns the female body into something, malicious and evil, rather than a beautiful creation. Harming, because these same ideals, (it’s the women’s job to control the man) advocate the solution for rape is for women to “cover up,” “bring pepper spray,” “learn karate,” and “be careful” rather than for rapists to just not rape! After all, rape victums are always asked “what they were wearing.”

I can personally attest to the validity of this argument. As a women who has been taught that the purpose of modesty is to control men, I can attest that numerous times I have felt painful stinging guilt every time I realize my clothing could have been “too low” or “appealing”. I felt guilty for having a body, and I know I’m not alone. Every other female I’ve discussed this matter with has similar opinions. This isn’t some crazy radical ideology, it’s a completely legitimate and personal issue. The fact that it’s being taught in our schools is blatantly unacceptable. We’re teaching girls their bodies are wicked, that it’s their fault for boys inability to control themselves, and that a boy’s education matters more.

Now that I’ve discussed the problems with the very idea of a dress code, I shall elaborate on the effects of its enforcement.

Dress codes are generally enforced one of two ways. First, the violator is just sent home. This methodology is neither going to emphasize the importance of female education nor foster a positive learning environment. The second way, and almost worse or the two, is that the dress code violator get to stay at school, but dressed in ill-fitting, purposely ugly clothing.  While at least the student is still at the school, they are publicly humiliated and shamed for not following the code. This is woman-shaming, and socially presents violators of the dress code in a negative way for their peers.

In conclusion, the very idea that we need to have dress codes for a “distraction free” learning environment places burdens, responsibility, and negative assumptions on women. It teaches us that objectification is the girl’s responsibility to prevent. It vilifies the female body, making it something evil, to be afraid of. And there is no way to enforce it without hurting the education of females or shaming them into conformity. Dress codes teach all the wrong messages. They teach that people can’t be trusted with their own bodies –that they need to be controlled.

To answer the original question, no. Removing public education dress codes would not create a nudist society. During summer break, there are no dress codes and people still wear clothing. What removing dress code requirements does, is it sends a strong message to students that they are the masters of their own body, that they don’t have to feel bad about having a body, or control what men think, and that no matter how they choose to express themselves, deserve an equal education as anyone else.