Dress Code is for Jails, Not for Schools

Every now and then, I come across news from campuses where a certain dress code brought into practice for a certain reason beyond education. Well, dress code is essential to remind you about your duties. Medical Students have a dress code, Engineering Students too have if not in all then at least in many colleges across India, Defence students too have a dress code, Police academy also have a dress code and may be many institutions also have a a dress code where they require all students to attend classes in a certain type wear. College sports teams too have a dress code.

To me

• a dress code represents unity,
• a dress code reminds you of your duties, and
• a dress code represents your profession

Implementing a  dress code in institutions of learning is not a bad idea anyway if it represents a profession well, reminds the wearer his / her rights and responsibilities and kids and teens feel proud in flaunting the same.

However, what is saddening is, nowadays campus administrators comes with a dress code for other reasons, some say implementing a dress code is a solution to campus harassment, others say, it will increase attendance, some others say, it will limit the crowd in library, blah, blah, blah... 

Sorry, I beg to differ.

Implementing a certain dress code is fine if it represents to a certain community. However, what is disturbing is implementing dress code for all wrong reasons.

Perhaps, you know, jails also have dress code for prisoners, needless to say, for what reasons. If a dress code was the obvious solutions for social evils, perhaps jails may have turned into Reform Centers, parents may have preferred sending kids to jails and not schools. Every child is a spoiled brat in his / her parents eyes, no matter how much obedient and extraordinary the kid is. Parents may have preferred sending kids to jails and not schools as you know eating one extra chocolate, leaving empty water bottles, running around and making unnecessary noises are some sins every kid and teen commits.  

Dress code is for jails and not for schools if you are implementing the same for all wrong reasons.

Sorry for the straight forward opinion and I do not mean to hurt anybody of my words.

A law students love wearing white tie and black coat, a medial student love wearing white shirt and black pant, a police officer love wearing his / her uniform. A military man love to die in uniform for the nation. What is wrong with your dress code that students want to boycott it wasting hundreds of study hours over campus politics. If your campus dress code is not loved by students then its not any good than dress code for the prisoners. 

Do not make young minds, prisoners of the certain state, let them nurture freely, let them wear everything they can afford, let them grow freely, allow them to focus on academics instead of packing themselves in a certain attire. 

Implement a dress code that everyone love to wear proudly. If students are not feeling proud of carrying a certain wear then its not the dress but probably YOU.