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ings along with hoodies has been for iden- tification purposes, which makes complete sense in hallways and other common areas. But what about in classrooms? Educators have argued that they need to be able to see a student’s eyes, so what if a student wears their baseball cap backward and where does that leave toques, bandanas and durags? Bandanas, head wraps and durags have been linked to gang activity but if we’re following that logic, why haven’t we banned particular colour outfits or coloured headbands, etc.? Looking specifically at headwraps and durags we can see a prioritization of Eurocentric his- tory over Afrocentric history. Did you know that durags and headwraps are an essential part of Black history? They have been used throughout history to protect hair and main- tain hairstyles. However, instead of seeing a 12-year-old Black boy with a desire to main- tain his waves, we’ve weaponized the durag against Black bodies.


3. Only skinny bodies are worthy of being seen. No two bodies are alike and never is this more apparent than in the way a partic- ular article of clothing fits one body vs. an- other. A student with a skinny and rectangu- lar body shape can wear a pair of shorts that reach the fingertip length usually required by schools, but that same pair of shorts on a curvier body are labelled inappropriate. The same can also be said for fitted shirts; fitted shirts are generally fine so long as they cover up any bodily outlines. Students with fuller figures (even as young as 6) have been told that their mere appearance is inappropriate because of earlier development than their thinner counterparts. A GTA board’s dress code states that “the


standards for dress at the school are based on common sense and are intended to sup- port the comfort, safety and modesty of all students. There is a strong relationship be- tween neat, clean and appropriate clothing and a positive learning environment.” It is important to problematize the association between neat, clean and appropriate cloth- ing and a positive learning environment. This connection privileges those from more afflu- ent backgrounds. It is also important to draw attention to the idea of common sense as it does not take into account culturally specific nuances that may not be part of the Eurocen- tric Canadian mosaic.


I don’t believe that dress codes were put


into place to be a discriminatory practice. I understand that they have been designed to protect the best interests of students. They are designed to be neutral so that every stu- dent has a set of rules that doesn’t unfairly target them, but what we know both about teaching and the rules that govern the pro- fession is that nothing is neutral or apoliti- cal. Every rule comes with its own biases and lived experiences and all are wrapped up in historically colonial narratives.


Let’s look at the consequences for wearing clothes that are deemed inappropriate:


1. A change of clothes from the student’s own collection – likely into gym clothes.


2. Lost and found clothing – I can’t even begin to tell you how demeaning this is.


3. Sent home from school – removing a child from school surely isn’t beneficial to their learning.


If we’re in the business of building self-esteem and helping shape critical thinkers, how can we move toward that with punitive mea- sures for students exercising their right to self-expression? In 2019, the Toronto District School Board implemented a new Student Dress Policy, going so far as to replace the title of the policy from Appropriate Dress Policy to Student Dress Policy acknowledging the long history of marginalization and inequi- table practices that resulted from biases in previous dress code policies. One of the most meaningful pieces of the new dress code was the inclusion of student voice in the develop- ment of the new plan. If we are truly looking to move toward real equity and inclusion, we need to recognize that the idea of authoritar- ian decision-making is a function of colonial- ism and white supremacy. True culturally responsive pedagogy is rooted in community and collaboration. I am not naïve. I understand that for


all the changes I wish to see in our schools there is a long-standing argument for pre- paring students for what we’ve deemed the real world. Will student X be able to walk the streets in a short skirt and spaghetti strap tank top and not be objectified? Will student Y wear a durag and not be unfairly stopped by police? Will student Z wear a crop top and


not have people turn up their nose? Not at this moment, but like all of us who now un- derstand that school is a microcosm of the world while also understanding that growth and change happen as we learn, we can be honest about where our values are situated in this moment while trying to encourage liber- ated young humans. Remember, recess and nap-time aren’t functions of adult environ- ments, but we encourage them in young stu- dents anyway. Let’s give students the grace to develop while still remaining children, while they have the ability to do so.


How can teachers make a difference in creating inclusive environments for their students especially around dress codes?


1. Take anti-racist and anti-bias (ABAR) training seriously. ABAR sessions help us unpack our own biases and learn the ways in which we unintentionally cause harm to others. Many ABAR trainings are also cul- turally specific and allow us to learn norms and customs for cultures outside of our own making us less likely to impose colonial norms on our students.


2. Spend time getting to know your stu- dents. The more you know about your stu- dents, the more their clothing choices make sense to you. What are they trying to say about themselves with the clothing they’ve selected? In understanding your students better, you’ll feel less inclined to judge the attire they’ve chosen.


3. Have frank conversations about gender norms and binaries. Explain to all students that how someone chooses to express themselves through clothing is a reflection of many parts of their identity but is not the only piece of their identity that matters.


4. Before you act on an impulse to critique a student’s attire, ask yourself if their clothing is truly harmful. Does it portray offensive, violent or otherwise harmful visuals that negatively impact school environment?


5. Since many dress codes are school specific, consider including students in the creation of new dress code policies (even younger students). n


Alyssa Gray-Tyghter is a member of the Peel Teacher Local.


ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 29


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