Dress code: She is tan from double standard

A high school student in Saint-Jerome is dissatisfied with the ongoing inequality between girls and boys, calling for reform of the dress code in Quebec schools.

Also read: Ottawa High School: Outrage over ‘insulting’ dress code check

After controversy engulfed the establishments in Ottawa and Montreal, young Nellie-Rose Abin decided to take matters into her own hands to change things at the Cap-Junessi school in Saint-Jerome.

The first year secondary student initiated a petition in the hope of amending the school code of conduct. Less than 226 people signed up for Missive.

“It simply came to our notice then [mes collègues] Really waiting for someone to make that decision. I really hope that this will not only change in my school and that it will change over time, ”said the 12-year-old girl.

Many reviews

She essentially denies the dual standard of supervision of the dress code between girls and boys.

For example, staff skirts should be kept at a maximum of ten centimeters above the knee. Nellie-Rose said the rule also applies to short pants.

“There were warm days and we saw guys with short shorts, and we had to be very careful with supervisors,” she explains.

This rule also complicates girls who have long legs and can not find a suitable outfit, adds her mother Genevieve Pelletier.

Nellie-Rose also lamented that the girls did not have polo shirts with buttons to hide their breasts or were banned from wearing leggings if not a tracksuit.

Cap-Junese director Dominic Fowell argued that “if there are people who are in favor of changing the lifestyle, we will begin the consultation process.”

Keep in mind that the dress code is set by the governing body for all schools in the province locally.

Not normalized

The various stakeholders consulted by Lee Journal believe that the contentious situations in the media are isolated and not representative of all schools.

“Honestly, there are no major problems,” said Nicholas Provost, president of the Quebec Federation of Educational Establishments directors.

Adjustments are made according to “different modes”, taking into account the student’s opinion, he adds.

So this is the debate that will come to the fore a year later.

“There will be another generation in ten years and it will have other concerns,” said Kevin Roy, president of the Confederation of Quebec Parents’ Committees.