The temperatures outside are nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The girls of most public schools are still wearing jeans. Thick, hot, gross jeans. They sweat because of dress codes. They could be wearing thinner pants, like leggings, or even shorts. However, finding shorts that fit the dress code is practically impossible.

When girls are out shopping for shorts they do not want to purchase the shorts that come down to their knees. Those are awkward to wear and they really just are not that comfortable. The shorts that are on sale are the ones that do not come down to their finger tips, but they still cover everything that needs to be covered. The girls can’t wear those either though, because shorts must come down past the tip of the middle finger. I remember seeing girls pull at their shorts to try to make them long enough for the strict rules.

I understand that dress codes are somewhat a necessity, but they have gotten so out of hand. Girls are constantly being told that they can’t show their shoulders when it’s hot outside. Some schools won’t let girls wear gym shorts because they are not as long as a pair of gym shorts designed for guys. Some schools will not allow girls to wear leggings or yoga pants to school because they are too snug. Some schools will allow it if a shirt is long enough to cover their butt. Girls get sent home for showing their collar bones.

All of these rules are ridiculous. Girls are constantly getting sent home or to in school suspension because of their clothes. School systems are the first issue in this problem. The second is the fashion industry. Clothes that are made for females are designed in very particular ways. School systems should be more understanding that girls do not have many options when it comes to the clothes they wear. The things that are in style are the things that stores choose to sell. Those things are typically not what school systems want students to wear. Some girls have long legs and everything just appears shorter, but it's the same length as what is on the short mannequin in the store.

All of that being said, girls should not be pulled out of class for showing their shoulders. It is not too distracting for the boys. It’s shoulders. Everyone has them. Women used to not be allowed to show their ankles. Girls should not be pulled out of class because their shorts do not come down to their knee. Legs are not too distracting. Everyone has them. The same thing goes for leggings and yoga pants. They may be a bit more form fitting, but everyone knows how legs look. Girls should not be removed from a classroom because their clothing is deemed “too distracting.” By saying that shoulders and legs are too distracting for boys, you are valuing the education of male students over the education of female students. Boys can wear whatever shorts they want; nobody tells them that their legs are too distracting. The education quality should be the bigger concern, but more and more we hear about dress code. Students watch their peers get removed frequently in their classrooms. This happens especially now that it is starting to get warm again.

Shoulders and legs are not too distracting from classroom lessons. Students do need a distraction free learning environment, but stopping class to send a girl home or to send a girl to ISS is a distraction. No one is going to fail a class because they saw another person’s shoulder.