2023-09-07 17:21:00
Ripped jeans, tight T-shirts, strapless tops and sweatpants stretched out at the knees – German schoolchildren have until now been prohibited from wearing all this to school. However, these days, when the next school year has already begun in almost all federal states, debates have flared up again about how students should look in class and what clothes are appropriate for them. The initiator this time was the parents themselves: the German Federal Parents Council (BER) advocated the introduction of a dress code in schools. This council has existed since 1952 and is a federally organized representation of parents of all types of schools. It is the umbrella organization of the state parent associations in Germany and represents the interests of the parents of about 8 million children and adolescents studying in general education and vocational schools. In particular, it supports parents in exercising their rights to participate in school education and coordinates related planning activities.
What do parents want?
In Germany, there are no uniform rules in the field of education; everything is decided at the state level. There are also no rules regulating how children should dress for school. There are only local guidelines and school-specific internal rules, which are often difficult to maintain. Therefore, students of German schools are truly free in their choice of clothing. But sometimes their appearance is too unkempt and provocative. The heads of some schools are making attempts to independently influence their students, but last year one of these actions ended in a huge scandal. In the town of Wermelskirchen, everyone who came to class in sweatpants was sent home. “We would like to encourage our students to wear clothes that do not encourage them to relax,” school officials explained their position at the time in response to a barrage of requests from journalists.
Now parents have decided to get involved in resolving the issue, many of whom admit that they are also tired of discussing with their children about what can and cannot be worn to school. Therefore, the Federal Parents’ Council of Germany advocated the introduction of a dress code in schools, in particular a ban on wearing “worn, torn or too revealing clothes” to school. “We encourage schools to reach a consensus on dress codes,” council chair Christiane Gotte told the Funke media group. If the rules are officially adopted, breaking them could have consequences: “then students could be sent home and required to dress appropriately.” At the same time, Gotte says that the introduction of a uniform dress code in schools is unlikely to be feasible under the federal system.
Debates about clothing at school are currently taking place in neighboring France – President Emmanuel Macron spoke in favor of introducing a uniform uniform in schools, distinguishing between a uniform and clothing items recommended for wearing at school.
What teachers think
The introduction of strict regulations for school clothing is opposed by the German Teachers’ Union (Der Deutsche Lehrerverband), the largest teachers’ organization in Germany, which is an ideologically neutral and politically independent organization representing the interests of about 165 thousand teachers. The Union notes that, due to history, freedom, self-determination and responsibility are particularly important in Germany. “It’s hard to find a wording that defines how long a T-shirt can be,” said association president Stefan Düll in an interview with the Funke media group. That clothing is becoming more casual and less formal “is a trend in society as a whole.” At the same time, the head of the teachers’ association recognizes that children themselves must take a responsible approach to choosing clothes. According to him, one should still remember that “a school is not a beach or a club.”
The German Association for Education and Training (Verband Bildung und Erziehung) also does not support the possible introduction of school uniforms. They believe that uniform clothing is an attack on the self-determination of both parents and children. The chairman of this organization, Tomi Neckov, also notes that if one of the goals is to prevent social differences, then the adoption of rules is unlikely to help achieve it. In this case, they will manifest themselves through other status symbols.
See also:
#Parents #support #dress #code #German #schools