Introduction

The notion of uniforms developed from a desire to provide consistency and equality to students from various backgrounds, as well as to ensure that they do not encounter prejudice because of the clothes they wear. They also provide individuals with a shared identity and a sense of belonging to an organisation. Some people feel it saves time since they don't have to figure out what to wear every day or spend a lot of money on clothes. While all of these reasons for wearing uniforms are true until a child reaches college level, she wants to express herself. College is supposed to be the start of a new life with the newfound independence of maturity. Giving this new sensation an official uniform would be like placing chains on it. Clothes re-establish the organization's grip over a person in some way. We all remember the significance of school uniforms as children, regardless of where we went to school. Indian public and private schools give uniforms to pupils with the goal of unifying them behind the banner of their institutions, regardless of their socio-economic background, and it has worked. Although uniformity is symbolised by the symbolism of uniformity, uniforms tend to express implicit norms of discrimination, particularly along the gender axis There are unique female and male uniforms in most Indian schools, public or private, regardless of location. The 'dress code' stipulates specific guidelines for how students should adhere to this gendered uniform.

Students' freedom of expression can be curtailed by school dress regulations, which can also denigrate girls' bodies and "feminine" traits in boys. Students' clothing options are limited by the school's dress code, a set of rules established by school administrators. Students' rights are being trampled upon in schools around the world as a result of this policy that was intended to make schools a safe learning environment. These codes have done more harm than good, from sexism to religious intolerance. As a result of school dress regulations, boys believe that their hair should not be long since it would be too girlie for them, while young girls believe that they are doing something wrong if they have long hair. Sexual harassment and discrimination can impact everyone; yet, for many years, women's sexism has been a bigger problem than men's. For students, this kind of intolerance can be found every day at school. As a result of the school clothing code being too stringent and sexist towards women, students have organised protests in schools. Students at an art school in North Charleston, South Carolina, protested against a new dress code that forbade women from wearing anything that could distract male classmates. [1] For them as well as for many others, such regulations have proven to be counter-productive and even detrimental in the long run Not all students are aware of what is going on or have enough support from their family and friends to protest against this rule.

Literature Review

• Why uniforms?

Indian educational institutions may not be among the best in the world, but one of the most appealing aspects of the Indian education system is its internal discipline. Take any school - Primary, secondary, or high school students in any city, town, hamlet, or even on the street will all wear the same common dress. We refer to it as a standard, known as uniform. The term itself has a lot of meaning. When it comes to education, though, we are all the same. Children of millionaires and vegetable vendors will dress alike when attending the same school. No matter how well-off a kid is, the school treats them all the same. If the other child has the same socio-economic position as mine, kindergarteners can't tell the difference." He is the one who begins the relationship or friendship (because he thinks every other student in his class is the same). To ensure that pupils from diverse origins do not experience prejudice because of their clothing, the idea of uniforms was born. They also provide the individual with a sense of belonging to an organisation and a common identity. Some people also feel that it is less time-consuming because one does not have to figure out what to wear every day or spend a lot of money on clothes, which is another benefit. However, when a child reaches the college level, she wants to express herself, and all of these arguments are true till then. There's no doubt that college is intended to offer a fresh start, with the freedom of maturity. Giving this new sensation an official uniform would be like placing chains on it. Clothes re-establish the organization's grip over a person in some way.

When it comes to establishing a clear distinction between "boys" and "girls," different schools have varying dress requirements. Boys and girls are expected to adhere to ‘masculine' and 'feminine' conventions, respectively. Clothing code, despite its goal of reducing social barriers, is used as a technique to reinforce and accommodate social differences in the classroom. Across India, it's well-known that school dress code laws strongly regulate the way girls dress, from their hair to their socks. Feminist writers have written extensively on the detrimental impacts of clothing code on young people's psyche, in addition to reinforcing patriarchal beliefs and sexualizing schoolgirls. Dress code laws apply to all genders, notwithstanding this. According to several former Teach for India fellows, guys were more likely to break the clothing rule and were punished more severely than girls. [2]

Even though boys may be subjected to harsher physical punishments in school, the social consequences for girls are no less severe. As well as the school clothing code, girls are subjected to the gender codes of their communities. Strangely enough, although boys rejoice in getting away with breaking clothing standards, girls feel that similar infractions, such as wearing jewellery, are not punished sufficiently. When it comes to dressing code violations, boys are subjected to harsh physical and verbal penalties, but their opposition is not to the sanctions themselves, but rather to the lack of punishments for girls. There is no way pupils would want to be penalised for having long hair. It was still their opinion that the women were not penalised for wearing earrings, but were punished for their studs.

When it comes to the dress code argument, women are often sexualized and presented as "sex objects" valued only for their sexual attractiveness. [3] It's not only women now in the United States. Instead, the sexualization of girls and girlhood is seen as pervasive and undesirable. [4] According to the American Psychological Association (APA), sexualization occurs when:

• A person's worth is entirely derived from his or her sexual attractiveness or behaviour, with no consideration given to any other factors.;
• Being sexy is associated with physical beauty that is strictly defined.
• Persons are objectified to be used sexually by others, rather than being regarded as individuals with the ability to act and make decisions on their own; and/or Inappropriate sexualization of a person.

Society, advertising, and commerce, as well as parents, teachers, and classmates, sexualize females, according to the American Psychological Association. 'Self-sex' is also a kind of sexualization. When females are sexified, the consequences are far-reaching and deep. For girls, sexualization may hurt cognitive and physical function, mental and physical health, sexuality, gender roles, as well as their sexuality. Also, the sexualization of girls may prevent males from engaging in intellectual conversations with females and forming intimate relationships with female partners as resulting of girls' sexualization. Due to sexualization, women face the same repercussions as girls, including discrimination and subordination at work. Society may be affected by a rise in sexism and discrimination as a result of sexualization. It may also have an impact on girls' educational ambitions and performance. When it comes to the sexualization of females, clothing plays a crucial part. In Western societies, adolescence is marked by the emergence of a distinct identity. Clothing is sold to females as a way to show their uniqueness and identity. As a result, clothing is both a product of our culture's sexualization of girls and a component of the wider process of identity development over which girls have some influence. In addition to contributing to sexualization, girls' clothes (as well as cosmetics) encourage young girls to wear apparel that emphasises female sexuality. A recent study has focused on "sexy" clothes for children and teens. Their behaviours, self-concepts, and identities are shaped by these cultural representations.

Findings

It has been shown that when the school's expectations of how girls should conduct themselves are in line with the social norms imposed by their families and communities, they are more likely to conform to school dress codes. Violating a school's dress code also violates gendered social standards outside of the classroom as well. Most of the dress code infractions that girls commit are inadvertent, mild, and reversible in nature (for example: changing their haircut, using makeup, or applying nail paint). In contrast, teachers and students have noted that boys are more prone than girls to deliberately violate the clothing code to rebel against authority. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to be punished harshly for these infractions. There are a variety of ways in which authority figures can abuse them. And yet despite all of these consequences, it appears that guys are still looking for ways to break or exploit the dress code.

"Boys aren't permitted to wear jeans at Esha's school (one of the interviewees). Rather than wearing skinny jeans, they would have their trousers cut to look like skinny jeans." "When boys are caught and penalised for having their shirts untucked," Shreya (one of the interviewees) says, "they make sure to keep it tucked-in in front of the teacher, then untuck it again as soon as they are out of sight." Male students, according to their teachers, take pleasure in breaching dress codes and portraying themselves as rebels against authority.

What are the alternatives to the school dress code?

Differential impact analysis looks at whether there are equally effective alternatives to supporting valid educational aims outside clothing laws. Student safety and protection; exposure to professional dress standards; and developing respect for one's self and others are just a few of the possible outcomes.

Due to their nature, schools are in a great position to act as a check against sexualization and harassment. To counteract the sexism and sexualization that many female students are concerned about, it is possible to support student education and honest talks about the concerns. Instead of restricting specific student apparel, teachers, administrators, and students should debate student attire in the greater context of sexualization. Let's take the importance of self-respect as an example, as well as the role correct wardrobe plays in establishing one's professional identity and achieving success, or the harm sexualization does to children of all ages.

Encouraging a critical examination of how the media presents girls is another possibility. When it comes to alternatives to dress code rules, there are several that can achieve similar aims without the sexual stigma associated with them. School uniforms, for example, may solve many of the same issues, but in a more gender-neutral way. This is because standard uniforms can help change cultural messages about who girls are and what they are capable of and thus reduce sexual harassment, as noted by the American Psychological Association (APA): "When sexualized clothing is a part of a larger cultural context where girls are sexually objectified," [5]

Conclusion

For pupils from diverse origins, the idea for uniforms was created to ensure that they would not be subjected to prejudice based on their clothing. A shared identity and sense of belonging to an organisation are also provided. According to some, this method takes up less time because one does not have to figure out what they are wearing every day or spend a lot of money on clothes, for that matter. However, when a child reaches the college level, she wants to express herself, and all of these arguments are true till then. There's no doubt that college is intended to offer a fresh start, with the freedom of maturity. Giving this new sensation an official uniform would be like placing chains on it. Clothes re-establish the organization's grip over a person in some way. To fully unite kids, the school uniform must be free of gender stereotypes, both physically and emotionally. Even amid adolescence, allowing children to dress in ways that defy gender stereotypes may help them overcome many of their worries while teaching them discipline and professionalism in a non-punitive environment.

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References:

• https://www.123helpme.com (accessed on 18.08.2021)
• https://thebastion.co.in (accessed on 20.08.2021)
• Kaitlyn Graff et al., Too Sexualized to be Taken Seriously? Perceptions of a Girl in Childlike vs. Sexualized Clothing, 66 SEX ROLES 764, 764 (2012) (accessed on 18.08.2021)
• AM. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASs'N, TASK FORCE ON THE SEXUALIZATION OF GIRLS, REPORT OF THE APA TASK FORCE ON THE SEXUALIZATION OF GIRLS 2 (2007), http://www.apa.org [hereinafter APA]. (accessed on 24.08.2021)
• APA, supra note 14, at 33. (27.08.2021)