STICK TO CODES

Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President La Sonja Harrison is calling for a return to stricter dress-code standards in public spaces, including schools and financial institutions, arguing that established rules should be respected and upheld.

Harrison made the comments while responding to a question about dress codes in schools during a Rotary Club of Kingston luncheon at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Thursday.

She, however, noted that all schools have clear guidelines governing acceptable attire.

Dress codes in schools have long been a contentious issue between parents and administrators, with some parents calling for an end to strict rules they consider outdated and, in some cases, unreasonable.

Supporters of school dress codes, however, argue that clear and firm guidelines are essential to instil discipline, promote uniformity and reinforce standards of conduct among students.

“For every school that I can think of, if it’s not mounted on the outside, there is something that guides you that is there as a dress code,” the JTA president said.

COMMUNICATING RULES

She recalled a recent conversation with the principal of a traditional high school who was preparing for student orientation and concerned about how best to communicate the school’s dress requirements to parents.

Harrison said schools have increasingly found creative ways to communicate their rules, including using symbols that can be easily understood.

“I will let you know, Sir, that we draw symbols. And we put a cut-out jeans, and we put an X,” she explained, noting that even persons who may have difficulty reading can understand that the X means “wrong bang” and is not allowed.

“And most schools do it like that because we are aware that there are some, you know, challenges where that is concerned,” she added.

But Harrison argued that the issue extends beyond schools, reflecting what she sees as a broader need for Jamaica to reassess its standards of dress and public conduct.

She recounted a recent experience at a bank where she observed a customer whose buttocks were exposed beneath the shorts she was wearing.

Harrison questioned whether businesses should compromise their standards in pursuit of profit, arguing that the rights and comfort of others must also be considered.

“What happens to the right of those of us who don’t want to see your body parts?” she asked.

RAISED CONCERNS

She also raised concerns about people being able to use public furniture without worrying about coming into contact with bodily fluids because others are not adequately covered.

While acknowledging that people have freedom of choice, the JTA boss insisted that freedom must be accompanied by responsibility.

“No, I’m not saying it’s illegal to wear your short shorts, but there is a time and a place for everything under the sun,” she said.

Harrison also rejected arguments that Jamaica’s history of slavery and colonialism should be used to justify abandoning certain rules and standards.

The history teacher argued that Jamaica should be willing to retain practices that are beneficial, regardless of their cultural origin.

“If there is something good from the British, we want to keep it. If there is something good from the Chinese, we want to keep it. If there is something good from the Syrians and the Spaniards, we want to keep it,” she said. “But we can’t just be throwing out everything because we want to say freedom. With freedom comes responsibilities.”

She stressed freedom must be balanced with responsibility, particularly within institutions such as schools, where rules are established to guide students, parents, and staff.

Harrison welcomed a recent statement from Minister of Education and Youth Dr Dana Morris Dixon at the JTA’s national conference that “rules are rules” and that all stakeholders must respect those established by schools.

She warned that failure to respect established standards could have wider consequences for schools’ ability to maintain discipline and order.

“For if we’re not mindful, we are going to allow anything to go in our schools as well, and it can’t be,” she said.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com