Correction: Students can make-up lost credit for no-dress. Students needing that credit should speak with their physical education teacher.
During the 2023-2024 school year, OH physical education teachers have enforced a gym dress code with verbal announcements and posters that slippers, pajamas, khakis, and more aren’t allowed to be worn during gym classes.
“[It is] reasonable to ask students to change out of their jeans, but pajama pants are loose and easy to move, making that rule unreasonable,” senior Paola Rodriguez said.
Some students disagree with this new dress code and refuse to follow it. But changing for physical education class and wearing appropriate footwear has always been a rule; nothing has changed.
“It worries me when students come to [class] wearing crocs or slides because it becomes a ‘safety’ issue. I don’t want anyone rolling an ankle or worse because of participating without proper footwear,” gym teacher Susan Sanders said.
Teachers take points off every time students don’t have the appropriate clothing for gym class, and it can lower their grade. Last year, students were able to make up their no-dresses. But, now this year, they are not.
“Depend[ing] on how [many] points are being taken, at the end of the day, students are not going to [participate in] gym [class] if they don’t want to, regardless of their clothing,” Rodriguez said.
There could be different reasons why students don’t want to change. It could be that they don’t feel comfortable with changing in front of strangers, religious beliefs, physical and mental health, or any insecurities they have. According to K-12 Dive, LGBTQ+ students also don’t feel comfortable changing around people they don’t know.
“It’s a good idea because sometimes you get sweaty in the gym, so having a change of clothes is actually a good thing,” senior Lyric Johnson said.
Hello, my name is Alexa Cuevas and I'm currently a senior in high school. This will be my second year on being a staff member for 42Fifty and being a spanish editor.
