April 14, 2008 07:27 am If only parents would get as excited about their children's educational progress, or lack thereof, as they do about conflicts over a school dress code. But clothes are apparently a much more exciting and important topic — witness the mini-firestorm in Haverhill over the decision by Nettle Middle School Assistant Principal Renata Bateman this past week to require more than a dozen students to change into more modest outfits. One mother, Susan Bouchicas, whose daughter was told to change out of a "skort" — a skirt with shorts beneath it — that Bateman said was too short, vowed to move her daughter to a different school. This is puzzling at best. The dress code will not be different at a different Haverhill public school. And it seems sad, to say the least, that the reason for requesting a transfer has nothing to do with teaching, classes, curriculum or other educational issues, but just an argument over the length of a skirt. But the incident should prompt school officials from the superintendent to the School Committee on down to put the word out again to parents: If they want the best education possible for their children, they need to support an environment that focuses on learning, not fashion and distraction. That kind of environment must, necessarily, include a dress code. Indeed, rather than quibble over whether a skirt, or a skort, is an inch too long or too short, parents should be guided by common sense. And that common sense should include an awareness of the mentality of middle-schoolers. According to some mothers who responded online to reporter Mike LaBella's story in Friday's Eagle-Tribune, the shorts that are part of a skort are not even close to modest. If the skirt part of the garment were not there, the shorts would be a blatant violation of the dress code. That is clearly a distraction. Other readers said that such clothes shouldn't be a distraction — that boys should be able to focus on their teacher rather than what their female classmates are wearing. Perhaps they should, but they don't. That's one of the many reasons they are called minors, and are under the control of parents, teachers and other adults — they don't have the judgment or control that we all hope they will acquire when they become adults. Part of becoming a productive adult is learning to wear appropriate dress. School is a work place, and the clothes students wear should reflect that. Parents who want the best for their children will support and take part in that training.
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