A school can either have a dress code or not. However, a number of schools have started issuing a ban on certain items such as Crocs, for what they deem a 'safety concern.'
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Crocs are affordable, hard wearing, incredibly ugly, lightweight slip-on shoes worn by people from all walks of life. I've seen people hiking in them, there are stab-proof ones for kitchen wear, and they're endlessly customizable. As a lightweight option for sunny days, they make for fantastic school shoes, too.
However, for one reason or another, some schools are starting to ban them.
The ban states that students are at risk of injury while wearing Crocs. It also says that they are distracted by the various charms. On top of this, they have been using the slip-ons as weapons, throwing them at each other. To me, though, this just sounds like kids being kids. If it wasn't Crocs they were throwing at each other, it would be something else.
Families Fight Back Against Crocs Ban
One school in particular received quite the backlash for their Crocs ban. Students and parents organised a walkout on the proposed clothing restrictions. At Bessemer City High School, the reaction was a severe one, and it prompted the principal to backtrack.
"There is no need to walk out on Monday. Here at BCHS, we want to have a safe learning environment for all, not create a prison," they stated. However, since then, they have issued another dress code adjustment, naming 12 other banned items of clothing along with Crocs.
These include bizarre items such as headbands, hats, jeans with holes above the knee, and bonnets. It seems more like a form of control rather than a safety concern. The families of the students seem to agree.
The Crocs ban has triggered a response, again. "Maybe we should start really focusing on more important things like bullying and school shootings. I mean, it's not gonna matter what a kid is wearing if they're dead," one concerned parent said.
"It has nothing to do with running or fleeing. It is just a way to control the children," another posted, mirroring the general consensus.
The majority of families don't agree with the Crocs ban, saying it is simply control rather than concern. Either have a uniform or don't; you can't have a half-way compromise.
