THE ISSUE
Montini Catholic has joined other schools in changing its dress code because some students won’t follow the rules.
OUR VIEW
School officials should enforce their rules by making students think about the consequences of their actions.
SPEAK UP
Were Montini Catholic officials correct in changing their dress code when students wouldn’t follow the previous rules? Tell us what you think of this by leaving a comment below. You can also e-mail your comment here. Or leave a voice message at (630) 368-8882.
When it comes to enforcing rules inside Roman Catholic schools, times have definitely changed.
There has long been a drastic difference in the perception of maintaining “law and order” in public schools versus Catholic schools.
In public schools, administrators and faculty members often have the threat of lawsuits hanging over them when deciding how to penalize students who violate regulations. For decades, Catholic schools never seemed to have that concern. Parents have placed a high priority on sending their children to schools where they’ll learn to respect authority — or else.
But now it seems that even Catholic schools are having a harder time making the rules stick. Discipline in Catholic schools was always a given, but cracks in the facade have shown this not to be the case any longer.
The substantial decrease in the number of nuns and priests patrolling hallways is a major factor in this phenomenon. Just the threat of a wooden ruler struck across the knuckles was enough to make sure rules were followed, but wooden rulers have disappeared along with religious vocations.
Some Catholic schools have altered their dress codes for girls because the traditional skirts were becoming too revealing. In defiance of regulations, students would roll up their skirts to levels that left administrators and faculty members concerned about the loss of modesty.
Montini Catholic High School in Lombard has altered its dress code for girls. Skorts (a hybrid of skirts and shorts) are still permitted for sophomores and seniors this year, while freshmen and juniors must wear pants. Other Catholic schools have adopted pants for their female students as well.
Why has it become so difficult for these Catholic schools to enforce their own rules? Punishments should serve as a disincentive for students to violate the regulations, but this appears to no longer be the case.
Montini shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to maintain wardrobe appropriateness. Clearly state what the rules are, and penalize those who break them in a way that forces students to ponder the consequences of their actions.
