Hats in School, a Critical Second Opinion
Hats in School, a Critical Second Opinion
Written by Benjamin Rouse
Students are allowed to wear thick makeup, dye their hair, and wear distracting clothing at school, so why are hats still forbidden? Are hats distracting, or a safety hazard? No, not really.
Removing hats when entering a building is something of an old unspoken rule. It once was a sign of respect and indicated that the person would be staying for a while. But this rule began to morph as time went on--instead of people taking their hats off when entering school, they would leave their caps on. This then turned into a disciplinary and safety rule in schools.
While hats may actually be a distraction in some cases, it is not a fair argument for banning hats. If a student is wearing a hoodie, they may fiddle with the strings and mess with the sleeves. A student could be wearing flip-flops and keep taking them on and off. Students who are bored will be distracted by anything and everything--there are too many variables to single out hats. Going by the logic that hats are distracting, why not be fair and take it a step further? Remove all scenery from classrooms, make it mandatory for students to wear a blank uniform, and remove all the windows from classrooms. So when does it end? Life is full of distractions. It’s not logical nor is it reasonable to single out hats.
But, the more important concern is that hats present a safety hazard. Looking at this point at face value, it does seem like a reasonable thing to be concerned about. Safety is a big concern with modern schools due to violent atrocities that have occured in recent years. But this is a placebo. More rules doesn’t mean that students will be any safer. Hats do not affect a child smuggling a dangerous weapon into a school, and a teacher telling a passing student to remove his/her cap does not stop them from doing wrong. Also, it would be very easy for a student to simply smuggle in a mask, hat, or hood to cover their face if they had violent intentions. What about identifying students by their faces?
Is it possible that it might interfere with security camera monitoring and eye witnesses? Possibly, but not all students wear caps that have large brims pulled down over their eyes. Some wear beanies or have their cap on backwards. With backwards caps there is a fear of gang affiliation, but to jump to this conclusion only shows a person may be out of touch with modern times and fashion, as many people enjoy wearing their hats in this manner, not just those affiliated with gangs. Even if a student does have a cap with a brim, it would not necessarily affect a criminal investigation. Eye witnesses and video camera footage do not entirely carry an investigation. Definitive forensic evidence is required for a strong court case. For instance, DNA and physical proof of the person being there and doing these actions. If someone can smuggle in a weapon and other items like body armor, then they could certainly smuggle in some sort of facial covering as well. Telling random students to take off their hats will not make students any more safe in school. A dangerous individual could easily bring a hat to school while keeping it out of sight and just put it on later.
The no-hat rule is an old and out of date social rule that should’ve fallen out of favor years ago. It does not decrease student engagement more than any other piece of clothing or accessories would. Having random students going about their day remove their hats will not increase school safety or security. It’s time to stop using hats as a scapegoat for school issues, They are simply a piece of clothing.
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