Appropriate Uniforms for Cheerleaders in High School
There have been several news stories in the past month that have brought up the debate concerning appropriate cheerleading attire. These stories stem from a team of high school cheerleaders who were forced to disband because it was deemed by school administrators that their skirts were too short. Haven’t cheerleading uniforms always been short? Why is this a headline now? Oh, that’s right. It’s the start of a new school year.
Clothing, dress codes, and appropriate teen attire is a difficult topic to discuss. School administrators want to protect the integrity of the girls involved. School dress codes have gotten stricter over the years because teens have continued to come to school in skimpy and inappropriate attire. The classroom is a place of learning and too much bared flesh is not only distracting, but also degrading. Schools should have the right to set guidelines on how short cheerleading skirts should be. But to completely disband the team is wrong. Cheerleading uniforms have always been short and provocative. There is no denying that there is a sexual component to cheerleading. If schools want to improve female stereotypes, that is fine. Just alter the uniforms before the start of the school year.