Two South Surrey students were made to cover up their outfits with jerseys this week 鈥� and were called with their female peers into a 鈥渄iscussion鈥� about what鈥檚 OK to wear 鈥� after staff deemed their clothing inappropriate for an elementary school.
School district spokesman Doug Strachan confirmed the step was taken Tuesday at South Meridian Elementary, and involved students in Grade 6 or 7. He did not have details on the offending outfits, and did not know which event occurred first, the discussion or the demand to don jerseys.
Parents were not given advance notice of the discussion, and Grade 6 and 7 boys were not included, Strachan confirmed.
The jersey measure, he noted 鈥� described by one parent as a 鈥渟carlet letter鈥� 鈥� was 鈥渁 one-off, a temporary cover-up for clothing that was considered inappropriate.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not an institutionalized approach,鈥� Strachan said.
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Peace Arch News learned Wednesday that some parents at the 16244 13 Ave. school were upset by the school鈥檚 steps.
鈥淭he issue is singling out the girls,鈥� Derek Thornton told PAN by email.
鈥淎lso, the dress code, purely in my opinion, is quite vague. I鈥檓 sure it is left that way intentionally so that it is simply left to the discretion of the day. However, a 鈥榮carlet letter鈥� of a jersey is completely inappropriate and definitely crosses a line.鈥�
Thornton said many parents voiced concerns and frustrations through comments on a private Facebook page. A screenshot of part of that online conversation 鈥� with commenters鈥� names obscured by Thornton for privacy reasons 鈥� shows comments including some questioning why the boys weren鈥檛 spoken to at the same time.
One describes the scenario that played out as 鈥渞idiculous.鈥�
Another commented that 鈥渋t irked me.鈥�
鈥淛ust the girls,鈥� commented another. 鈥淚 get some clothes are not appropriate in the school鈥� but a lecture about it鈥� they also now single out the offender so she wears a jersey at school for first offence and 2nd gets sent home鈥� this could have been handled so differently.鈥�
Strachan said the discussion with the Grade 6 and 7 girls was simply about 鈥渁ppropriate dress,鈥� and that the Grade 6 and 7 boys were not spoken to as a similar issue or trend has not been identified amongst them.
He said, generally, the genders are spoken to separately, 鈥渨hen it might allow the students to feel more comfortable to speak out.鈥�
Contrary to reports, Strachan said the girls 鈥渨ere not told鈥� in Tuesday鈥檚 discussion that their clothing was distracting the boys.
He said the school will be involving parents in discussions regarding dress-code guidelines, approaches and options.
鈥淭he school will be continuing the dialogue from this week about the dress code and related expectations and processes with parents,鈥� he said.
The issue was also expected to be on the agenda of this evening鈥檚 (Nov. 29) parent advisory committee, after PAN press time.
