To students in Woodbridge High School, the winter coat rule’s reinforcement is too harsh. Many students complained about it in the first few days or even wore the coats anyway. Some argued that heating problems led them to wear winter coats inside the classroom, as classes have little or no warmth. Other students complained that the rule doesn’t know the difference between simple wear and an actual coat.
Such cases like those of WHS student Jaya Duvvuri, “I got sent to my locker to remove my coat. I don’t mind it as I only wore it for comfort but others are sensitive to cold and some classrooms blast cold air in the room.” However, that isn’t the only case. Another student, Sheldon Da Silva had to remove his zip-up sweater as it was thought to be a winter coat, “Yeah, I couldn’t wear my sweater which I didn’t understand as it’s not a coat, it just wastes time for both me and the teacher.”
The Winter Coat Rule prohibits a student from wearing a winter coat in a classroom. It leads to teachers having to write passes for the students who broke the rule, wasting classroom time. For teachers, enforcing the rule is not easy. One teacher might allow a student to wear what is a coat whereas another will ask them to remove it. However, the rule was in the school code already and part of the school’s dress code, as per the district-distributed parent/student handbook. Wearing a coat in the classroom can result in disciplinary action from administration, and students have been disciplined for coats already.
“To be honest, I would’ve agreed but (to me) it’s just a useless rule. All it does is not allow a student to wear a winter coat in the classroom,” said Jeremiah Malik. “Especially during winter along with the heating issues that never seem to end,”
The rule itself raises questions from students on whether or not there’ll be more restrictions beyond coats. Some students believe that the school has become much more strict on students. While others, like teachers, believe that it’s a good thing as it’ll prevent future issues or conflict. Overall, the rule is in place as part of the dress code and to alleviate safety concerns.
