Amost two-thirds of Dutch support clothing rules in secondary schools; Women more strict

Nearly two-thirds of the surveyed Dutch say that rules on what students should wear at are fine at secondary schools. Most of the 1,000 Dutch adults surveyed by Panel Inzicht, commissioned by AD, think strict uniform rules would be too much. Overall, women were found to be more strict about school uniforms than men.

Very short skirts and caps in class were found to be the number one clothing items the surveyed Dutch said schools should be allowed to ban. Crop tops ranked second, while hoddies ranked third. Flip-flops, tracksuits, and sweaters were also mentioned. A quarter were opposed to clothing rules altogether.

Three-quarters of those aged 65 and older wanted the hoodies to be banned, while younger respondents did not share the same view. "We see this pattern in research often," market researcher Luke Dorst from Panel Inzicht told AD. "That older people more often support a hoodie ban in class may be explained by a shift in school culture: where the emphasis used to be on authority and fixed norms, it is now more about self-expression and personal choice. Older people grew up with stricter codes of conduct and are quicker to see a hoodie as leisurewear that does not belong in class."

Three-quarters of women reported wanting very short skirts banned, compared with nearly two-thirds of men. Nearly three-quarters of women and half of men support a crop top ban. Overall, women were more likely than men to favor clothing rules.

Some say that the reasons behind why a clothing band would be appropriate include students dressing too "provatively," the way that the clothes one wears can highlight the wealth gap between the students, as well as the need for discipline and neutrality.