Students from a secondary school in Saint-Jérôme, dissatisfied with the inequality that persists between girls and boys, are calling for a reform of the dress code in Quebec schools.

After controversies shook establishments in Ottawa and Montreal, young Nelly-Rose Aubin decided to take matters into her own hands to change things at Cap-Jeunesse school in Saint-Jérôme.

The first-year secondary student has launched a petition in the hope that the school's code of conduct will be revised. No less than 226 people signed the missive.

“It shows that [my colleagues] were really waiting for someone to make the decision to do it. I really hope it doesn't just change at my school and stays that way," the 12-year-old said.

Several reviews

She essentially deplores a double standard in the face of the supervision of the dress code between girls and boys.

For example, staff must ensure that skirts are ten centimeters above the knees, maximum. This rule would also be applied to short pants, says Nelly-Rose.

“There were warmer days and we saw boys with shorter shorts, and we had to be really careful with the supervisors,” she illustrates.

This rule can even complex girls who have longer legs and who cannot find appropriate pieces of clothing, adds her mother, Geneviève Pelletier.

Nelly-Rose also regrets that girls do not have polo shirts with buttons to hide their breasts or the ban on wearing leggings unless they have a tracksuit.

"If there are people who are in favor of changing the code of life, we will set in motion the consultation process", argued Dominic Fauvel, the director of Cap-Jeunesse.

Remember that the dress code is established locally by the governing board for all schools in the province.

Not generalized

The various stakeholders consulted by Le Journal believe that the controversial situations decried in the media are isolated and not representative of all schools.

"There are no major issues, honestly," said Nicolas Prévost, president of the Quebec Federation of Educational Establishment Directors.

While taking student feedback into account, adjustments are made according to "the different modes," he adds.

So this is a debate that will continue to surface year after year.

"There is another generation in ten years who will arrive and who will have other concerns," summarizes Kevin Roy, president of the Federation of Parents' Committees of Quebec.