New York City public school pupils will be required to adhere to a universal school dress code for the first time.

NYC School Bus.Photo byRaymond Carstairs From Flickr

The measure of Councilmember Diana Ayala's bill is that the Department of Education now has to post dress code standards on its internet and create reports on any violations or fines that transpire at schools.

Then, a resolution that cannot become legislation but can affect future policy says the DOE has to consider bodily diversity, gender expressions, and many cultures.

On Thursday, the New York City Council passed legislation that mandates that public school uniform codes adhere to Title IV, the federal civil rights law that prohibits gender-based discrimination.

Diverse Culture And Gender Expression

Councilmember Althea Stevens, who sponsored the legislation, stated that the new dress code policy aims to eliminate sexist and hetero-normative dress codes, as well as standards that target girls and students of colour.

According to Stevens, the legislation also mandates that schools must consider the "diverse cultures, gender expression, and body diversity" of their pupils. Dress codes must be gender-neutral, according to the bill.

Council Member Althea Stevens

This is not a novel concept. Stevens recollected I remember passing back on the dress code when I was in high school. It was restricting young women more than any other group, and there are so many cultures that we need to embrace in an education system.

Before Thursday's vote, it was up to each school in the city to decide what its dress code would be. The Department of Education will work with the City Council to come up with new dress code rules for students.