35183.5. (a) (1) Each schoolsite shall allow for
outdoor use during the schoolday, articles of
sun-protective clothing, including, but not
limited to, hats. (2) Each schoolsite may set a
policy related to the type of sun-protective
clothing, including, but not limited to, hats,
that pupils will be allowed to use outdoors
pursuant to paragraph (1). Specific clothing
and hats determined by the school district or
schoolsite to be gang-related or inappropriate
apparel may be prohibited by the dress code
policy.
In response to the Education Code
amendment that gives California pupils the right
to wear sun-protective clothing for outdoor
activities, it is surely in the best interest of
all members of the school community for schools
to respond by updating their dress code to
accommodate the new rule.
A sun-protective clothing policy should
address two important goals:
Encouraging students and personnel to
cover up when outdoors
Specifying the type of sun-protective
clothing that is, or is not, allowed
It is very fortunate that sunscreen products
are available for use as a second line of
defense. However, sunscreens sometimes
fail, usually attributable to user error, which
can result in unintentional sun damage. By
contrast, clothing is:
Cost effective
A garment costs about the same as one or two
bottles of sunscreen, but lasts much longer
On average, a more effective UV blocker
Less prone to “missed spots” or “under
application”
Dependable
Doesn’t wash off, rub off, dissipate,
penetrate, or expire
Not messy
Spillproof
Not an irritant
Doesn’t cause eye irritation or acne
When the children in an elementary class
prepare to go outside for physical activity, the
time savings and tidiness that clothing affords
will prove to be a great advantage over total
reliance on sunscreen.
The parents of young children should be asked
to provide a “playshirt,” with long sleeves and
a collar, that can be kept in the child’s
backpack or stashed at school. To avoid
the time and mess of applying sunscreen to the
neck, shoulders, upper back, and arms, children
can simply slip on their playshirt, right over
whatever they are already wearing, before going
outdoors. (It would not need to be
buttoned down the front when worn over a tee
shirt.) Children can remove the
playshirt when they return indoors.
If the shirt is lightweight and well ventilated,
it should not cause overheating. However,
during extremely warm weather, sunscreen could
be used instead.
By wearing a hat and covering the arms and
legs with clothing, sunscreen need only be
applied to the lower face, neck, and backs of
the hands. What a great savings in both
time and cost!
Without a sun-protective clothing policy, a
dispute might arise between teacher and student
if a child should independently choose to wear
long clothing, as opposed to the standard
uniform, for a physical education class in
California.
The California Ed. Code states: “Each
schoolsite may set a policy related to the type
of sun-protective clothing, including, but not
limited to, hats, that pupils will be allowed to
use outdoors...”
To help in the prevention of skin cancer, and
to prevent student-teacher misunderstanding,
here are some steps secondary schools can take:
Review the current physical education
uniform for its sun protection capacity
Re-define the P.E. uniform to
incorporate items that cover more skin
Consider adding hats (such as
legionnaire-style caps) to the uniform
Recommend that uniform items be made of
fabric that has a UPF (Ultraviolet
Protection Factor) of at least 15
Define allowed alternatives to the
standard P.E. uniform for students who
choose to cover more skin than the amount
covered by the standard uniform
Communicate your clothing and hats
policy to students, parents, and teachers
Develop strategies to actively encourage
students to cover up and wear a hat for all
outdoor activities including, but not
limited to, physical education class
