Can Teachers Have Long Nails?
Debates around teachers’ appearance are numerous in various academic settings. From the color of teachers’ hair to teachers wearing jeans, it seems as if the debates never end. Parents expect educational institutions to employ teachers who meet their criteria or their standards of how a teacher should appear.
And while some educational institutions and communities are becoming more accommodating when it comes to teachers and how they express themselves through their appearance, others still retain a rigid outlook on the matter.
Another of these issues debated in academic settings and other public platforms is whether teachers are allowed to have acrylic or false nails. In this case of students, most academic institutions that cater to younger students have regulations preventing their students from having artificial or even longer nails.
But does this rule also apply to teachers at these levels of education? Teachers are mature professionals but are they allowed by their institutions to have long nails?
Yes, most educational institutions have no policies against teachers having acrylic or long nails. That said, it’s recommended that acrylic nails are not longer than necessary to avoid interrupting the administration of duties.
Teachers that teach practical courses should refrain from longer nails as they could get in the way. A typical example is longer nails getting in the way of a high school science teacher doing some experiment or demonstration in class.
While there may be no policies governing wearing acrylic nails as a teacher, it’s essential that teachers ensure that nothing gets stuck under them, and take extra care to wash their hands well.
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Is Having Long Nails Unprofessional
Self-expression comes in a variety of forms including words, facial expressions, body, movement, clothing, actions, and many more. Thanks to modern advancements it’s become easy to artistically express yourself through hair color or style, acrylic nail designs, facial piercings, and more.
While it’s become normal to see acrylic nails on celebrities and models, some still maintain the opinion that they’re unprofessional. Having acrylic nails in our personal lives seems to be tolerated, but it turns into a debate when they’re worn in a professional working environment.
So, the question remains, is having long nails unprofessional? Our answer is that it depends on the environment. If you work in a fashion company, expressing yourself this way may be readily encouraged as an industry standard.
As a matter of fact, the more creative you become with your artistic self-expression, the better, in such working environments. Visitors and clients of these companies expect to see these forms of creativity in such environments.
Self-expression through hair color, style, facial piercings or designs, clothing, and more are encouraged in such environments. No one is considered unprofessional in such environments irrespective of their outward self-expression.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with every working environment, especially in situations where employees interact directly with clients or partners. Some companies prescribe dress codes or provide uniforms for their employees to portray a specific image or keep in line with the company brand.
In recent decades, companies are becoming more tolerating of such individual self-expression. This has been helped by the emergence of leaders of industries like Mark Zuckerberg.
The past few decades have seen a significant shift in dress codes considered acceptable in the workplace. Change has been most noticeable in the workplace in the areas of casual, business casual, and formal dress codes.
Research has also shown that a company’s dress code policy has an interconnected influence on employee behavior, performance, and productivity. In fields like software development, for instance, it’s not uncommon to find software developers dressed in casual outfits.
So, the question remains, whether having long nails in the workplace is considered unprofessional.
Long nails are increasingly becoming acceptable in many professional settings. However, accent nails, 3D decals, and claw-like shaped nails may be unacceptable even in some environments where acrylic and long nails are considered acceptable.
Unless your organization explicitly allows or encourages such forms of self-expression, it’s advisable to refrain from wearing long and designed nails to the workplace.
Keep in mind that while companies themselves may have no problems with such forms of self-expression, their clients may. This is improving as companies continue to institute cultures that encourage self-expression to boost employee morale and increase productivity.
Can Students Wear Fake Nails To School
Most districts and educational institutions have strict policies when it comes to the appearance of their students. Even in the case of public schools which mostly do not mandate school uniforms, some form of dress code is enforced.
Schools are training grounds for the young and regulations are instituted to facilitate activities and student learning. Students are expected to adhere to these policies including ones on their dress code.
Students like to express themselves and also try new things especially when it comes to their appearance. Unfortunately, a focus on this can be time-consuming and negatively impact the student’s academics.
Although these dress code policies are instituted by educational institutions, do they say anything about their long and acrylic nails? Are students allowed to wear acrylic nails to school?
No, most educational institutions have dress code policies barring students from wearing acrylic and long nails to avoid students unintentionally causing injuries, getting in the way of experiments, and to facilitate easier writing.
Why Students Are Prohibited From Wearing Long Nails
Most educational institutions especially those at the pre-tertiary education levels have policies that prohibit students from wearing acrylic nails or simply having long nails. Reasons for such policies include:
Accidental Injury
Accidents happen especially in school environments where days are full of activities. Simply being careful may not be enough as accidents happen. To avoid a student accidentally injuring themselves or another student, it’s easier to simply prohibit students from wearing long nails.
Even in cases where a student’s artificial nails may not be sharp, schools cannot check every student’s fingers to ensure that their long or acrylic nails aren’t sharp daily. Simply instituting policies against it would go a long way to preventing any associated injuries.
Difficulty Writing
Writing is an essential and unavoidable part of the life of a student as they need to take lecture notes within a short time frame. Additionally, students are expected to complete quizzes and examinations in a limited time frame in school.
Long nails become a huge liability as a student with long nails may find it difficult to keep up with the pace of their lecturer’s speech or even find it difficult to write fast enough during examinations.
This reduction in efficiency can lead to unsolved questions which could result in the student failing the test.
Wasted Time
Students can spend a lot of time on their nails to get them to their liking. They can spend considerable time on 3d designs for their acrylic nails. Time, which could have been better used on their studies and assignments.
Expensive
While the cost of acrylic nails could depend on various factors including location, salon, and technician, students could save the money spent on these for other necessities. Designing them could also lead to additional costs on the part of the student. Money that could have been used productively in their education.
Hygiene
Adults with long nails are aware of how easily they can attract dirt and the consequences of improper hygienic practices. As a result, they practice good hygiene by washing their hands well and regularly. Unfortunately, most students at a younger age are uneducated about hygiene and have little experience with consequences.
