Last November, Woodchurch High School in northwestern England announced a clothing restriction that would go into effect after Christmas. In an attempt to “poverty-proof” the school, expensive winter jackets from brands like Canada Goose and Moncler were banned from being worn.

Wearing these coats shows the wealth gap that can exist within a student body. It is one way to isolate students and keep them from creating relationships. Clothing often becomes a distraction to learning, since students can see the difference between high-end brand clothing and the less-expensive counterparts.

Along with clothing bans, similar trends are following with other personal items and discussion topics within classrooms. While reporting on the coat ban, CNN found that other schools were discouraging teachers from asking what students did over the weekend because the potential wealth disparity can be seen in the responses.

It is all with the intention of bringing students together, rather than distancing them. However, it is a decision that could spiral into excessive bans for students.

Unfortunately, eliminating certain coats is not enough to poverty-proof a school. Wealth can be shown in a variety of ways: smartphones, transportation, backpacks and even general conversations between friends.

Michelle Singletary, a columnist for The Washington Post, wrote about being a poorer student during her school years. In her piece about the coat ban, she says, “Despite efforts to reduce the signs of income inequality, there will always be somebody who has more.”

It is understandable for the school’s leaders to make the decision regarding the expensive coats, but it also brings to light a larger issue.

People are allowed to do what they want with their wealth. Purchasing an expensive jacket or name brand backpack for their child is their prerogative. The problem becomes that students who come from wealthier families may not be aware of the financial struggles other students’ families could be experiencing.

Until I came to St. Thomas, I had to wear a uniform to school each day. Even though I was wearing the same clothes as the rest of the student body, I could still see disparities between what students had besides their clothes.

One of my friends received a new iPhone every Christmas from their parents, partly because her old one always seemed to be broken, but also because it was the “new thing” to have. I realized she did not value the phone as much as she probably should have, especially when a friend of ours had an older generation smartphone that she was struggling to pay for by herself.

Woodchurch’s efforts are worthy of attention, especially as a way to accommodate and make all students comfortable, yet I’m not sure banning winter coats is enough to overcome the wealth gap that could be present at a school.

This ban is a good way to start conversation about materialism and the place it has in our society. It can lead to better relationships between students if they learn to respect each other and the differences in their lives.

Maddie Peters can be reached at pete9542@stthomas.edu.