This discussion really is talking about two different situations. Tradition and whether you agree with it or not is your personal preference although I tend to side with removing it as a matter of etiquitte. That's just the way I was raised. Say what you will about that but I from the South and still hold doors for ladies, say yes mame and no mame and yes sir and no sir, and I am 51 years old. In the town where the funerals were held for my Parents and Grandparents as the funeral procession went by people walking on the street would stop and remove any headwear and bow their head. There are no "rules" for this, they just do it out of respect, and Christian beliefs. Even Bum Phillips who was the head coach of the Houston Oilers football team was a cowboy hat wearing guy who coached his teams during games while wearing his hat. The only exception was when his teamed play at home in the Astrodome or the New Orleans Superdome. When asked why he said because his Mama taught him not to wear a hat indoors. At Texas A&M University where my son graduated from and where I have been many times since I was a small boy because it is near our family home in Benchley, TX. there are signs asking that all headware be removed upon entering the Student Center because it is a memorial to all A&M graduates who have given their lives in defense of this country including all of the Aggies who won the Congressional Medal of Honor. You do it out of respect, honor, and tradition. To not do so says a lot about that individual as a person. Given all that I understand that people today think the tradition is antiquated, outdated, and that people in this country should be able to do whatever they like. Well because I believe in this country and it's constitution, I agree it is your right to do whatever you want when it comes to hats.
Now the second situation is concerning wearing hats in school and that has nothing to do with tradition. Plain and simple, that is about trying to keep control in an ever increasing system of chaos that is our schools. Hats, electronic devices, toys, scarfs, certain cloths, type of cloths etc. can all become extremely distracting elements when teachers are trying to teach. My wife works in the office at a Middle School and I can tell you the things that kids bring to school and wear to school are crazy. And all they are is a distraction. Parents and others will say what's the harm of a hat, or this, or that? Well spend a few days around a school and you find out pretty quick how distracting those things are.