Major upset in Yorkshire over school insisting on trousers for girls

[fortyfide]

Are trousers a rarity in schools
And do unifroms get changed frequently at great expense?

[LeChien]

Do you have a link?
I know of a secondary school that changed to trousers for girls and don't recall major upset.

[LeChien]

That's not to say I agree with it.

[MinimumPayment]

Some schools do seem to change uniforms regularly, although the last time it was done here DCs were each issued with a free jumper and tie (had been polo shirts)

Why are they insisting on trousers?

[redskybynight]

I think insisting on trousers for girls is better than insisting on skirts for girls and trousers for boys - which is something lots of schools seem to do.

Most girls wear trousers once they get past about Year 3 anyway (or they do in my DC's school).

[ouryve]

I'd rather an insistence on trousers an an insistence on skirts.

I wasn't allowed to wear trousers at school. Hated it. No coincidence that I don't even own a skirt.

[fortyfide]

Dont laugh, it is said a teacher is embarrased by short skirts.

Dont have a link but there is said to be a 1000 post site posted by the parents

[ReallyTired]

Do you have a link. Its perfectly legal to insist that girls wear regulation trousers, provided that the boys also wear regulation trousers. Personally I think its a good idea as many teenage girls wear skirts half way up their arses and look ridicolous.

My son's school has changed the PE kit over a period of two years. Existing parents were given warning and have bought the new PE kit when their children have outgrown their old PE kit.

[fortyfide]

I am not in a position to judge either side but it seems a bit unusual.

[LeChien]

I had a quick google and it showed up a school in Hull - is this what you mean?

Ouryve, quite agree that I'd rather an insistence on trousers than skirt, but from what I've read (if it's the same case) it's a ban on skirts and tight trousers as it makes some male teachers uncomfortable. I don't feel ok about that.

[ReallyTired]

I don't think girls should be banned from wearing skirts or tight trousers to stop male teachers being uncomfortable. There is a lot to be said for making girls look smart and the school having a uniform look. If we want equality between boys and girls then it makes sense to dress them the same regulation trousers.

[fortyfide]

It is Bridlington pump in trouser rumpi

[fortyfide]

It has been all over tv. Meeting with 43 parents.Gone to governors It is right parents should have an outlet.

Change of uniform would be a pain in poor areas .This will be allowed for. I could just about afford on Eton uniform. But I am a tad too old

[LeChien]

This is the link I found.

Could you not just be clear about what you're on about? You're skirting round the issue a bit (pun intended).

[redskybynight]

Depends why the male teachers are uncomfortable? I don't think there is anything wrong in specifying that skirts and trousers should be "appropriate" for a school environment. I used to work in an office that specified "no short skirts" - "short" was not specified, but all the women were perfectly happy to read that as the requirement being to wear skirts that were appropriate professional wear.

[vindscreenviper]

Quote from the Head
"The new rules were proposed in a letter issued by headteacher Sarah Pashley which claimed male teachers had been embarrassed by having to tell girls off for their short skirts.

'To set it in context, on one occasion when a male member of staff challenged a female student on her skirt length, she retorted, ‘You shouldn’t be looking at my legs’.

'The male member of staff was understandably uncomfortable with this and reported it to me immediately.'

She added trousers were 'also an issue' with students 'pushing the boundaries' with tight-fitting styles."

I read that as the male member of staff was uncomfortable with a thinly veiled accusation that he was being inappropriate to a pupil, I think he was right to flag that with the SLT. The DM headline and sub makes it sound as if the male teacher was embarrassed and uncomfortable with pupils wearing short skirts; disingenuous spin on the facts or lazy journalism, or a bit of both.

[Twirlwirlywoo]

My DDs school has the choice of Trousers or skirts.

However the skirts are regulation long skirts. They have to be worn closer to the ankle than the knee.

Most girls as in 90% I would say looking at them going in and coming out opt for the skirts.

DD's face when we first moved here and I drove her to see her new school before starting was a picture. She was moving from a school which also had the trousers or skirts rule option. Again most girls opted for skirts but most of them were more like belts than skirts! The school was shit at enforcing the on the knee rule.

Its weird cos the other school nearby also has a skirt or trousers rule and most the girls there opt for the tousers by the looks of things.

I think its nice to have a choice but do think that skirt length embarrassment is a crap excuse to introduce a blanket touser rule. My dds school has proven that skirts can be worn long.

I admit I dont think the skirts will be great on a hot summers day and I also looked and thought it was a bit weird when we first moved here but I have got used to the unusual look now and DD has got used to wearing a longer skirt and I have to give it to the school, they do enforce the rule and there are not thighs or bum cheeks on display here!

[OddBoots]

The rule of trousers only isn't a bad one if it is implemented with enough notice, it was silly of them to mention teachers being uncomfortable though.

My dc's school has exactly the same uniform requirements for boys as for girls including straight legged non-fitted trousers - blazers are available in 2 different cuts but that would be up to a student to decide which cut to wear.

[ReallyTired]

That is bizzare. I really can't understand why a school thinks a move to trousers will mean that they no longer need an isolation room. At my son's school kids get put into isolation for far more than just a skimpy skirt or tight trousers. Infact a disportionate number of the offenders sent to isolation are boys!

[Giraffeski]

My dd1s school has knee length kilts and it looks lovely. They do have a choice to wear trousers but I don't think any girls choose them. They do enforce the length rule, there is another local school which doesn't enforce it and the girls are about equally divided between belts and trousers.

[HeffaLumpers]

The reason this has caused controversy in the town is because of the reason given for the change.
To put this in context, a few years ago the other secondary school in the town had several members of staff convicted for sexual activity with pupils. I believe there was a large investigation and the head at the time was heavily criticised for the way it was handled. This will be something the teachers involved will be aware of which may explain their reaction and also the reaction of the parents.

[MinimumPayment]

When there's a specified style of skirt/trousers how do they allow for the style fitting different people differently? E.g when I was 13, I was shaped like a boy and trousers that were long enough would be baggy. Some of my friends had far more curves and any trouser style would have been quite tight on them.

DS1's school has a specified skirt (or a choice of straight trousers) for girls. It's full pleated skirt. On most of the girls it's around knee length but on the taller ones it's very short indeed.

[OnlyLovers]

Slightly off-topic, but redsky, I used to work in an office that specified "no short skirts" - "short" was not specified

Which was it? was short specified or not specified?

Back on topic, this whole thing is a minefield. I agree with those who say trousers might have their own problems; how do you legislate for different styles looking different on people because of their shapes etc?

[DuelingFanjo]

Making girls/women dress in a particular way for the comfort of men is wrong IMO. A teacher who feels uncomfortable about skirts is a bit suspect, no?

[LeChien]

That's how I feel about it Dueling.

[Getdownfromtherethisinstant]

It doesn't say he was uncomfortable about the short skirt does it? I read it that he was uncomfortable at being accused of looking at the girl's legs when he told her her skirt was too short.