Girls told to wear longer skirts at school because the boys are distracted and male teachers feel uncomfortable.

I think the rule is fine but whoever gave that excuse, whether they believe it or not, displays a worrying lack of awareness of what is acceptable to say. Do they not read mumsnet??!

They took this action at dd's school. The skirts were shorter as an average especially for taller girls, and because they were pleated, any time it got windy out the skirts would blow up anyway. A lot of girls ended up wearing shorts underneath their skirts

It's fairly typical of the hysterical over reaction that is often found on mumsnet though. Feeling 'distracted' and 'uncomfortable' becomes 'rapey', 'unable to control' and even 'paedophilic'.

Very true...
The reaction can be even more unreasonable when it comes to the teenage boys, who are apparently meant to be entirely unmoved and undistracted from their work by the sexually provocative clothing of those girls who choose to wear super short tight skirts.

The school is entirely appropriate in telling those girls that they are wearing inappropriate clothing and stating the obvious that it does (as it is designed to) distract the boys, and create an even more sexually charged atmosphere than would naturally exist between teenagers.

evildoctor I agree about supermarket clothing, but why skirts? I don't get the point of them really.

Mouse and Boney there are lots of countries which do not have school uniforms. I grew up in the US and never had a uniform, and I spend a lot of time in Holland and Germany- no uniforms. Schools do not comment on what kids are wearing; it is not part of their job to regulate kids clothing; perhaps there is some kind of official "dress code", but, in my school, for instance, it was never mentioned (never, as in: not once to anyone).

Kids tend to wear jeans and t-shirts, and also to have fun experimenting (lots of punk at my school, including mohawks). No one cared.

When clothes are not mentioned by the school, the effect is that clothes become less important, less of a source of angst.

British kids seem far more obsessed with conforming, wearing designer clothes, over sexualising of girls, and gendered clothing in general, than the kids of my European friends. The girls here in the UK (including my daughter) wear more makeup, more skimpy clothing on cold days, and are more slavishly obsessed with wearing what their friends approve of than any of the kids I see in the US and in Europe.

Soup the main reason is to be trendy and fit in, IME.

It's so difficult for girls. I was the one who got the piss taken out of me by boys for wearing a "lampshade" to school when all the other girls were in short, tight skirts. I was brought up by my grandparents.

Quite apart from "you should wear longer skirts because boys and men can't control themselves", unless the uniform shop was reasonably priced, I'd be sending my DD in supermarket skirts. Also, my DD's 9, and her school skirt barely skims her bum because she's had the audacity to grow.

It's fairly typical of the hysterical over reaction that is often found on mumsnet though. Feeling 'distracted' and 'uncomfortable' becomes 'rapey', 'unable to control' and even 'paedophilic'.

how does 'feel uncomfortable' translate to 'can't control themselves'?

Exactly.... The men are feeling uncomfortable because they are in an awkward position.

On the one hand there is a girl (who whilst physically mature is emotionally immature) who is dressing in a way that is sexually provocative and designed to trigger a sexual reponse....

....whilst on the other hand the teacher is required to fully suppress any reaction to that and remain 100% professional. Of course a decent male teacher will have the morals and willpower to fully control their response and ignore the provocation, but that would potentially be a rather uncomfortable position to be in.

I think the school dealt with this badly and gave the wrong message. However, those saying the boys should have been spoken about not viewing the girls as sex objects possibly don't have teenage boys. Mine has lots of friends who are girls, he challenges other boys who say derogatory things about girls. He's a star, I love him but he thinks about sex every 6 minutes and has erections at the drop of a hat. The girls could be wearing tracksuits and ponchos. He'd still be thinking about sex.

Where I work I actually could see a students knickers under tights as her skirt was so short. I had a word in a nice way as it looked awful. I think people male or female should dress sensibly in an educational or work environment. I don't think girls skirts should be too short or boys trousers exposing boxers which seemed to be fashionable at one point.

I remember my dds wearing cycling shorts under their skirts as boys would look up them when they were going upstairs. Their skirts were not short, on knee.

lass how does 'feel uncomfortable' translate to 'can't control themselves'? They mean 2 different things.

Noeffingidea

The OP's words from the opening post.

They were told that it distracts the boys when the girls walk up the stairs and makes the male teachers feel uncomfortable

I would assume "male teachers" are grown men.

Thongs for the girls
hoods and blinkers for the boys
sorted
and bromide tea

the boys are the problem, they should have the change

Lass who said anything about 'grown men' who can't 'control themselves'?. Oh that's right, you did.
That isn't actually what was said in the OP at all.
And schools banning skirts does solve the problem of ... skirts been worn too short.

KingsCross88

the OP could do that if she wanted to look like a complete idiot.

Obviously I'm paraphrasing Lottie's points

A school over here solved the problem

They banned skirts. Now all pupils wear trousers

No that is not solving the problem. You have spectacularly missed the point.

As Lottie said a couple of pages back there is a world of difference between saying " you lot are scruffy and untidy, this is the uniform" and " you lot are wicked temptresses flaunting your knickers and these grown up men can't control themselves"

It's 2017 and we're STILL focussing on what is "appropriate" for women to wear. And then we think the problem's solved by "unisex" clothes, which nowadays means requiring girls to wear male-coded clothing ie. STILL requires females to change behaviour to accommodate male behaviour

Very true Flyaway

Have you registered your discomfort at how rapey the male teachers at your child's school appear to be?

Do you think the short-skirted, knicker-flashing girls will end up in the Daily Mail on Grand National Day?

It's 2017 and we're STILL focussing on what is "appropriate" for women to wear. And then we think the problem's solved by "unisex" clothes, which nowadays means requiring girls to wear male-coded clothing ie. STILL requires females to change behaviour to accommodate male behaviour

That's not entirely fair. Many girls might want to wear comfy trousers and should have the option.

Many pages ago I suggested neat tracksuits for school. This wasn't about gender-coding. It was about comfort and ease of movement. I'm thinking these would eliminate ties too. I'm also all for neat trainers rather than school shoes.

claraschu

No uniform= no problem

Bless you if you believe that. As I mentioned previously I work with young people in a post school environment. We frequently have conversations about covering up, pulling up your pants, removing hands from trousers, turning obscene T shirts inside out, putting those puppies away.

No uniform = a different selection of issues.

I am betting the poster who couldn't see flashes of anything from her short-skirted colleagues didn't have someone wearing one of these going up the stairs - imagine this, but in black and with tights on. All you have to do is work to make hem ride up. Standing looking in the mirror they will look fine, people don't think about what happens when you actually move!