Should skirt length matter in secondary schools?

I'm a teacher and would happily ditch school uniform altogether, partly because policing it is a pain in the arse, but mostly because it's an anachronism which most of the world manages perfectly well without.

But... I have no sympathy or patience with the skirt rollers who bleat about skirt length not being important. If it's not important, then why is it so important to you to roll it up rather than have it knee-length? You can't have it both ways! I fyou have school rules they need to be upheld. If you enrol at a school, you have to agree to follow its rules. Besides, it's not misogynist to think it's inappropriate to be showing your knickers at school.

This. You are also at school to learn. A focus on how you look detracts from the purpose of school. It's why I'm all for standard non branded schools and coats etc. too.

Yes it matters. Some girls roll up their skirts to be cool and sexy and push boundaries. All the other girls follow due to peer pressure and avoid bullying, whether they are comfortable or not. And of course the girls know exactly what can be seen on the stairs or when they bend over. The boys for most part are embarrassed by it. And it’s not social media or a modern phenomenon, we were doing it 50years ago. And it’s not all misogyny or the fault of the patriarchy - the reality is teen girls are at an age where some will want to be seen to be cool and sexy and push boundaries. Kids school recently changed the rules so all girls must wear black tights if wearing skirts and girls have the option wear trousers also. It’s made a huge difference with a lot less competition and happier girls.

Spending the day adjusting clothing, then sitting awkwardly to preserve your dignity, not a good thing and not concentrating. As long as the option of trousers exists as an alternative, I am with schools who object to rolling up skirts.

Cheap and slovenly? Lovely.

Here's an idea. Don't look. I bet their critique of your outfits would be equally as sneery.

But is it the length they want it is it the length they feel they have to have it at due to societal pressure to look a certain way?

Women are sexualised far more than men and put under so much pressure via the media etc to look a certain way I often wonder if these young girls genuinely feel confident dressing this way or are just brainwashed by social media to believe this is how they are supposed to look to be attractive.

Genuine question and I don’t know the answer. I hope it is confidence, I fear it’s not.

This.

Teachers just teach ours kids please. Mind your own business about their skirt length, it should not concern you.

in the town I live in there are 3 secondary schools and most of the girls you see walking about have skirts on that could pass as belts.

frequently girls’ pants are visible the skirts are that short. If you’re walking behind them it’s hard not to notice it. It’s also not a look that anyone suits. It looks cheap and slovenly but try telling that to a 15 yr old.

to me though it highlights that the schools don’t really have much discipline probably because parents like you, op, will back the children before the school.

Well I work in a secondary school and believe me, after assembly, putting the chairs back is not nice. Then we have to ask the cleaners to wipe down all the chair seats each evening with disinfectant. Which is unpleasant for them.

Some skirts aI see are not so much skirts as very wide belts!

my friends daughters uniform is an ankle length skirt. Or trousers. It looks a bit mad with the long ish blazer they wear too. This is for years 7-11, I’m not sure on their sixth form.

Honestly, the ‘skirts’ I’ve seen on my way to work in the mornings are embarrassing. Teen girls walking along flashing their backsides, I’m sorry but no.
I’m all for being body positive and wearing what they like, why should a young girl cover up because a boy/man might be looking, but a bit of decency and self respect wouldn’t hurt.
Just bending down to pick up a dropped pen would result in underwear being completely exposed. I don’t want to see that from anyone, whether in school, at work, or on the street.
Teachers have enough to deal with, so if detentions are required then that’s what should happen.

This winds me up no end. All it teaches girls is that what they look like is more important than what they learn. It’s absolutely misogynistic, and teachers have better things to do than worry about the length of skirts. And public shaming of girls wearing the wrong clothes contributes to eating disorders and anxiety. It absolutely boils my piss.

I think schools always have these outdated views of office wear, it isn't the 1990s or even the 00s with pencil skirts and court shoes and men don't wear ties and suit jackets often even in law firms, in more design orientated offices it is almost fashion faux pas to be so conventional.

At my daughter’s school it is so common to have your skirt rolled up that she was regularly teased for wearing it normally. If the staff had been stricter with their uniform standards she wouldn’t have been peer pressured into wearing a skirt that was far shorter than she felt comfortable in.

I work in a school (different one to daughter’s school) and the skirts are so short that bottoms are regularly on show.

Teens love to push boundaries. When skirts were supposed to be knee-length, an inch or two above was sufficient rebellion. Now that the standards have relaxed the skirts have shrunk to minuscule bands that barely cover a thing.

It looks even worse when combined with a blazer longer than the skirt, so that from behind the girl looks like she’s got nothing at all on her bottom half.

I’m not a fan of expensive exclusive uniforms. I believe school clothes should be affordable, practical and durable. Mini skirts are neither practical, nor appropriate.

I honestly haven't worked anywhere with stringent dress code rules, well nowhere where a mid thigh skirt would be an issue. Smart casual or just casual is the order of the day in my alone in my London office and my DH's Architect's office, he would be the one pulling anyone up and a) he would think this is extremely inappropriate to address with a woman, dated and frankly sexist. b) it never comes up as a mid thigh skirt is not noteworthy at all and is very much expected in western cultures.

Because it’s easier to police this than once it’s above the knee, otherwise measuring skirts which is worse is needed,

Sorry but the length of most school girls’ skirts in my area looks more appropriate for pornhub than school! It’s ridiculous & most don’t wear tights year round so you can see the v bottom of their bum cheeks when they walk

That is absolutely not the reason 😂

1. I saw a girl with a skirt belt on walk up the stairs on the bus and everybody got on the lower deck got a full gyney review. The skirt was just below her knicker line & she was wearing extremely tiny pants. There's a reason why you shouldn't wear a skirt shorter than knee length going up the stairs.

1. On the train to work, a woman got off and her bag has caught into the hem of her mid thigh skirt and lifted it up. She was oblivious to the fact that we could see her bottom as she had a thong on. Although surely she'd have felt a breeze down there, she moved too quickly for me to mention it.

Teens have to rebel against something.

Teaches them to follow rules. Let's face it, when it comes to work you wouldn't want to be treated by a doctor or nurse with their labia hanging out. It if they worked in M and S do you think it would be appropriate to roll up their uniform? They can wear what they like outside school. But in school, dress appropriately.

I've long had the opinion that school rules regarding uniform or hair style have very little to do with academic education and everything to do with learning that not every rule needs to be understood or agreed with to be enforced.
The world is full of rules that we neither understand nor agree with, but we adhere to them because that's the rules!
School are there to educate, and educating also includes teaching that rules are to be followed and consequences happen when rules are not followed.
It's all to prepare kids for adult life as much as possible.

I'm a female teacher and sick of getting and eye full of bum cheeks when going up the stairs etc. It's really uncomfortable and just not nice. And like someone else said they don't seem to care about size/shape etc when they are rolling them up.

And like someone also said, there is a dress code for staff and that's how the world of work tends to be. Imagine if I had my bum cheeks out around school...

I think a bit above the knee should be fine, but around my area you see girls where the gusset and underwear are often showing and it looks horrendous.

What would you think about a teacher having a mico skirt on? Male or female ugh 😑