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AIBU?

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Should skirt length matter in secondary schools?

463 replies

Holdonforsummer · 19/06/2025 19:10

My daughter is 15 and in Year 10, she attends an all-girls comprehensive secondary school and they are obsessed with the girls’ skirt length. The skirt is like a tartan kilt and is supposed to be ‘on the knee’ but most of the girls roll their skirts to make them a bit shorter (think mid-thigh). I’m a bit on the fence about this but her school go on and on and on about it. They stop girls all the time, give detentions for short skirts, have assemblies about it, and have even been known to measure skirts and give girls long ones from the list property cupboard to wear instead. Yesterday, my daughter had just finished 5 hours of mock exams in 28 degrees and was walking home - outside school property - and was stopped by a teacher threatening detention even though she had left school. She came home furious and fed up of the whole thing. I can’t decide whether the girls just need to toe the line or whether behaviour from the school is bordering on a sexist, misogynistic obsession. YABU: the pupils need to obey the skirt rules, YANBU: The school should calm down and stop obsessing about skirt length.

OP posts:
ShesTheAlbatross · 19/06/2025 19:32

SisterMargaretta · 19/06/2025 19:18

My DD's school insists on below the knee. It annoys me so much - it wouldn't be a rule in the workplace. They never give their justification for it either because they know they can't put into writing "so the boys don't get distracted". There is a middle ground between inappropriately short and convent.

Below the knee is silly. It’s entirely possible to have a very smart skirt sitting just above the knee (I actually think just above the knee is a far more common formal/workwear skirt length than below the knee). Below the knee sounds like it would actually be quite hard to shop for as most school skirts are not designed to be as long as that, and if you start going up in size, you’ll be too wide round the waist.

Needmorelego · 19/06/2025 19:29

It's not complicated to just wear a skirt at a reasonable length.
Why teens can't seem to do that I really don't understand.
To be honest though I think schools should just stop caring.
If these girls want to look incredibly unflattering with their knickers showing - up to them.
They'll grow out of it eventually.

LuckysDadsHat · 19/06/2025 19:28

It always baffles me when I see the girls with tiny skirts walking to the local secondary they spent the whole walk constantly pulling it down! Just get a longer skirt!

I wish we didnt have school uniform or just a basic one.

Allseeingallknowing · 19/06/2025 19:27

BCBird · 19/06/2025 19:22

Skirt length is a continually isdue. They should be a reasonable length. No one want to be able to see someone's underwear.

Or bumcheeks falling out!

BCBird · 19/06/2025 19:22

Skirt length is a continually isdue. They should be a reasonable length. No one want to be able to see someone's underwear.

Meadowfinch · 19/06/2025 19:22

You both agreed to the rules when you joined the school.

My ds keeps complaining about the school dress code in the lower 6th but he agreed to it. He signed up for it. Whining now is pointless.

Fiver555 · 19/06/2025 19:20

It's hygiene. If the skirt can't be ticked under the gusset when sitting, then presumably your gusset is directly on the chair seat. In this weather, that's a bit gross.

AudiobookListener · 19/06/2025 19:20

Just stick to the rules. Probably the school have a rule about what you shouldn't do while wearing uniform, whether you are in school or not, so teacher was not being unreasonable.

SisterMargaretta · 19/06/2025 19:18

My DD's school insists on below the knee. It annoys me so much - it wouldn't be a rule in the workplace. They never give their justification for it either because they know they can't put into writing "so the boys don't get distracted". There is a middle ground between inappropriately short and convent.

Farmwifefarmlife · 19/06/2025 19:15

I was horrified today I was doing the food shop and saw a girl in secondary school uniform and she might as well not of had a skirt on! She was with her mum and I was horrified! If that’s the school rules then it’s the rules. Setting a good example early on is important.

Auroraloves · 19/06/2025 19:13

In school stick to uniform rules, outside of school grounds the teacher can piss off

DoYouReally · 19/06/2025 19:13

Once they cover all areas, there should be no issue.

When arse checks begin to show, there's a problem.

Ddakji · 19/06/2025 19:12

Ask yourself this - is there any benefit to your DD for rolling her skirt over having it at the correct length?

And is there any downside to her rolling her skirt?

And then ask yourself why you don’t think supporting the school in enforcing their uniform rule?

(I’m not a fan of uniform and uniform rules but the only people who benefit from girls doing this are the creeps and perverts who get off on schoolgirls. I’m not in the business of facilitating them. And no, this doesn’t equate blaming girls for male behaviour.)

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