School skirts? Why is it such an issue?

I strongly suggest you ask that question, and why they don't recognise the fact that children grown and it's not reasonable to expect parents to replace skirts every three months or whatever. This school clearly has its priorities all wrong.

When I went to secondary school girls wore trousers or skirts, boy trousers. Boys had shirt tie and v neck and girls had open neck blouses and v neck jumpers.

Some girls rolled up their skirt but it wasn't a massive problem.

The school was top in the town only behind the girls independent school.

Now it's all inspect length, no rolling up blazer sleeves, no taking blazer off unless in classroom with permission and uniform inspections on the way onto class and negative points put on system for anyone not up to standard.

For the first time in forever it's now gone from outstanding to good. The learning isn't great with a lower progress 8 than other schools in the area - and this is a school feeding an area of leafy middle class dwellers who come from primaries in the same sort of area.

When your lesson starter becomes about uniform and negative points and results are affected you aren't doing it right.

I agree.
I went on a bus the other day and sat opposite 4 school-girls all in short, tight skirts that showed their knickers. They looked like they were auditioning for Porn Hub.

Worst thing is they live 200 miles away so I can't just take her out and get her a new skirt which means she'll be in isolation until the weekend. It's ridiculous.

I never know why schools these days either go between a complete laissez-faire approach or a Draconian approach. Why on earth not send a note home to the parents just informing them and giving them time for a new skirt. What on earth is achieved by putting a kid in isolation for something like that?

That really is outrageous, @Toooldtoworry . Why not just say to her ok, get a new skirt (or take the hem down if that's an option) by next Monday please.

Children grow in fits and starts. DS usually grows at a fairly even pace but I remember one year I bought him all new trousers at the end of the summer and by October they were all two inches too short 😂. It's just normal development, I don't know why they need to turn it into a moral/disciplinary issue.

My daughter lives with her Dad. She goes to a school that are also measuring length of skirt above the knee. Her skirt is supposed to sit on the knee. She's had a growth spurt and her school skirt is an inch above the knee. She was put in isolation for it today.

Whilst I agree school skirts should be a suitable length, I don't think an inch above the knee is unsuitable and my question is why they are happy to disrupt my daughters education for an inch of material.

Cannot believe there are schools in 2023 where girls can't wear trousers. Madness.

I know the preference amongst them today seems to be skirts, which as I say is very different to when I went to secondary in the late 90s/early 00s, but to actually ban them from wearing skirts... wow.

That would make me determined to wear trousers 😂

@Soontobe60 when it's a one day a term non uniform day there is often more of an effort to dress up fancy but the teens I see where I live I would say it's very much the trackies/leggings/jeans combo on non uniform day. I rarely see teen girls in tenny tiny skirts and strappy tops unless they are going 'out'.
When it's no uniform everyday the novelty of dressing up soon wears off and most really don't make a big issue about what they are wearing.

Have you seen what some children wear when it’s a non uniform day? They may as well be naked!

At my dc's school girls can't wear trousers but the skirts are designed so they can't be rolled up. And different skirts for each key stage
They have fairly strict rules about behaviour but more in a partnership way. They don't seem to have many issues in general.

They went through all covid years choosing to wear leggings and hoodies. No one chose a skirt of any length.

might be easier to go back to that. 🤷🏼‍♀️

It's the school's business though. There's a reason there's a dress code.

For private schools especially if reflects poorly on the brand, as the students look a mess.

Same reason at my old school boys had to tuck their shirt in.

Why is it so terrible to teach students rules, discipline and basic standards?!

@EmmatheStageRat

“So not just a lot of internalised misogyny on this thread but fat shaming too! Is it okay for the slim of thighs and hips to roll up their skirts because they’re easier on the eye?”

it’s not fat shaming it doesn’t bother me if they roll them up at all, each to their own, but it’s basically angles. If you have bigger hips (I am a case in point- but I’m too old to roll up a skirt) the angle that the skirt sits at will be different to those who are more straight up and down.

There's no need to measure fullstop, surely you know if a skirt is drastically short, if a school has lots of issues a blanket trouser policy is the solution. My school changed from shirts to polo tops to stop us messing with our ties, it didn't look as nice but our own fault for taking liberties.

I wore very short skirts to sixth form. Could see my bum. It's not the uniform imo. I also wore short dresses and skirts to university.
I did right up to a few years ago when I started to look more like a melted candle than a svelte young lady!!!

I don't get the issue personally. Teenagers have looked daft since the beginning of time. Even EU teenagers dress badly(!) rn at my dc school there are teenagers wearing ripped jeans that are so tight their thighs are bulging out. But really whose business is that?! Is that really any better.

I agree some take the skirt rolling too far, usually bigger girls with bigger thighs and hips, so it barely covers their underwear.

So not just a lot of internalised misogyny on this thread but fat shaming too! Is it okay for the slim of thighs and hips to roll up their skirts because they’re easier on the eye?

It never ceases to amaze me the big deal schools make about school uniform.

It's like the teachers and staff who work there never went to school themselves.

It really is no big deal as far as I am concerned. My daughter rolls her skirt up a bit and sometimes wears a ring when she isn't allowed but it doesn't detract from her studies etc.

My younger DS was a nightmare at senior school - always bunking off and getting into trouble but he didn't break the uniform rules! However his girlfriend at the time attempted to go to every lesson but more often than not was sent home because she wore Doc Marten shoes or had dyed hair.

All absolutely ridiculous!

Many countries don't even have a school uniform and they all seem to manage ok.

I just don't get the obssession.

I'd get rid of uniforms completely.

My local secondary (11-16) has a strict uniform with logo'd everything yet pupils (male and female) find ways to bend the rules eg. rolled skirts, too tight trousers, adjusted ties etc. The school seems to spent a huge amount of time and effort attempting to police the uniform without great success, and there are frequent facebook posts etc from parents who are annoyed about their child being told off for eg. having a brand logo on their shoes. One argument often cited in favour of the school's approach is that it is more affordable for families and a leveller for the children. In fact, the (poor quality) uniform is incredibly expensive and poorer pupils still stand out as they often to have ill-fitting clothes as they grow in spurts and can't afford new uniform several times a year.

The 6th form that most of the pupils move on to has no uniform. For the first couple of weeks of term it's obvious that many pupils are making a huge effort on what they wear but after than almost everyone wears jeans and T shirt/hoodie. Parents almost unanimously say that it's much easier and cheaper, the school doesn't have to spend time and effort enforcing uniform and children say that they are more comfortable.

I know that lots of pupils stress about what to wear on non-uniform day but I suspect that part of this is that it's a 'special' day and not such and issue once the novelty wears off.

Absolutely this!

...what the actual fuck?
Girls should be taught it's their fault if men get distracted?

Are you having a laugh?

It always amazes me these days just how many parents immediately jump to the defence of the kids and their ‘rights’. Okay we rolled our skirts up at school and got into trouble for it. So what happened when we took the detention slip home to be signed by mum? Did she go to the school with a complaint that we were violating her DD’s rights? No she gave DD a rocket for spoiling her skirt and a warning that any more of this would result in consequences! Of course you know how I know this? This may be did not stop us but it made us a bit more careful and also we realised that flouting authority had consequences.

What has changed in society to make this such a big issue now? This was happening when I was at school 30 years ago and no one made a big thing of it.

It is the same at my dds school and they were lined up and measured too. She was fuming as it felt degrading.

My thoughts are that girls generally don’t choose trousers because they’re uncomfortable and unflattering. Leggings or joggers would be ok , but girls come in all shapes and sizes and therefore need different styles to be flattering. It’s not good enough to say that they shouldn’t care what they look like and should just get on with it as self esteem is important too.

Girls will roll up their skirts to make them more flattering and to feel more attractive. Like some will wear makeup, push up bras etc etc. I agree some take the skirt rolling too far, usually bigger girls with bigger thighs and hips, so it barely covers their underwear. I think embarrassing them by measuring the skirt is not the best way to manage this though and it’s better to turn a blind eye.

Skirts by nature of their design restrict the movement of the wearer, 99.9% of time a girl or woman. Women's clothes have been deliberately restrictive over history and insisting on skirts at school could be a hangover from that. Uniform is a good thing if same for all, it does away with bullying based on how much jeans etc cost and means older looking pupils can be identified if playing truant. Girls and boys should have the same choice of skirt, trousers or shorts.

If all of the boys decided to "sag" their trousers like an American rapper, it would be inappropriate for school.

This is the same & we should stop turning everything into a feminist issue when it's not.

It is inappropriate to wear a skirt that barely covers your bum to school. How is that possibly something to debate.

If they wanted to wear a bikini top with their school shirt open to school would that be ok too?

I also hate the lie that teenage girls don't do this for male attention. I went to an all girl's school with three mixed and all boys' schools nearby, The fact that we didn't roll our skirt up into the end of the school day is telling.