Transgender pupils allowed to chose uniform

The Guardian article.

I can't work out if they have abolished girl's uniforms and boys uniforms and separately want to be told about trans pupils or the choice only exists if a child says he/she is trans.

The thing that makes me giggle quietly about their vehemence that girls should wear the uniform skirt not trousers is that the girls uniform skirt is a kilt

My son's school was the same. Very strict uniform code. Junior school girls in primary 1 to 7 wore pinafores, when they moved to Secondary girls wore kilts. I only had a son there but I liked the uniform. I wasn't aware of any calls for girls to wear trousers. I suspect it would not have been popular with parents.

This is a very odd announcement. In the Guardian version (www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/20/brighton-college-axes-uniform-dress-code-accommodate-transgender-pupils) it states that parents of transgender pupils need to write to the head to advise him of their situation. If the uniform code has been changed to be non-gender specific, then why is there a need to do this at all? And what about a non-transgender girl who wants to wear trousers? Presumably they'll be told no, as they're not trans? Or a non-trans boy who fancies wearing the skirt/bolero jacket combo (unlikely but a possibility)?

It sounds like the head is trying to be inclusive of the minority trans pupils (which is great), whilst simultaneously reinforcing outdated gender norms for other pupils. It seems that girls can only wear trousers if they identify as transgender!

Oh, odd - yes, the words 'girls uniform' aren't there. Either I was imagining it, or the article has been tweaked..

The school my DS1 is likely to go to next has a strict uniform, sex divided. The thing that makes me giggle quietly about their vehemence that girls should wear the uniform skirt not trousers is that the girls uniform skirt is a kilt.

I hope it doesn't mean each individual pupil is required to sign up for one uniform and always wear it!

Or a kilt.

Obviously I don't know the particular uniform code, but wouldn't it be simpler to have a range of clothes which could be picked according to personal preference? You don't have to have to be transgender to prefer wearing trousers.

I can't work out which it is. The Head, Richard Cairns, has said some rather stupid stuff about single sex schools, but some other decent stuff about FGM etc. And also supports LGBT rights, which makes it hard to work out whether he's for reinforcing gender stereotypes or not.
He did say this once "These things matter because in core parts of our society, women are not treated equally."

So I'm hoping that perhaps this means the girls have the same freedom to wear trousers as the boys.

I agree with "Ifitsgood". They were being accommodating and precisely not reinforcing gender types.

I thought all pupils should be able to chose anyway?
that would be a totally non-issue then, or have I missed something?

Aren't they just saying we've got a uniform with a skirt and one with trousers, wear which ever?

In the bbc article tomato they call them skirt uniform and trouser uniform.

I looked at this and different news sites have worded it differently. I'm mystified as to whether or not all pupils have the choice but tbh I've been mystified by that for years. Wear skirt or trousers, whatever you fancy. If it's on,y for transgender that would be discrimination wouldn't it?

I thought it said a "trouser uniform" and a "skirt uniform" and any child can chose either. I'm broadly in favour of that, regardless of the reasons.

I saw this. I thought the emphasis was weird too - rather than just saying that both skirts and trousers were open to anyone to wear, they persisted in calling them boys and girls uniform.

Regressive rather than Progressive really - saying that there are boys and girls clothes, and children can choose whether they dress as boys or girls, rather than there are clothes, and people can wear what they like.