Challenging private schools girls uniforms

I'd pick your battles.
Your child is there to learn. I agree it is archaic but there are other things to think about. Mine feeds them sugary snacks and I don't like it but I am more concerned about her reading.

As I said, the majority of girls at my school choose to wear skirts in years with uniform (though interestingly far fewer do to school in my year or the year below with no uniform or dress code) but even most girls who choose to wear skirts would feel aggrieved if skirts were enforced and trousers not allowed.

My son's private co-ed allows the girls to wear the same trousers that are part of the "boys" uniform list if they want to. One girl does.

I wouldn't deselect the right school for my child based on the uniform alone if everything else made it the right fit for my child.

How does your DD feel about not wearing trousers or does she even care or does she even know that you care?

How short sighted to not keep trousers as an option for girls just because none in the trial period chose to wear them. It would have been very simple to leave them as an option, even if for a small minority. It's not like it's doing any harm to have them as an option.

Exactly. It makes no sense to remove the option. I'm sure at first the take up is slow for a variety of reasons. Either way, it's ridiculous to force girls to wear skirts as part of a uniform.

I hope you challenge this SAMlady and you don't sound judgemental at all, I'm guessing it's a mixed school? I've heard of that kind of culture at some mixed private schools, ones which were boys but began to admit girls at some point. There's one such school near me which has the same attitude to uniform - forcing girls to wear skirts. No girls' schools I know of around my area and the area my school is in do, thankfully. Parents like you are vital in challenging these things!

My son's school now allows girls to wear trousers. I don't think I have seen its girls wearing trousers.

You do actually sound very judgemental with your talk of old boys' club and keeping women in boxes. I could see your point if you meant generally that you object to elitism that private schools keep the old boys' and the old girls' clubs in place.

Given you think the school shows stupidity and props up old boys' clubs perhaps it is not the best choice for you.

How short sighted to not keep trousers as an option for girls just because none in the trial period chose to wear them. It would have been very simple to leave them as an option, even if for a small minority. It's not like it's doing any harm to have them as an option.

As PP have pointed out, it wouldn't be acceptable in the workplace to insist on skirts/dresses for women so it shouldn't be acceptable in schools.

I don't know if it's worth feeding back to the school, that you feel it's an issue which would stop you from sending your daughter there. Private schools are businesses so I suppose they might respond to losing potential customers!

I go to a private girls' school as I said and skirts and trousers are both permitted for the years where there's a uniform. Most do wear skirts (including myself when I was in those years) but some wear trousers and even those who never do would object strongly if skirts were enforced. The point in my opinion is there should be a choice and forcing girls to wear something which remains very gendered is regressive.

In terms of challenging it I would bring up some of these points and ask why girls should be forced to wear skirts and not given the option of trousers, why the school is enforcing this difference between girls and boys. A school should be freeing its pupils from gender, not imposing it upon them.

You will probably find this has been challenged in the past. I have a friend who challenged the headmistress of a private school on this exact issue and the headmistress stated that trousers had been trialled for girls two years before friend's dd joined school and apparently all girls elected to remain wearing skirts so the trousers never became part of the uniform. You sound quite judgemental yourself saying that it is done to keep women in their box.

I almost guarantee that girls in a private school will be confident and articulate. Skirts not withstanding. They wont be in any box!

No work place insists on dresses/skirts for women as that would be discriminatory and potentially illegal. Schools should respond or risk being seen as backward.

Quite.

Schools insisting on them for girls are enforcing this idea of gendered dress on girls and suggesting this is the "correct" way for girls to appear.

The girls' school I attend has a uniform from year 7 to year 11 which allows skirts or trousers. This is sensible.

That's the route I'd take as a skirt/dress is perfectly legitimate clothing

No-one's saying they're not "legitimate clothing". I regularly wear skirts and dresses myself but to enforce this gendered dress code on girls is ridiculous, regressive and many girls dislike it as they'd feel far more comfortable in trousers. It enforces a difference between how girls and boys dress which is unnecessary.

I think you may find that the more forward thinking private schools have already introduced a trousers for girls option in anticipation of possible legal challenges.
I would argue that school is a preparation for work. No work place insists on dresses/skirts for women as that would be discriminatory and potentially illegal. Schools should respond or risk being seen as backward. I would apply the same reasoning to ties for girls which I think are absurd.
Not sure if the same reasoning would require a skirts for boys option. I think I would argue that that is not the societal norm - outside Scotland- But I think they could reasonably make an argument for tailored, knee length shorts.

What odd thinking , girls look smart in skirts . Many state schools have separate girls and boys uniforms.

It's not "odd thinking" at all. Why on Earth should girls be forced to wear skirts? It's ridiculous and outdated. No schools should enforce it, state or private.

Is there anything that the skirts/dresses are stopping the girls from doing or making them do which hinders their learning? That's the route I'd take as a skirt/dress is perfectly legitimate clothing and uniforms are generally a restricted range of clothes even for boys.

"I know it's an archaic way for private schools to keep up the old boys club and keep women in their box and enforce differences "
What odd thinking , girls look smart in skirts . Many state schools have separate girls and boys uniforms.