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Original poster

Girls made to wear skirts

34 replies

scotsheather · 21/10/2018 13:12

Having been 'corrected' by Owl and Fox over my observation all girls we saw in Butterfly were wearing skirts, the comeback is that the school were making them do so as part of the uniform. Really? Can a state school in this day and age still have such a rule? We had these battles in the 90s and won (when the trans thing wasn't even on the radar) and I thought only private or all girls schools could have skirt only uniforms now. My DDs have both trousers and skirt and decided each day. There are pros and cons to both.

OP posts:
TheCrowFromBelow · 21/10/2018 14:16

Girls and boys at my DCs school can wear skirt or trousers, and skort or shorts for PE.
Everyone has to wear a tie. They introduced it as the new gender neutral uniform this term. Before that girls could wear skirt/trousers, skort or shorts but no tie.

Original poster
scotsheather · 21/10/2018 14:10

If girls schools want to break harmful stereotypes they kind of contradict themselves with discriminatory uniforms. I see it a lot.

OP posts:
SenecaFalls · 21/10/2018 14:03

It's sexist whether or not it's an all girls school. Try to articulate a defense of it without being sexist. Not possible.

catkind · 21/10/2018 13:54

I think our local do make girls wear skirts - but they are a girls only school so can argue it's not sexist as all pupils have to wear skirts. Hoping they'll change it before DD is that age.

WarlocksAreLocks · 21/10/2018 13:34

My DD is at an all girls school. They can wear trousers or skirt.

There's no reason why they should be allowed to insist on skirts these days.

jellyfrizz · 21/10/2018 13:31

Can a state school in this day and age still have such a rule?

Yes, my daughter's primary school have this rule. This is a good article on the matter and the people featured are crowdfunding to bring a judicial review against the government:

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/06/legal-challenge-discriminatory-skirts-only-policy-school

PenguinRoar · 21/10/2018 13:30

We all campaigned for trousers and won at my school (20 odd years ago). School uniform has been either skirts or trousers ever since.

So many kids at primary schools locally opting for trousers especially in Winter - comfy, practical and cheaper than tights!

silentcrow · 21/10/2018 13:18

It's certainly socially enforced, even when the school rules allow. My girls both stick out like sore thumbs for wearing trousers at their schools, even in the depths of winter. They see it as rebellion against their peers.

It is possible an academy may enforce a skirt rule. Some of them have draconian uniform policy, though it's usually about skirt length.

AlexanderHamilton · 21/10/2018 13:14

I don’t know any state schools where that is the case.

I have heard of a few that have done the opposite and made everyone wear trousers.

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