Headteacher bans skirts as if too short they 'put girls at risk'

There are Muslim women and girls who are subjected to much verbal and sometimes even physical abuse when they go out (veils ripped off, name calling, some of it sexual) -- they are not going around in hot pants or short skirts obviously. Yet men and boys seem to think they are perfectly fine targets.

It's not about the clothes girls and women wear, MaamRuby. It's about the boys and the men and whatever problems they have and inadequacies they feel.

OK and you think that paedophiles will be deterred by trousers or longer skirts do you maamruby?

And you think the responsibility for avoiding sexual abuse should rest with the potential victim, rather than the potential perpetrator do you? Because that is what telling girls to dress to avoid rape, is doing - placing the blame for abuse onto them, instead of onto abusers. Are you completely unaware of that? Do you not have to go on some sort of equality awareness course when you work in a school?

Can you please spell out what you think short sexy skirts say to someone, and who you think they're saying it to Maamruby?

You are not speaking very clearly. I'm presuming that you are saying that if a girl dresses in a certain way, a boy or man is justified in believing that he has a right to have sexual access to her, but seeing as you are speaking so obliquely, I'm not sure if that is what you are saying. Is it?

"We have girls in a unit within mainstream who would be vulnerable to inappropriate intentions"

What inappropriate intentions? By whom?

"Equally daft to assume that short sexy skirts do not give a message"

Really Maam Ruby, what message do they give?

Where's the school email address or what website is It on?

why not give girls a choice though? I would have chosen a skirt.

Good gracious! That is my old school!! That is my old headteacher!!!
He was always pretty sensible and non judgementary when I attended there back in the late eighties and early nineties, so goodness knows what happened.

Well to add another perspective, at my DS school skirts are compulsory.

Given that skirts have a patriarchal history to do with allowing men continuous access to female genitals I find it incredible that we expect our female children to wear them.

I would ban skirts. Not because of 'signals' but because girls should be afforded the same practical clothing as boys. Do their legs need to be uncovered, or is that just how we expect our women to be displayed at all times?

DD (yr3) was informed by her teacher that tights/cycling shorts had to be worn under skirts because some of the girls were wearing them so short (teacher reassured me that it didn't apply to DD, who is very definitely pre-pubescent and wears her skirts knee length).

The issue in primary school is a bit different - I imagine secondary school pupils don't much go in for sitting cross-legged in assembly and flashing their knickers.

Outrageous decision. Implying somehow that 'provocatively-dressed' girls are to blame for inciting men?
This really is taking a step backwards.

Why not make them wear burqas?

an attacker will attack, regardless of dress

the head is an idiot to reinforce the idea that girls are 'asking for it' if they dress in a certain way

The girls at my local high school have taken to wearing black leggings as their school trousers, which are every bit as revealing as a short skirt. I think that kids at secondary school will always want to push the boundaries regarding their appearance - if it's not one thing it'll be another...

I agree with what Gigantaur said earlier, rape is about power and control.

The implication in the reasons given for the change in uniform policy is that men can't control themselves and we shouldn't expect them to - we ought to change the way we dress. While I'm sure that the Headteacher is acting out of the best motives, I don't think they've thought this one through fully.

We were told exactly the same thing when I was at school many moons ago. Back when cycling shorts were fashionable (80s for any of you too young to remember or who were lucky enough to miss out on that particular trend) our deputy head tried to ban them on the basis that they were "provocative".

Agree with Orm

DD1's school doesn't have uniform but they have a rule that if a pupil's outfit is considered inappropriate by the teacher they cannot enter the classroom and must go to the office and borrow a hideous housecoat type thing until they can go home and change!

He's a farking twat.

I can't effing believe this level of sexism is tolerated and accepted in school. If it were racism, there would be a bloody outcry, right rightly.