Why does it irk me that school skirts must be a certain length?

[Ilostit]

My DDs school has a strict on the knee (or below) skirt length policy. It really pisses me off! I just don’t see it’s anyone’s issue what length a school skirt is?! I don’t think above the knee is an issue.

Or am I cross because I feel it’s othering girls. I’m not aware of a similar boys rule?

For those asking what has her size for to do with it… being amply built was making her tight short skirt ride up! Get over yourselves I am not picking on fat kids.

I'm 35 and I remember when I was in high school all the girls were pulled into an assembly and reminded to have appropriate uniform on with regards to skirts.

I don't know how many times I'd be walking up the stairs in school and there would be the bottom of bare arsecheeks in front of me.

Definitely needs to be rules in place.

What puzzles me is that the same girls will rarely dress like this outside school and mostly live in jeans and joggers. They wouldn't dream of going out for a family meal or shopping with friends with their arse cheeks on show so why is it so necessary for them to express themselves in this way at school. It is also not just of case of a slightly short skirt showing a bit more leg, they take it to the extreme.

@Peasock

I was really grateful when I was at school they toughened up the rules. There was so much pressure to conform to rolling it up as short as possible and yes I should have not given into peer pressure, but it's hard as a teen. I felt so uncomfortable though wearing such a short skirt.

This. I refused to roll my skirt up, but I was bullied in school, and me wearing my skirt below the knee was cited by some as a reason to pick on me. As soon as girls were allowed to wear trousers, I wore them.

The sexist part always gets mentioned but boys would also be told off if there trOusers are low and pants on show
No one needs or wants to see anyone else's arse cheeks or pants,
Boys trousers also had rules in my ds school
But lets be honest boys fancy girls , girls fancy girls at this age , hormones are raging so if a girl/ boy has there arse on show others are going to look
If you were in a restaurant and the waitress served your dinner and you could see her knickers you would feel unconfortable so why shouldn't teachers feel the same way

It’s about looking respectable. I don’t want to see girls in my classroom with arse skimming skirts. And I definitely don’t want to follow them up the stairs. You can’t help but see knickers. Likewise I don’t want to see the boys underwear. This is essentially their ‘job’ so they need to look decent. As a teacher I also have a dress code for the same reason - no short skirts, thin strapped tops, low cut tops etc. We are all here to work and need to be able to do it without distraction. At one point we had loads of girls wearing brightly coloured bras (red, pink etc) under white shirts. It became like a competition and was very much aimed at the boys - who definitely were distracted by it. So now school also has to have a policy on underwear.

@ChocolateRiver

It’s about looking respectable. I don’t want to see girls in my classroom with arse skimming skirts. And I definitely don’t want to follow them up the stairs. You can’t help but see knickers. Likewise I don’t want to see the boys underwear. This is essentially their ‘job’ so they need to look decent. As a teacher I also have a dress code for the same reason - no short skirts, thin strapped tops, low cut tops etc. We are all here to work and need to be able to do it without distraction. At one point we had loads of girls wearing brightly coloured bras (red, pink etc) under white shirts. It became like a competition and was very much aimed at the boys - who definitely were distracted by it. So now school also has to have a policy on underwear.

Yes the girls did that when my daughter was at school. Coloured bras and hoiking their skirts as short as possible.

I'm of the opinion that school uniform skirts should be knee length, that's what the rule was for the girls at DS's school. I just think it's more appropriate for a learning environment to be wearing something practical that doesn't make the wearer feel or look uncomfortable.

The rules stated that skirts should not be rolled at the waistband and for boys the trousers should be neither cropped nor tight fitting. There was no option for girls to wear trousers (independent school).

I don't remember DS breaking the uniform rule, although he did get told to dye his (dark brown) hair back to its natural red colour once 🙄

When I was a teenager in the '80s my school had no actual uniform, just certain colours (black, grey, navy, white top/shirt) that had to be worn. I recall being reprimanded by our female teacher when I was perhaps 14, for wearing a navy pencil skirt that barely skimmed my ankles (!!!) because it had side splits. I was told that it was provocative! FFS!

I assumed that the skirt length thing was because 50% of the pupils are hormone filled boys
Plus it’s teaching them about dressing for a ‘work’ environment

I agree with the rule purely because it looks scruffy and the uniform is supposed to look smart. One of the best secondary schools in our area let’s itself down by not enforcing this rule and when showing parents around the school it looks awful, no pride in their appearance / representing the school.

It’s no different to ensuring shirts are tucked in, if there’s a uniform it should be worn correctly.

Isn't that the whole idea of the uniform, that everyone wears them to the same standard?

I've had girls tell me they can't pick up them pen they've dropped as their skirt is too short for them to bend over. The rule is needed

They are children.

My DD has to wear a mid-calf length kilt which I think is taking things a bit too far. The worst thing is it is a PITA to iron!

I don't see why you can't see that potentially really short skirts are inappropriate in school and why?
Totally agree with the rule.

In the 1970s all the girls had to kneel once a term (knees on the floor, thighs upright) and if our skirts did not touch the floor we got an after school detention.

Every school I know has this rule, and about 90% of the girls ignore it or roll the waistband at every opportunity (I used to work in our old school's uniform shop so was always saying skirts had to sit just above the knee or lower). My own daughter liked hers as long as possible to keep her legs warm as she hated tights!
I think the rule is fine but it should be enforced if it's in place.

The high school here had a “no underwear or thighs” rules for girls and boys. If the boys wear shorts they have to be just above the knee at most, same with skirts.

Currently they’re sensibly still in their more casual covid-times uniform - heads of a couple of schools locally told parents not to buy new uniform until we were sure there wasn’t going to be more months of home learning - black trousers or skirt, white or grey polo or t-shirt and a black or grey hoodie/cardi/jumper was fine until uniform was brought back - and seems they’re considering just keeping it as all the kids follow it, they’re comfortable and they look smart enough.

@FourChimneys

In the 1970s all the girls had to kneel once a term (knees on the floor, thighs upright) and if our skirts did not touch the floor we got an after school detention.

Got to be honest, I don’t much like this either. A girl only has to grow a couple of inches and have her mum forget to check whether her skirt is long enough and then be in detention.

A school near where I grew up has banned skirts - they all have to wear trousers. They claimed that it was to be trans-inclusive but the rumours are that the teachers have had enough of telling girls their skirts are too short.

I thought of this thread today when I saw this photo

Bravo

@sillysmiles

I thought of this thread today when I saw this photo

Honestly I think that's missing the point. Of course they're not and I do not defend any arguments about skirt length which are about boys or teachers 'getting distracted' or some variation on that. However, in our society it is not socially acceptable to show people your genitals or underwear. This is not about sexualising children or expecting girls to take responsibility for boys thoughts. It is, in fact, about NOT sexualising girls as despite what they may say, the reasons why them wear them so short that they do show people their genitals and underwear it to conform to societal pressures and to, on some level, gain what they think is 'self-worth' by showing how attractive or cool they are. Without these pressures girls will not be presenting their privates to the world. They spend inordinate amounts of time checking their privates are still covered and to me, therefore, this represents a conduit for oppression.

@sillysmiles

I thought of this thread today when I saw this photo

I'm not a 'boy' or a man but I don't think that children's arse cheeks should be showing when the walk down the high street or when they are at school. No other section of society does it. Only teenage school girls.

I like short shorts.
I complained when the deputy head at my DD's school told her off for sitting in the sandpit in a way that showed her knickers.

But I don't think this is the same thing. I want my teenagers to go to school and get an education and also enjoy themselves. Not thinking about what they are wearing. I don't want them walking along holding the backs of their skirts shrieking when white van men shout oi oi out the window at them.

However, in our society it is not socially acceptable to show people your genitals or underwear.

I haven't seen this in my area.

The OP's question was about why the rules about school uniform gives her the icky.
I think because it is very closely related to policing women's bodies.

But lots of people have seen it and shared their experiences here to clearly that is part of the conversation. With those experience in mind, do you still think it's just about policing women's bodies or do you think there is actually a child safeguarding agenda? (girls I mean, not protecting boys from wanton displays of female flesh)