School insist on black trousers for summer

[Berrypavlova]

Hi,

My son is in Y7 and so about to have his first June / July at his new secondary school.
the uniform insists on black trousers for boys even on sunniest days. This seems madness to me, but apparently they refuse to budge on the rule.

Does anyone have any clever ideas how to manage without the boys all melting? I have looked for lightweight school trousers but cannot find anything suitable.

thanks v much

My ds wears chino shorts to work and a polo T shirt!

The world of work argument only works for some jobs and often those are ones with air conditioned offices!

Perfectly normal. Go to a properly hot country like Italy in the summer, and all the local men look smart in dark suits whereas the tourists are a mess in so-called leisure gear. It's just one thin layer of fabric - schoolkids have coped for decades!

This is completely normal for a secondary school. Just like grown men aren't expected to come to the office in shorts!

My DS managed. And he wasn't allowed to take his blazer off without express permission either.

Errrm he'll be fine OP.

Opposite problem here. My two sons are in a primary that insist on shorts only all year. I feel terrible for them in winter!

It does seem ridiculous, especially the logo’d polyester trousers.

To those saying ‘suck it up’, I suggest that you try it out for the hot weather.

Each year the summer gets hotter, and I think that we should dress accordingly.

My local Secondary school added shorts into the uniform last year.

Not actually seen any boy (or girl) wear them, but the option exists. My 10yo insists she will instead of the skirt!!

Yes, but in my experience on those days schools then issue different rules for the expected period of very hot weather - PE kit, short/sleeved shirts no blazers etc. I really don’t think most children/teens will melt in a pair of standard uniform trousers of any colour.

What has he been wearing up to now? Our boys stop wearing shorts at the end of Y4. School trousers are hardly too warm for a British sumner

He will survive!

With work uniforms... thousands wear boots and thick trousers to work outside in the sun all summer!

I was very shocked that my dcs school didn't allow them to wear pe kit on those hot days. They were allowed to remove blazers but not ties and had to wear long black trousers.

I think it's insane, but then I'm in a country where there is no uniform at all and my kids wear shorts to school in summer - primary and secondary - which I think is very sensible.

Builders do manual jobs in the heat, often in direct sunlight, wearing thick black DeWalt trousers and heavy boots.

Kids today can't sit indoors in black trousers.

I despair.

Smart shorts are fine nowadays for an office with a casual dress code.

I wear black trousers for work most days. It's 40C here right now.

As a teacher, my usual "work outfit" is a blouse and trousers. I don't like wearing skirts in the lab, or leaving my legs uncovered. I also always wear closed shoes. I haven't melted yet.

I'm not completely sold on school uniform, necessarily, but I don't think shorts are appropriate wear for many practical lessons in secondary schools- especially practical science- and this would normally be a standard rule in a professional lab, too.

I know you get the odd classroom which turns into a sauna in the summer, but in most school buildings, a shirt and trousers are completely managable.

But if there's a safety reason for wearing trousers...fine. But there's no real reason they need to in school...it feels pretty mean to just want them to suffer for the sake of it. I wouldn't wear black trousers in forty degree heat

One local secondary allows PE kit to be worn on hot days, all others insist on the usual uniform as clearly you cannot possibly learn anything if you are not dressed smartly 🙄
No solution for your problem, I am glad my kids are done with uniforms now.

I have to wear full length black trousers in the NHS all day. they don't make me hot as long as my top is loose and short sleeved.

Same here. We have had a shorts option for years and I'm sick of talking to the students about it. They all say they wouldn't be seen dead in shorts. I know at least three students who want to wear shorts but won't.

Thousands of schoolboys have worn black trousers all year round for years. They don't expire. They're not crossing the Sahara.

I don't think kids need 6 years of wearing uncomfortable and often inappropriate clothing to "train them up" for the workplace. They are still kids, after all.

All our male friends and neighbours work in "proper grown up" jobs, many of them in the City and hardly any of them are required to dress as formally as my son is at his comprehensive school. Plus they all have aircon in their offices.

This is normal but I do think all students should be allowed to wear school shorts during certain weathers.

My DDs primary school allowed boys to wear trousers in winter and shorts in summer.
And the girls were allowed to wear skirts or trousers in the winter and dresses in the summer.

Exactly