Girls being less active due to school uniform

[SummerDays2020]

https://amp.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/15/school-uniforms-may-be-barrier-to-physical-activity-among-younger-girls

I have wondered why schools don't just have a unisex uniform and this seems a good reason to do it. Also to make the uniform less restrictive.

For many DC they are driven to and from school as parents are going to or from work. When they get in there's only time for dinner, homework, bath and bed. Much of the hour of exercise needs to happen at school. If DC are in comfy, practical clothes they do more exercise at school. Break times are usually 15-20m once or twice a day, and lunch 45m - 1hr so giving a good opportunity to get some movement in.

We've been fortunate in that both my DD's Primary and Secondary allow the comfy, stretchy jersey trousers.

Exactly. So just saying 'well, they're allowed to wear trousers...' doesn't really cut it because it is the parents putting the girls in clothes they feel uncomfortable being active in or there aren't options in the uniform that are suitable e.g because the trousers are uncomfortable. All out of a DC's control.

I always involved my dc from preschool upwards in what they wore. Yes, sometimes they had second hand, and I made their gingham dresses at infant level, but it was what they were comfortable in and wanted.

For the girls it was gingham dresses or pinafores until (DD1) secondary, and (DD2) about year 5. Then they went into trousers.
Ds wore shorts from year R up to year 11. He still wears shorts in the 6th form, but non-uniform.

They had the full options of skirts/trousers/shorts but that was what they chose. Most people I know had some sort of discussion with even year R as to their choice.

Most people I know had some sort of discussion with even year R as to their choice.

I just bought shorts and trousers, polos and jumpers. No discussion. DS could choose if he wanted to wear a jumper or not, or between shorts and trousers.

Oh god don't blame parents. We really don't need to get into a pissing contest about what parents should be doing and how you did it better. Just scrap uniform.

Not really, my DS is stockier than DD and I had to take in his trousers. Not all have the adjusters and there's a limit to the adjusting range. Handily boys' joggers actually have real strings at the waist rather than the fake ones in most girls' ones (and shorts) but there's an art to tying them tight enough to allow hasty toilet visits but tight enough to mostly stay up...

@SummerDays2020

DD went to her childminder 4 days a week, we drove her to her and DH collected her by car.

She did gymnastics afterwards, swam at the weekend, we often went on walks.
When she got older she added riding and dance as well to it. She is slim, active and wearing a skirt until Y9 wasn't the issue.

You said girls aren't active because of her clothes. For me it's not the skirt or dress, it's the attitude of parents, choice of shoes and unfortunately teachers who often don't allow physical activities like climbing or running around at break anymore. And that attitude is taken over by children who repeat what they hear.

I wore trousers 80% of my school life, I hardly ever wear a skirt or a dress as an adult. I still don't like being active.

You can think that changing girls' clothing means they are more active, I very much doubt it.

M&S age 2-3 in long or extra long. They are good value too as you can let the hems down 3cm as they grow. Just buy the boys' joggers? PE uniform ones are often unisex anyway.

My Dd had to wear a pencil skirt they did not allow girls to run dreadful.

I love the long uniform skirts in Ireland

I tried the boys joggers and DD hated them - plus they're definitely wider than leggings which she wears happily for PE.

We also still have an age 3-4 extra long skirt from M&S that still fits DD (at 8). Was a trip hazard at 4...

Sweaty teens in nylon shirts and blazers. Ghastly.

@SummerDays2020 imo this is a symptom of state schools cutting PE right back to the bone. 1 double.session of PE per week isn't sufficient. By adolescence there is a worrying trend of girls giving up any physical activity, both in and out of school.
DDs school has a struct uniform but also has double games 3 times a week + PE twice a week plus match practice etc. The sports uniform is a skort + tracksuit + trainers. If they have sport towards the end of the day then they can stay in their tracksuit + trainers.
With 4 x double sessions of physical activity at school plus horse riding as hobby at weekend she gets a good amount of physical activity.
By secondary school I certainly didn't want to run around doing anything physical but that wasn't because of my uniform. However we had 3 games sessions per week so physical activity every other day + hobbies.

Not sure if you're refering to me. I've said nothing about how I did it. My point was this isn't within the DC's control. Just saying well, trousers are an option at their school so if they wear dresses and don't exercise there's nothing us adults can do, doesn't really cut it.

I was refering to research that looked at hundreds of studies. They showed that children who wore uniform got less daily exercise than those who wore their own clothes. Out of the DC who wore uniform the girls got less daily exercise than the boys. Children need an hour of exercise every day so gymnastics once a week after school, swimming at the weekend and some walks is not enough and besides not all parents can afford this. Girls said they did not feel comfortable in their uniforms to do cartwheels etc. If DC are not getting enough exercise in particular girls I think we should look at the reasons they say they are not getting enough.

I think it is more Primary age that aren't wanting to exercise due to uniform but my Y7 DD still likes active games. I agree about P.E./Games being reduced. And the other problem is schools cutting down lunch times so they don't have time to do sports/gym etc then. My DD's school has 1 games lesson a week and 1 dance or gymnastics (1hr 40min each). There are sports clubs before school, lunchtime and after school. However, other schools have much less than this. But research is showing that it is incidental exercise that is really important not just sports or P.E.

This research looked at hundreds of studies and girls were saying they don't want to do cartwheels because of their skirts. It's nothing to do with 'girls clothes' being less. Calling skirts girls clothes is purely a social construct. In other cultures they are 'boys clothes'. The fact is we socialise our girls to think dresses and skirts are what girls wear and to then say we can't do anything about girls health being impacted because of these clothes to me is cruel.

I don't 'feel' this is why. This is what girls were saying and were being observed to do so. Also if you'd read my comments I've said nothing about banning skirts. I suggested a few different ideas.

I home educated my eldest so obviously none of the DC wore uniform and he's been at college since 14 with no uniform. It is noticeable that most of the girls are not wearing skirts or dresses. At college it is mostly all in jeans and a hoody.

My daughter briefly tried trousers at primary school, but hated them, they felt so uncomfy and restrictive. She hated skirts. She loved a pinafore. Now she’s at secondary the uniform dominates our lives. It’s a nightmare. She is in discomfort all day.

In our child’s junior school both boys and girls all had to wear plain navy blue boiler suits at break time. I thought it was brilliant as it kept their uniforms cleaner plus it meant girls didn’t have to worry about showing their knickers when cartwheeling or climbing trees or hanging upside down off the climbing frame. There was no playing inside either unless it was the most extreme weather so they all ran around. The boilersuits worked brilliantly however they also did pe 5 days a week and most were doing more sport at weekends too, I never saw a single over weight child in the whole school, the amount of exercise has got to have helped this.

@SummerDays2020 But you are asking to replace normal school uniform with a different one, one made up from Joggers for everyone.

If the studies say that non-uniform is better for being active than just ask for this, not dictating wearing basically a PE kit all day, as I personally find joggers are not clothes I would have want ed DD to wear all day for over 30 weeks a year.

Wearing skirts/pinafores never stopped my two running around at primary and they too refused trousers. One quite liked tailored shorts and tights for a little while. The other would have lived in pretty summer dresses year round if allowed. They would have been horrified by tracksuits, lol. I was such a tomboy and would have loved to have worn trousers to school, but sadly it was a real no no (quite a posh school and I’m old so this was way before girls wore trousers to school).

They are at secondary school now, have been for several years, and they refuse to wear skirts to school! Very few girls seem to wear skirts.

Both have always enjoyed sport, as did I.

My DD never ever wore trousers to school, although it was allowed. At primary she wore pinafores or summer dresses and at secondary always a skirt. Her choice.

Most primary schools uniform seems to be polo shirt and sweatshirt so I can't really see the issue but I am horrified by the calls for trainers rather than school shoes. Have a quick google and every study has shown that it is not good for children's feet to be wearing trainers every day. Trainers are designed for a purpose - sports - and are not suitable for daily wear.

Bare feet are best for small children, so perhaps that's what we should be aiming for, followed by decent school shoes that are not dictated to by fashion and are designed (as they used to be) with foot health in mind. No stupid flimsy ballet pumps that little girls struggle to keep on their feet, but lightweight square toed comfortable leather shoes with straps that allow children to run around without compromising their foot health.