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.

I can also never understand the "cost" argument for primary. You can kit out a primary school child in uniform for very little cost these days, unlike when I was little. Wouldn't you rather have a £2 school polo shirt get ruined with paint than a £20 Boden T shirt?

I often wonder how much is more to choice of activities available.

DD loves dance, gymnastics, trampolining and swimming. She hates any form of team sport, tennis, badminton or anything else ball related. She was on the school‘s gymnastic team. It took years before she was able to throw a ball decently.

Obviously there are only so much schools can offer but one-fits-all doesn‘t work for all. With most state primaries not able to offer facilities like private schools, some girls will not like PE/being active.

DD was more than able to run around in breaks/lunch in a dress/skirt and PE kit was comfortable in primary. Girls do get less active in school PE the older they get, some get their periods in Y5/Y6 and aren‘t happy with having PE with boys who often start to be more aggressive and bold playing football, hockey or even rounders.

I don't insist on any such thing as her preferences are hers alone, I disagree with you that it is socialisation, well in every case anyway! Stereotyping girls and boys is a lazy application to a problem that would be solved by having no school uniform. DD is nearly 13 and is very keen on baggy jeans and hoodies with fairly emo eyeliner at the weekend, still loves jewellery like me. On the otherhand, she still loves skirts and dresses as it is about the interest in clothes/fashion. She sketches designs all the time, is a brilliant artist and wants to work in that area. I am trying to describe here that the obsession she had as a little girl has continued. I hardly ever wear skirts and have a vague interest in what I'm wearing, I do love jewellery but It is nothing to do with my sex!

Grandma definitely would have got the jewellery out for DS as she is a liberal, 1960s hippy type, she doesn't like traditional stereotyping. DS liked dressing up and sometimes that included necklaces and wings but he also liked playing football and Star Wars figures. He loves teddies though and has them all over his bed for years. He is 17 nearly, doesn't like playing football anymore but is certainly a fan, he prefers music and gigs and has an array of friends that don't live up to gender stereotypes at all! People like what they like and that includes children. IMO inactivity in children is a reflection of their parents' attitude to health and diet not what they wear. Both mine are thin, DD is too thin IMO, almost everyone walks to school where we live and at Junior age that was 1.4 miles one way up hills so nearly 3 miles for the walk to ans from school but around here many children go to nearby parks after school unless the weather is dire and obviously loads of activity on tjat front. I think she was active at playtime because they played tag etc. But she isn't interested in football and gets shouted at in p.e by some boys for loitering at the sidelines with others not interested and for not getting in position, this is problematic for me as it is a manifestation of the prevailing attitude of 'equality'= traditional boys' interests being accessed by girls. Why not introduce skirts for all to help toxic masculinity which is also a problem in society alongside inactivity for the health of our nation!

Yes, I agree with this, DD had a chance to try out girls' cricket as the county team were trying to promote it amongst girls she liked it but she doesn't like mixed at 13 as some boys are now stronger and the ball is faster and she flinches. She does like dodgeball and yoga.

Girls wore skirts and summer dresses at the school my daughter went to. Often they wore their gym skorts underneath as they had to sit on the floor in assembly and if they were in the playground on the equipment 'so boys couldn't look up their skirts'. Terrible.

This isn't true though, my DD had sensory issues and hated trousers, including tracksuit trousers, she liked leggings and that's why she also preferred a pinafore dress at 4!

I agree on the shoes and DD had pretty expensive Austrian boots that were hardy but flexible and a good grip. She did choose some summer buckled thick soled, German made Mary Jane style in the summer though as they were perforated and not as hot. However, another summer she had black converse so again it is preference.

This must vary region to region as a majority of the girls at DD's secondary school wear the tartan skirt rolled up at the waist, some with laddered tights as the school stopped banning them, then DMs like my DD or black trainers depending on your tribe. DD does occasionally wear baggy black tracksuit style trousers but for her it is about what it is what she can get away with. It is a school in a very liberal area and lots of parents didn't agree with restrictions on earrings and laddered tights, hence the laxing of those but for health and safety reasons they have gone back to studs only. The girls wearing the skirts are pretty much stick thin on mass, so I would think it's a reflection of the standard of living and attitudes of the parents again. Many wouldn't drive their DC to school at infants/juniors as you felt a bit judged due to green issues and there were campaigns for no vehicles in the school roads at school drop off/pick up time.

@SummerDays2020 I was chatting to some friends this morning about this issue. We were reminiscing and recalled stopping running etc due to development of breasts. This struck me as something that I had completely forgotten.

I felt so uncomfortable in my body, I was very slim but developed early. Late primary (age 10-12) and secondary (13-18) sports and or were a nightmare as I really was uncomfortable as a size 8 with 30DD chest. Sports bras were not on my nor my mother radar.

I think there is a continuation of girl specific challenges that require investigation.

Honestly I think private schools are more focused on team sports/ matches than state schools, not less. The "private schools offer an endless carousel of yoga, dance and riding" is a bit of a MN myth. The stuff like yoga and dodgeball tends to be just ECAs. Round here the prep schools have games every day and its hockey/ football/ netball/ cricket for girls on termly rotation and football/rugby/hockey/ cricket for the boys. The schools line up their schedules with each other to facilitate matches. Things that may facilitate more participation are that they play everything single sex from Year 4, other than cricket, but even then it kind of works out because of how bowling and batting orders work at that age group (the strongest batters tend to have to face the strongest bowlers and weaker vs weaker). Also everyone plays matches so the teachers can't just focus on the good players and ignore the less sporty.

I think these factors are more important than what they do.

Looks like France are going to trial uniforms in some schools. https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240108-france-to-introduce-school-uniforms-in-bid-to-reduce-bullying-and-inequality

Unsurprisingly this is in Auvernge-Rhône-Alpe which is ruled by a right wing coalition - be under no illusion, this is not about inclusion or anti-bullying, it's yet another anti-muslim measure. At least the uniforms are being made locally and being provided to students free of charge.

We discovered unfortunately that bullying about clothes are just replaced with bullying about phone brands, access to Snapchat/WhatsApp when they are 10 years old and moved to the right brand of shoes and bags.

Uniform will never mean everyone is equal.

Car salesmen and estate agents only from what I can tell.