AIBU to think that when school uniform states knee length skirts, they should enforce it?

[Iheardthatpardon]

Dropped off younger DD at new secondary school this morning and was struck by the no of girls in short, bum skimming skirts! According to the uniform list, skirts should be knee length so unless these poor girls have some kind of physical mutation which places their knees up near their bums, I would expect them to be sent home to change. Why do parents let them out of the house with these belts?

My older DD has tried all the tricks - wearing skirts that are too small, hoicking it up etc but is given short shrift and also has been warned that should I EVER see her with her skirt hoicked up, she will be wearing trousers from then on. No exceptions. Surprisingly she doesn't want to wear trousers in school, only skirts but won't wear skirts out of school?? I give up!

I have no quibble with short skirts out of school, if that is what they want to wear, but feel that if there is a uniform, it should be just that - uniform! Not wear what you fancy! Or AIBU?

OK, as a single parent of 3 teenage girls - do not waste your energy, mind-space and good relationship with child on this. You will never win!

It doesn't matter what you or the teachers do or say. They will roll up their skirts regardless. I just try to make sure I have plenty of thick black tights with no holes in...

I have 3 DDs at secondary, in uniforms.

They wear kilts in winter and any navy straight cut skirt in summer. Both are meant to be to the knee. We buy the kilts from school, and they only come in long lengths, but the majority of girls have mid-thigh length kilts, and not all of them are rolled up. This must mean that the parents are taking them up.

This then causes a huge debate - the school are hot on girls with their skirts rolled up, (making them unroll them, letters home) but don't seem to comment about the ones that have obviously been hemmed. It means that the girls with mothers who are prepared to break the rules are 'cool', and those with mums that support the school are not.

I have to admit, my DDs are really short in height, so the school kilts come to about an inch below DD1's knee, and about 3 inches below DD2 and DD3's knee, so I did hem them to sit an inch above the kneecap. IF the school policed all of the girls' skirts I wouldn't have bothered, but it does seem harsh that they would be told off for rolling it to sit ON the knee, but another girl won't be told off for having it hemmed to mid thigh.

Of course, despite hemming the kilts to just above the knee, I've seen all 3 of them roll them to at least mid-thigh en route to the sodding bus AND had the letters home courtesy of DD1.

The summer skirts are even worse - any navy skirt?! COME ON SCHOOL. That's asking for trouble. I'm already dreading Summer term after the battle with DD1 over bodycon miniskirts last year.

Twitterqueen - do you think that if they got told that they would have to go home/detention/similar sanction unless they wore their skirts the correct length in school (I appreciate that they will do what they like outside the gates) and the rules were applied to everyone by all the staff, that they would not do it in school (eventually)? If not, what do you think would happen? (Curious)

Please do point me in the direction of where to purchase a skirt that reaches the knees - cause I have searched and finished of ordering a 20" skirt as that was the longest I could find.

This is always going to be a tricky one to get to grips with; I remember my mother getting exasperated by my seemingly endless ways of getting around the uniform rules with skirts and ties being worn in ways that weren't as prescribed by the rules.

Ivykaty a company called 'Banner' make the skirts which are stipulated by dd's school and the longest length they manufacture is 22". Just bought this length for dd and the skirt would technically be in breach of the 'on the knee' rule. Mentioned this to the shop as we couldn't believe this was longest length and was told categorically that the manufacturer does not make longer. DD not too worried but I have told her that if teacher says she is in breach of rules to show her the length label and explain can't buy longer. DD is only 12 by the way but over 5'6" and long in the leg.

Ah, the best way to subvert the rules is to go braless. I had a lot of fun with that one back in the day.

I have really quite very large breasts.

(And, before you ask, a creditable collection of qualifications.)

Motherinferior

OP, I understand where you're coming from, and agree to a point, but school girls have been rolling up skirts till the dawn of time and will continue to do so despite best efforts from parents and schools.

My dd just stays on the right side of rebellion - she wears her skirt rolled up to and from school (right until she gets up the school path) and then rolls it back down and fixes her tie so she won't get in trouble and get a mark on her uniform card for it.

Smart girl

since the dawn of time

Motherinferior I still do that!

@ Motherinferior

Maybe make transgressors wear a horrible spare skirt? Rather than go home?
I have to say, neatly and smartly turned out school children satisfy my OCD tendencies.Find this rebelling thing a bit tedious tbh. and never understood why anyone would want to look scruffy.

ivykaty44 - I can't say about suppliers not making skirts the rignt length, the school needs to sort that out.

l know that most schoolgirls roll their skirts up a bit but can't see why they think it is attractive?

We now have skirts with piping and pleats that can't be rolled up without looking obvious, so the new trick is to buy skirts that are too small then wear your jumper long to cover the fact that the skirt won't fasten. This can result in seeing things that put you right off your lunch.

wisecamel - sorry for delay in reply. yes, probably if all those rules were applied eventually they would all comply. But at what cost? ie I'd rather the staff focused on teaching than on the length of skirts, which is an issue that will go on for ever.... I'm sure that any potential grandchildren of ours will also be rolling up their skirts!

It's been happening since time immemorial.
I rolled my skirt up and this was back in the 70's.

I'm surprised that secondary schools still allow girls to wear skirts.
At the senior school my son attends girls must wear trousers, blazers and ties. Uniform is as near unisex as possible. It seems like common sense to me.

That's very practical fatlazymummy! I don't see why girls have to wear skirts and boys have to wear trousers - either they all wear the same or they should all be allowed to wear either, after all skirts/kilts are worn by males in several cultures. I don't mind what they wear, just that rules should be enforced or scrapped if not important.

Men used to wear skirts and dresses in Britain in the past. Have heard a lot of hoohah about men wearing certain colours/clothes and I don't see the problem myself. Women can wear what they like so why not men? Heels, makeup whatever makes them happy!

YABU
Apart from the obvious Y7-Y8 girls go from being little girls to grown women, often without getting any wider.

DD2 was quite plump at 11, she is now 14 towers over me and still wearing the same school skirt.

Because she's a size 12 her skirt is actually one of the longest. Girls who did the same thing, but were DD1s build have skirts way shorter.

This is without any folding, rolling and antics.

Our HT is fussing about skirt length, non of us are going to buy new skirts every six months and the shop isn't going to stock the huge range of sizes and lengths necessary. M&S can provide a vast variety of lengths and styles of black trousers, no way can a tiny sports shop do the same with odd coloured skirts.

Iheardthatpardon It was you op that state the school should enforce the length of skirts, I am asking where do I get a skirt that reaches the knees? I have searched for a decent length skirt and the longest I could find was 20" which is about 4" above the knees for dd2.

How on earth do the schools sort out suppliers of clothing - they are a school not a supplier.

There is no rule at my dd's school that boys can't wear skirts

My school (strict private girls school) flipped between skirts having to touch the floor when kneeling and they were allowed to be anywhere between 2 inches below or above the centre of the knee!
Parents duly complied and bought correct skirt length, and us girls rolled them up! Then, at inspection time, rolled them back down... Not much parents or teachers could do about that...

This subject always amuses me. They try to be strict on this at Ds's school (doesn't affect DS obviously) and they have decreed that the school skirt must be bought from the uniform suppliers so that they are all the same! Given that I have been getting letters/texts about this issue for at leat 2 yrs I assume many girls are still flouting this rule.
What makes me laugh though is on the rare occasions I have been to collect DS from school, I see girls in short skirts, standing waiting for a lift, and constantly tugging at a very short skirt, as if it will grow longer in the 5 mins or so they are standing on the pavement!!! If they are not comfortable with showing so much leg, then why do they choose to wear such a short skirt!!!
Secondly, they have at least one non-uniform day per half term at the school (this half term there are 2 scheduled already) This of course is open invitation for the girls to wear shorts out of which both cheeks can be seen. SO what message does that send out? That you must dress 'respectably' on most school days but when given free reign to wear what you want, it is OK to come in flashing your bum and wearing low cut tops!!!! I think the school need to think carefully about that one!!!