...to think that school uniforms are rubbish and sexist?

[Annahmolly]

Just saw a lovely little girl in Starbucks with her mother. She was around 12 and sitting on an armchair, pulling her legs up to get comfortable. The ridiculously short, flimsy piece of material posing as a skirt rode up so high that her legs were almost uncovered. This is in March - most other people in there were in winter clothes. The silly knee-socks hardly made things much better, covering only half the leg. Surely thick, black tights would be much better, if schools absolutely must make girls wear skirts? It seems as though uniform regulations require girls to look "cute" and "feminine" at the expense of feeling warm and comfortable. The shoes are silly too - not appropriate for cold and wet weather, and neither girls nor boys ever seem to be wearing proper winter coats with their uniforms. What's with that?

Excuse my ignorance on this, but I did not grow up in Britain, so I don't know why these rules exist. I dread sending my daughter to school freezing cold just because some school regulations dictate that she has to show off her legs in a stupid little flimsy skirt. It restricts movement and is, in my opinion, sexist.

I don't think school children feel the cold. DS has more than once fallen in the canal this winter during rowing and spent the hour long commute home (walk/bus/walk/train) in his sopping wet shorts and hoodie with blazer on top because he can't be bothered changing back into his school clothes.

Expecting him to wear a coat on top of his blazer would be just madness.

I don't know of any schools where the girls aren't allowed to wear tights. Or trousers for that matter.
My girl wear tights throughout the winter.

YANBU. Uniforms are shit. I always hated them and my kids hate them.

Have you looked at the school's website and found the uniform requirements.

These short skirts are a fashion the school's are trying to stamp out.

The schools are always complaining about the amount of time they waste on uniform checks, sending kids home etc. My solution would be get rid of uniform. We live in a much more relaxed society now. Schools should reflect this.

My dd can't choose to wear trousers which I dislike. They can of course wear tights, although I know some children dislike tights.

The shoes on sale in many shops for girls are ridiculous. I can't find a warm cardigan or jumper anywhere for the uniform.

Her school also requires the summer uniform to be worn right up to October half term which I think is ridiculous. In a way this is worse for the boys as they are in shorts while the girls can at least wear tights with the summer dress.

Girls at ds's school can wear trousers or leggings (hate this look) or dresses / skirts with tights or socks. Loads of girls choose to wear skirts and socks. We live in Scotland it is FREEZING but I remember being the same when I was younger.

Thinking about it I'm not sure I've ever seen a girl from the local public school wearing trousers but definitely tights.

Yanbu, uniform should be skirt/trousers for ALL pupils. Those wearing skirts should always be allowed to wear thick tights.

YABU.

School uniforms are no more sexist than clothes, in general, apart from the odd school that still insists that girls aren't allowed to wear trousers (though they have been whittled down, somewhat, since the cases where boys have said, ah, but you haven't said we can't wear skirts!)

You can pretty much guarantee that the girl's mother brought her a skirt a more sensible length, but she's either wearing last year's too short one or has rolled it at the waist to make it shorter. And more fool her for wearing it with socks.

bought, not brought!

the only school I know of that doesn't let girls wear trousers is the independent girls school, but they still have a choice of dresses (that look like something off an australian soap) or shirt and skirt, and can wear tights with either, as well as jumpers/cardigans and blazers.

YABU. Just repeating what everyone else haas said really.

It's possible there is the odd school that doesn't let the girls wear trousers, but that's an issue with that particular school, not the concept of school uniform. Same with thick tights. As to the length, that's almost certainly somewhat against regulations, but it's what teens that choose to wear skirts, tend to choose to do to their skirts.

Golden, I'm sure Camden and other non uniform schools are fine academically and behaviour wise. I believe during these financially tough times for families, having a uniform just ensures all pupils are the same regardless of wealth, so they can concentrate on their education rather than what to wear each day. Children can be very unkind, I do think uniforms do make life easier for vulnerable children. Buying a uniform (for most sensible schools) is cheaper and will last the year for many children, rather than the equivalent non uniform clothing.

I am aware uniform is a contentious issue but personally I think they are great.

Our local prep school's policy is skirts and socks for girls and shorts and socks for boys. Seniors wear skirts/nude tights and boys trousers.Not sexist but a tad impractical in the north of England. Contrast to the local academy where all can wear trousers, girls skirts and black opaque tights. (But compete to find the tightest shortest tube of fabric available)

I have always hated wearing tights and preferred chilly legs and socks over tights at school. Maybe she does too.

I'm delighted our school has a uniform policy. No dramas about what to wear every morning. Both dds wear trousers as the norm although the younger one does wear a skirt sometimes, her choice.

I agreed the 12 yr old you saw would have more than likely made her own choice to wear a tiny scrap of a skirt. I seriously doubt that the school stipulated it had to be a micro sized one. I'm sure she was also free to wear thick tights if she wanted to.

I always used to be a strong advocate of school uniform, but as I get older I have to admit the only real benefit I can see-and it's tiny and probably easily worked-around- is on school trips, where you can instantly identify your own set.

Other than that, a simple rule that clothes and shoes must be sturdy and appropriate (e.g no high heels or trousers worn low enough for pants to be seen) should cover all bases.

At least then I could dress ds2 in natural, breathable fabrics

Agree with PPs- the skirt length and sock-wearing was almost certainly the girl's choice, not the school's.

only real benefit I can see-and it's tiny and probably easily worked-around- is on school trips, where you can instantly identify your own set.

Our primary school which does not have uniform gets round this on school trips. They have baseball caps with the school logo and in two colours. They hand them out at the start of the trip and can then count them when they needed too. However I have been on school trips when they did not do this, we recognised the kids and were still able to count and did not loose any.

I like uniforms. I remember being teased for not having the latest name-brand trainers at school and a policy of school shoes rather than a free-for-all helps to eliminate all that kind of rubbish.

YABvU.

Do you honestly imagine schools want girls to wear short, flimsy skirts with no tights? Schools want students to wear sensible, warm clothing and most uniforms accommodate this perfectly well - it's the students who bend the rules and consequently end up freezing because they're choosing to go bare-legged in winter.

I find it very interesting that in the coffee shop scenario you describe, rather than being outraged that the mother would let her daughter sit wearing such skimpy clothing, you choose to blame the school. The mother is the responsible adult here and your ire should be directed towards her, not the poor bloody teachers who would probably love the girl to turn up in something more suitable.

Most modern schools say skirt or trousers , socks or tights.
So that girl CHOSE to dress like that!

Unless you are telling us yo have found St Trinians she almost certainly wasn't wearing what she was supposed to.

Also teens don't feel the cold, long threads about it on here every time it gets cold, always worth buying a second hand coat for your teen chances are it will be hardly worn as a result!

win win

You can even on sell it as nearly new when they grow out of it too

you not yo
I am not THAT hip

"Yes, it is. Girls get the choice of skirts or trousers but boys have to wear long trousers even in hot weather. Totally sexist."

this from SoupDragon

"The ridiculously short, flimsy piece of material posing as a skirt rode up so high that her legs were almost uncovered. "
And do you seriously think that this girl's school INSISTS that she wear a ridiculously short, flimsy piece of material posing as a skirt?

School uniform would be a knee-length skirt. Tights are allowed. Trousers are also an option in many (most? all?) schools. What you observed was not a school uniform, but the fashion choices of a schoolgirl.

On the rare occasions that I run DS to school, I observe girls in his school wearing trousers, knee-length skirts and tights, short skirts and thick black tights, skirts of all lengths and ankle socks. 'Uniform' in the loosest sense of the word .

"I dread sending my daughter to school freezing cold just because some school regulations dictate that she has to show off her legs in a stupid little flimsy skirt."
Well, you can stop dreading it. And you can stop blaming the schools while you're at it, because they are not doing what you are accusing them of doing.

YABU.