8yo girls must wear shorts under skirts...

[MyFirstMyLastMyEverythingBagel]

... In order to play on the bars in the school playground?!
My 8yo DD came home from school yesterday upset as she wasn't allowed to play on them - the teacher had said she needed to have shorts on as the boys would see her knickers.
I'm really upset by this, she is 8 years old and has a life time ahead of her to be worrying about modesty/body image without the school instilling it in her at 8. We've had a lovely summer, much of it spent splashing in the river / sea, DD totally in self aware in her knickers and a t shirt.
I'm actually pretty cross and plan to speak to the head about it, but want to know if iabu? How would you feel about it? My child is a child and I don't feel she should be made to feel self conscious about a brief knicker flash when she is playing.

This is unbelievable twattery of the highest order.

Underwear unacceptable to see, but swimming costume/bikini absolutely fine.

We are so fucked up as a society.

Meadows the problem with that is that the knickers are the cover so now we are asking girls to cover the cover with modesty shorts, how long do you think it will take before girls are being asked to cover the modesty shorts because boys can see them?

Wondering where this new 'modesty' bollocks is coming from.

My fear is its from religious crap creeping into our society and by definition all religions are mysogynistic and controlling of women

I believe you are right.

Knickers are there to protect the girls' modesty so no need to cover up the cover up

Absolutely ridiculous. This was never a rule at my school in the 90s, and nobody ever looked at girls knickers when they were on the monkey bars or doing handstands!

You know why? Because us boys all had much more interesting things to do, like playing British bulldog, or digging a hole with sticks.

Knickers are there to protect the girls' modesty so no need to cover up the cover up

Exactly! How bizarre!!

So Meadows surely the problem is that boys are given a uniform they can play in and girls aren't?

moonface absolutely. I should clarify that I'm also cross on behalf of the boys. They are all just children wanting to play and shouldn't be subjected to this nonsense. I have two boys myself and I am equally cross about 'boys will see your knickers' as a reason why girls had to have shorts under their skirts, from the perspective of a mother of boys. My two wouldn't bat an eyelid and that's the way it should be. If they did tease they would recieve very short thrift from me, my solution would not be to tell the girl to cover up!

'My fear is its from religious crap creeping into our society and by definition all religions are mysogynistic and controlling of women. I think we need to take this very very seriously'

Completely agree with all of this

www.womenshealthmag.com/life/teen-poet-rape-culture This girl sums up the wrong in this better than most adults. I'll warn you it's a tough watch, but reinforces how seriously wrong the school are.

Totally weird that they have to wear skirts but the consequences of their own rule means girls cannot play freely. My girls cartwheel mad so got job lot of culottes.

Also what's the difference between knickers and a gym leotard?

Well I would cause the biggest fucking stink possible with my the HT Governors, my MP and local press.

At aged 7 my dd was telling me herself she wanted to wear shorts underneath her dress so she could play on the bars without worrying her knickers might get pulled about. So I can't get het up about this. All her friends wear shorts too and many girls wear leggings.

For those asking, no girls can't wear uniform shorts anyway.

And there lies madness.

At this point, girls' uniform should be shorts or trousers, quite frankly.
Or boys should be allowed skirts too.

It's not something we see in the workplace anyway, and even teachers can dress in trousers or shorts if they like.

If Serena Williams can flash her knickers whilst winning grand slam tournaments why can't an 8 year old girl?

What exactly will happen if a boy sees her knickers? That is what I'd be asking the school.

Mad. It is a "thing" in America and seems to have crept in over here. How hot must it be to wear shorts under a Summer dress? My dd did say that a couple of the girls in her class wear shorts underneath their dresses/skirts, it had made her worried that she would somehow be doing something inappropriate if she was doing handstands etc without shorts, which made me most annoyed and sad. It isn't school policy though, as far as I am aware. They are all perfectly well covered and comfortable in pants. I talked to dd and explained that she had pants on, and was perfectly fine to play and climb , do cartwheels. It was horrible to see her suddenly worrying when she cartwheels around the beach in her pants all year.

This is one thing that would make me go into school all guns blazing. I would be beyond furious.

Go OP!

All her friends wear shorts too and many girls wear leggings.

Leggings? As well as a skirt? In this weather? Blimey they must be so hot and sticky

We ensure that children leave us understanding the importance of respect and are fully prepared for life in modern Britain

This is a quote from the schools website, I'm not quite sure how it applies in this case! Flipping hypocrites.

Thanks for the support, I'm pleased to know I'm not alone!

Are you going to kick up a stinking fuss about this OP? I couldn't not. Our children need to know the difference between sensible and downright ridiculous and sexist.

My own DDs school has no uniform but at a parent and teacher meeting with all the parents, one person brought up the subject of girls in "tight leggings" which was thought to be "too distracting to the boys"

I wasn't slow to stand up and stamp THAT concern down.

one person brought up the subject of girls in "tight leggings" which was thought to be "too distracting to the boys"

Omg! Do they think all boys are animals and can't help themselves?

It's really bloody offensive and rather sad

I don't know Moonface. Ask them or their mums.

My dd is nearly 9 now and only wears shorts or trousers to school as she's "too big" for dresses and skirts.

My dd is nearly 9 now and only wears shorts or trousers to school as she's "too big" for dresses and skirts

Ha, I remember my dd being the same. She is now 14 and back in very short skirts

Ofsted is nuts:

www.gov.uk/school-uniform

"Each school decides its uniform and must not discriminate based on gender, race, disability, sexual orientation or belief."
"Schools can decide if girls can wear trousers, or if religious dress is allowed. If you think your child is being discriminated against, talk to the head teacher."

How is a school deciding if girls can or can't wear trousers NOT discrimination?

Agree with others here, I would be furious:

Girls should be allowed to wear shorts if they want to (and boys skirts too if they want!) but they shouldn't have to.

Primary school children get changed together because they are pre-pubescent and therefore have no sexual interest in each other. Therefore seeing each others underwear is irrelevant. If an adult present feels uncomfortable seeing kids underwear that is their problem and I would suggest they should not be working with kids.