Girls told to wear longer skirts at school because the boys are distracted and male teachers feel uncomfortable.

[Exercisejunkieforlife]

My DD is 15, yesterday all the girls were kept behind in assembly and told they must wear skirts from the official uniform shop.
I have no problem with this as this is where we get DDs skirts, my problem is with the reasons given.

They were told that it distracts the boys when the girls walk up the stairs and makes the male teachers feel uncomfortable.

AIBU to think that the girls should not have to modify their behaviour / what they wear so the 'boys' don't look up their skirts and that the male teachers are responsible for their own feelings. ?

Wish we were near those schools...would love a non unifom school.

Shirts and ties on 4 yr old here.. madness...

Then get parents to back it, then you'll get what you want!

If a majority of parents back it then it will happen, until then its just like asking the sea to turn back.

I don't like shirts, ties or blazers, personally. I'm a fan of trousers, polo shirts and sweatshirts or hoodies, for both sexes. Similar to what many retail workers wear. Comfortable, practical, and can't really be 'customised'.
My son went to college instead of sixth form and from what I could see everyone seemed to wear normal clothes - jeans, tshirts, etc.

I don't mind uniforms but what I'm not a fan of and what never happened when I was at school is children not having the freedom to take jumpers/blazers off when they feel the need to and having to get permission. My teachers at secondary school would never have dreamed of telling us when to take our jumper on or off.

I think a lot of parents like them, for traditional reasons.

There is also a lot of hysteria regarding them in both sides, they aren't the massive levellers they are thought to be, nor are they the worst thing ever.

In terms of a high school without uniform, girls with bum skimming, crotch showing skirts would still be told to wear something more appropriate.

I'm in London, and I know that Fortismere have a very clear dress code which refers to: visible bikins or bras, short shorts, midriff showing tops, cleavage, hoods up, pants showing above waistband and lots of others.

'I would agree that it is not a sexual thing to feel uncomfortable.'

You're right. At my gym most of the women walk around nude in the changing rooms. I don't like it - it does make me uncomfortable. Does that mean I'm attracted to women? Clearly not.

Of course the reason is because it makes other people feel uncomfortable. What did you expect it to be? If a male teacher gets caught accidentally looking at your daughter's legs he'll get in the shit for it, won't he? There's no good reason for girls to be wearing short skirts at school, and YES, the girls should have to modify their behaviour because they're at bloody school. It's supposed to be a mutually respectful learning environment.

Do you really imagine that if the male teachers / pupils turned up in cycling shorts or a vest top, for example, they wouldn't be asked to wear something more appropriate?

Twenty four fucking pages debating this. Imagine actually taking the time to write to the school to moan about it.
YABU.

My DC high school has recently changed uniform (different skirts) to prevent girls wearing 'tube' type skirts and rolling them up.

My DS16 told me he welcomed this uniform change. He said he felt embarrassed walking up the stairs behind girls whose bottoms and knickers were showing as it made him feel very uncomfortable, always having to keep eyes and head down.

My DD mentioned she'd seen girls with short skirts, & thin tights with sanitary pads on show (climbing over benches to sit down in canteen or going up steps to school bus)

I do think as a whole the girls look much neater and this uniform change has put an end to the 'short skirt' culture.

Wearing a short skirt, showing cleavage, wearing a thong bikini are all acts designed to invite someone to look and admire. Girls need to learn that their self worth and value is not aligned to what they wear and what attention/sexual attraction they get.
If a young man is presented with a sexual image his body will respond. That’s biology. It’s not a reflection on him.
so yes girls should cover up at school and should learn their pretty bum does not define them.

This again.

Look. Teenage boys are teenage boys. They are full of hormones and are absolutely going to notice a girl's legs and bum if her skirt is too short. No, they should never ever comment and they should never ever upskirt or make that girl feel uncomfortable in any way BUT the fact remains that girls wear their school skirts far too short and that that will make some boys feel uncomfortable or distracted. Those boys are absolutely never entitled to act on those feelings but it's their school environment too and they have the same right to attend and not be made to feel uncomfortable by the poking out butt cheeks (yes, I've seen this as a teacher!) of a teenage girl. It's simply not appropriate in a school context. Saying boys must be responsible for their feelings does not give girls free reign to dress in a way which contravenes school uniform policies and crosses lines in terms of what's appropriate in that particular context.

Male teachers don't generally sexualise 15yo FFS. Obviously there are bad eggs and they need to be weeded out and removed from school environments forever. However, male teachers are required to uphold the school uniform policy for all pupils. That includes telling a girl when her skirt is not the required length. You can imagine what that means for that male teacher, who will be subject to loud comments such as "your shouldn't be looking Sir! Omg, Sir was looking at Keira's skirt Miss! Paedo!" The male teacher isn't deliberately looking at Keira's skirt - her skirt is so short that you can't miss it, no matter who you are. If a female lesbian teacher comments on Keira's skirt and tells her she must change it for an appropriate one, is she sexualising Keira? What about a female straight teacher? That is what is meant by making male teachers uncomfortable! Teaching in a classroom full of 15yo Keiras with tiny skirts can leave some male teachers feeling constantly on edge about where they're inadvertently looking, how they can help a pupil in a small classroom with desks close together etc etc and NOT because they might feel sexually aroused by these teenage girls but because these teenage girls don't hesitate to attempt to embarrass or worse accuse male staff of sexualising them.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not at all ever suggesting that sexualising a 15yo is ok. I hope I've made that clear. I know that there are instances of male pupils committing sexual assault in schools and that is never, ever, ever acceptable, no matter how short the skirt, no matter what. It also isn't ever the girl's fault if she is on the receiving end of such behaviour. However, it isn't some black and white thing whereby everyone in a school in possession of a penis must automatically be assumed to be sexualising girls and feel uncomfortable because they are sexualising girls!