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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed that there will be a trousers uniform only at dc's secondary school from next year?

506 replies

bigbuttons · 11/05/2017 13:48

DD ( dc number5) starts secondary in September. All her older sibs have gone/ are at the school. Her 2 older sisters are in years 8 and 10. Up until now the uniform has been, for girls, a blazer, skirt or trousers, white shirt and optional tie.
We got an email this week saying that after extensive consultation( I would like to know with whom because parents were not asked to my knowledge) the uniform for new year 7's would be 'gender neutral'. Both sexes will wear exactly the same uniform i.e new school jumper, no blazer, smart grey or black trousers, no skirts and all to wear a tie. Pupils currently at the school can continue with the current uniform but change of they wish.
There has been 'issue' with girls rolling their skirts up to basically just below their backsides and members of the public/parents have been complaining about this. The new trousers only uniform will help with issues of 'decency' it says.
Year 6 dd is horrified, she has never worn trousers in her life and quite frankly is not a good shape for them anyway, - leggings yes, buttoned trousers, no, although I have never said this to her of course. She is short and stocky, always has been.
I know many women who feel very uncomfortable wearing trousers because they don't like their legs/shape and always wear dresses and skirts.

What this this gender neutral crap?
I support both sexes wearing ties and I liked the blazer so am sad it has gone.

I think the girls should be able to wear skirts and am confused about the whole 'indecent' issue. If a girl wears a short skirt it's surely not her fault if people find it 'indecent'? It feels like very little has progressed for girls since I was at school. So, they now all have to look like boys?

I would be interested to hear people's views on this.

OP posts:
youarenotkiddingme · 12/05/2017 08:02

I agree.

I spent years as a holiday rep and we spent lots of time and effort arguing over the skirts and men wearing tailored shorts issue.
They compromised with skorts!

We all did the same job and wanted a uniform that was practical for all not just those with a penis!

I think trousers for winter and tailored shorts or culottes for summer would make much more sense rather than this pretend line they give about blazers and ties etc and preparing for the world of park.

Children go to school to be educated. They can learn about adhering to uniform policies through a practical uniform.

Original poster
bigbuttons · 12/05/2017 08:03

of course the great irony of the bus stop debacle is that any elderly residents who MIGHT have benefited from the new access have had to walk a mile to catch the bus everyday for 2 years!

OP posts:
GahBuggerit · 12/05/2017 08:04

Don't worry op. The first time a boy who identifies as a girl speaks up and says this restricts how they can feelz feminine the school will change it.

SoulAccount · 12/05/2017 08:07

"Not all girls wish to dress in a masculine way. Some girls like skirts"

Trousers = masculine.

To posters saying 'no one is saying this '.

It is always a point of conflict when a choice is taken away, rather than added. The loss of a blazer seems misguided, given their function as mobile storage unit. Loss of lunch cards, phones, keys etc will rocket.

OP: tell the school your Dd is adopting Muslim dress and needs to wear a long tunic 'kameez' over her trousers. Quite elegant, at mid thigh level.

On the whole I think we do not need to force teens into any lookalike polyester uniforms of any kind.

FlossyMooToo · 12/05/2017 08:10

What has a bus stop got to do with a school uniform? Thats a strange comparison. Are you saying that because no wheelchair users live in your village there should not be access for them?
Maybe none live there because access was shit.

RufusTheRenegadeReindeer · 12/05/2017 08:10

flossy

I have just skim read the thread and with the exception of the poster this morning and the OP i cant find anything from another poster saying that trousers are masculine

(May well have missed one Smile)

RufusTheRenegadeReindeer · 12/05/2017 08:11

Oooh soul found another one

Well done, i missed that one Grin

fakenamefornow · 12/05/2017 08:11

I think it's a great idea, all schools should do this.

BertrandRussell · 12/05/2017 08:11

""Not all girls wish to dress in a masculine way. Some girls like skirts"

Trousers = masculine.

To posters saying 'no one is saying this '."

Oh, right. So one person.Hmm

SoulAccount · 12/05/2017 08:14

OP wrt any transgender issues the school may have taken into consideration: under sex discrimination legislation any school has to allow any pupil to wear any uniform that is available to either sex. So if a school has a trouser uniform, girls as well as boys have to be allowed to wear trousers. Likewise if a school has a skirt uniform, boys have to be allowed to wear it.

A school in Brighton had two versions of the uniform: the skirt uniform and the trouser uniform, and anyone could choose either. For example.

Badbadbunny · 12/05/2017 08:15

What has a bus stop got to do with a school uniform? Thats a strange comparison. Are you saying that because no wheelchair users live in your village there should not be access for them?

It's a good example of how the majority get disadvantaged for the few, so is a valid comparison to school uniform.

The same disabled provision applies to rural railways. These days, services have to be fully disabled friendly, i.e. wide doors, ramps, disabled loos, etc. Lots of old railway stock in sidings that could be used to re-open disused lines and stations and increase frequency - benefitting huge numbers of people, but they're not allowed because they're not disabled-friendly. Another example of the majority suffering because we don't want the disabled to suffer - so no-one gets the service.

FlossyMooToo · 12/05/2017 08:18

The OP said herself So, they now all have to look like boys?

So thats 2 posters. Not exactly the no one is saying this is it Hmm

Don't state something as fact when it isn't. Makes you look foolish.

FlossyMooToo · 12/05/2017 08:20

Bad the service is out of order because they messed up building it. The fault does not lie with disabled people. But hey at least those moaning about the damn disabled can actually walk to the next bus stop Hmm

JustDanceAddict · 12/05/2017 08:21

I don't see an issue and I would've loved to wear trousers when I was at school. My DCs school is skirts only for girls. DD never wears skirts normally if she doesn't have to, but it's the uniform and so she accepts it. They roll up the skirt - obviously!

LadySalmakia · 12/05/2017 08:22

Ugh. This isn't gender neutral, it's limiting the girls to clothes boys will also wear.

I think uniforms are pointless anyway unless they're super smart, which they never are because super smart uniforms need to be made from excellent quality materials and so are really expensive.

Eg we had a beautiful wool blazer, cut properly for girls, but they were £80 a pop. They did wear like iron though so some were practically ancestral blazers on their 10th child.

When they're allowed to choose their own trousers or skirt rather than having a specific one imposed it stops being a uniform any way - that's a strict dress code.

Also, the awful kilt that comes down to your knees are can't be rolled up - you need to remove the waistband and shorten the skirt permanently from the top, they're designed to stop you from hemming them at the bottom like a straighter skirt. One of those seamstresses in a dry cleaners could do it. or the sewing machines in the DT room will allow you to show all your school friends at once but you have to trust them not to dob

RufusTheRenegadeReindeer · 12/05/2017 08:22

Not all girls wish to dress in a masculine way. @ 7.42

'no one is saying this @7.52

Not much of a time difference to be fair

Gutted i missed souls one Sad

BertrandRussell · 12/05/2017 08:24

"So thats 2 posters. Not exactly the no one is saying this is it hmm"

Calling 2, or even 3, posters on a long thread as "so many posters" makes you look a bit foolish too, to be honest.

Particularly when there have been careful thought out and cogent arguments from many others that you are choosing to ignore.

RufusTheRenegadeReindeer · 12/05/2017 08:28

Oh no wonder I couldn't find it ...that was souls quote

Goodness i am such a plonker today and its only half 8

FlossyMooToo · 12/05/2017 08:40

Not quite Bert you are the one pushing this not me. Odd behaviour Confused

You stated no one which just isnt true. The OP says it in her first post. I know you dont like to be wrong and will twist posts any way you can to fit. You have the time to do that then crack on. It makes little difference to me.

Lexilooo · 12/05/2017 08:46

Swapping skirts for pinafore dresses would stop the girls rolling up skirts but give them a skirt option. Very smart with a shirt and tie too

heron98 · 12/05/2017 08:50

I think it's great girls can wear trousers if they want but they should also have the choice to wear a skirt. Adult women do, don't they? I always wear a skirt for work as I find it much more comfy to sit down in. Why remove that option?

cantkeepawayforever · 12/05/2017 08:56

I find the 'choice' argument a little odd.

No child, male or female, given a choice, would choose to wear the specific clothes designated as school uniform.

So whether the 'thing you would never choose to wear' is available in 2 varieties - 1 with a divided garment on the lower half, one not - or 1 variety, the level of 'choice' is negligible....

cantkeepawayforever · 12/05/2017 08:57

The comparison with adults at work is not really valid, is it, unless you have a choice not of 'any skirt' or 'any trousers' but '1 specific skirt or 1 specific style of trousers', ie a miniscule amount of choice?

DioneTheDiabolist · 12/05/2017 08:58

Ah Flossy, pay no attention. Bert's "inability" to see things is a long standing MN joke.

ExcuseMeButImHavingACrisis · 12/05/2017 08:58

I'd be more concerned about the fact that you are projecting body shapes and sizes onto your daughter of 10 and making her aware that certain clothes- in this case just regular trousers - will not suit her body shape. You then proceed to talk about women who don't like their body shape. (???)
Your DD is 10!!!! She's not even close to a woman. Let her be a child and don't project your body criticisms onto her!