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

[bigbuttons]

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.

YANBU

If someone told me I had to wear trousers I'd be horrified. Apart from exercise and costumes I haven't worn trousers since I was 14. (I'm very uncomfortable in them because I'm very underweight and it emphasises my lack of thighs and bum. I know others who feel the same way about being too overweight for trousers too.)

It might not be a healthy attitude but many teenagers are extremely body conscious and need a choice of clothing styles so they can all be comfortable in their different choices.

My school is skirts only for girls which is just as bad as trousers only.

I think it's a great idea.

The real problem is that school uniform is standardised and so there will be things about it which some individuals find uncomfortable, unpleasant, or embarrassing. The trousers decree is hard on your daughter. Alternative uniforms are hard on other people.

This uniform sounds great. I hate blazers as they look so uncomfortable and are very expensive and hard to keep clean. I always chose to wear trousers rather than a skirt at school as it was more comfortable and I found trousers to be more flattering than a school skirt.The girls coining out of our local secondary school look so scruffy with their skirts rolled up so much that they look like they are just wearing a blazer and tights. The boys always look so much smarter.

Some boys are on the short and stocky side too, but trousers it is for them!

Personally I think that limiting freedom of choice for girls is not the way to deal with teenage girls who are grappling with new-found sexuality. I understand and agree with uniforms, but our society says that skirt or trousers is an acceptable choice for women and I think school uniforms should address that and allow the choice.

What scribble said

I think the girls should be allowed to wear skirts if they want to

My daughter would hate this - she won't wear trousers at all.

Blazers don't have to be expensive - the ones at my kids' school are machine washable, made from recycled bottles and cost the princely sum of £30. Blazer doesn't have to mean custom made and pure wool. The £30 blazers look perfectly smart.

What pisses me off is that "gender neutral" absolutely always means "what society deems suitable for boys/men" and girls/women have to conform to that.

So Womens spent years campaigning to be able to wear trousers... and now our children are not allowed to wear skirts

I'm not sure wide leg trousers suit shorter people. I think they're designed for tall slim ones.

Whatever you do, uniform will annoy someone, whether it's ties, blazers, sweatshirts, shoes, trainers, etc. As someone who spent far too much time trying to 'encourage' both boys and girls to adhere to correct uniform, something practical and comfortable would seem to be the best option and I think trousers probably fits that.

I can guarantee though, that any uniform will be 'adjusted'.

Manic - I was also very underweight at school and got teased for having legs like twigs so I wore trousers to hide them.They looked better in trousers than in a skirt. When I started work in a bank in the late 80's there was an old fashioned rule about women not being allowed to wear trousers I hated it and was over the moon when the union got the rules changed. Always wore trouser suits from that day onwards.

It sounds like a nice, simple uniform to source.

In my very limited experience its mission fucking impossible

Dd used to get her trousers from bhs, no idea where i will look this time

She is 15 so the right trousers are very important

And I agree with bertrand

Dd's blazer is a boys blazer, not the most flattering big shoulders, long sleeves, and shapeless

Why does gender neutral mean trousers? Why not let everyone have the option to wear a skirt or trousers?

YANBU. There's a problem with girls rolling their skirts up at our school and trousers were a suggested solution. However, the Head said that research has shown that girls who wear trousers at school begin to act more like the boys, so there were concerns about behaviour and discipline.

Agree with Madmags, a skirt or trousers should be optional for both boys and girls.

Why don't they just enforce a decent length of skirt. Skirt too short get sent home.

You are lucky, that's brilliant.
My dd school are abandoning school uniform for jeans, t shirts, hoodies, leggings, trainers, pumps etc.
The kids are happy but dd has already said she wants black converse which will be more than I paid for 2 pairs of school shoes this year.

I think it isn't even worth worrying about. Just send your child in trousers and move on...

I absolutely agree that boys should be able to wear skirts. I don't think this is gender neutral. What the bloody hell does that mean anyway? That we all dress like boys?
I can see hair styles/make up and the like becoming more extreme to make up for lack of clothing expression.

PossumInAPearTree Maybe you should tell the school that... If it's that simple?

bigbuttons I wonder if you're a parent at the same school as I... blue blazers and grey cardi/jumper swapping out for dark blue v-neck jumper? I think the new uniform is wonderful, especially the summer options. My daughter doesn't think she looks that great in the current uniform, but understands that it's tough luck as the uniform is the uniform - and I agree. I'm no prude, but when we're driving along the road down to the school and some girls look as though they've just got tights and blazers on I can absolutely understand why they've changed the uniform this way.

Why don't they just enforce a decent length of skirt. Skirt too short get sent home. probably because there are 2000 kids at the school, roughly half of them girls. I wouldn't want to spend my entire day telling 1000 females to roll their skirts down,, watch them do it and then have them roll them back up out of eyesight.

In theory I think this is a great idea

in practice I think boys should be allowed to wear skirts too

however I can see on balance no boys will - so perhaps if they allowed trousers or leggings with a tunic so anyone feeling the need to cover up certain areas could do so?

I must admit to being somewhat baffled by skirts and dresses generally though, for practical purposes. And I really like the idea that school uniform should just be practical and comfortable.

jenesuisplus sounds like we could be!

OP "I know many women who feel very uncomfortable wearing trousers because they don't like their legs/shape and always wear dresses and skirts"

so they are always wearing ankle length?