To think this isn't appropriate or very professional from school?

[Peppapigshouse]

My child's church primary school has a special mass on an evening after school and they've asked children and parents to attend.

The school has now sent a text saying that children can wear their own clothes, but ha e stated "No tracksuits, short skirts or strappy tops".

It's not the tracksuits bit that bothers me, it's the bit about no short skirts or strappy tops.

Why not just ask for appropriate clothing for winter church? Why the need to specify about short skirts and strappy tops. These are primary school children and it just sounds like they are implying something.

I think it's really inappropriate and unprofessional coming from a school.

Clearly they have had a previous incident of inappropriately dressed attendees. Two trains of thought 1) Jesus would open his doors to anyone, scrappy top or not 2) As a recent trip,to a big supermarket revealed - many people in Britain of 2017 have no idea how to dress appropriately.

It could very well be the priest who has commented and asked for effectively “modesty” in terms of dressing. If you go to the Vatican you’d be modest and cover your shoulder. It’s simply respectful?

TBH with you - 'strappy tops' or strapless - sounds like most of the god awful wedding dresses that gallop up the aisle with oozing back flesh spilling over.

Might as well nip it in the bud now.

Judgemental ? You bet

”No tracksuits, short skirts or strappy tops".

No mention of girls or boys. So I’m now MASSIVELY offended that you would ASSUME that girls would wear any of those items more frequently than boys. How very very stereotypical of you.

🙄

No I don't think that they should have named equal numbers of gender specific clothing.

I have volunteered in the school for a number of years, I've helped with several events where children have worn their own clothes. I haven't noticed the girls specifically dressing the way people are saying.

It's strange that they've stated no short skirts or strappy tops, they haven't specified no shorts or tshirts for boys

I think there's a difference between a t-shirt and a strappy top. But I am a bit surprised that they didn't mention shorts if they mentioned short skirts, though you can wear opaque tights with a short skirt.

For what it's worth, when I've worked in offices with a casual dress code, the men tend to wear top and trousers with shoes, it's the women who seem to think strappy tops and flipflops are appropriate, so maybe they do need to be a bit sexist about their instructions.

What chickenowner said. You are looking for something to be offended. Who'd work in a school nowadays when you have to put up with this sort of nonissue

I haven't noticed the girls specifically dressing the way people are saying.

OK. Let's say your observations are correct - there is absolutely no possibility that girls will attend in appropriate clothes. Why do you then think the school has done this?

I meant *inappropriate clothes.

I haven't noticed the girls specifically dressing the way people are saying. Have they always had a similar comment on the texts though?

Why do I think the school have done this?

I think the school have done this because the headteacher is a sexist old dinosaur.

Which is probably the same reason that the headteacher doesn't want girls to wear trousers, or allow girls to play football.

Why choose to volunteer in a school whose Headteacher you have so little respect for?

They wonder why teachers are leaving the profession....

Peppapigshouse
Why do I think the school have done this?
I think the school have done this because the headteacher is a sexist old dinosaur.

There we have it. This isn't really about some easy to understand, helpful instructions. You can't believe that the headteacher has randomly picked out some clothing and said not to wear it as an act against girls, because as you say, none of the girls would dress inappropriately anyway, so the headteacher's advice would be totally irrelevant and nobody would be corrected.

No, you think the headteacher is a sexist old dinosaur and quite frankly, anything they said, you'd argue against.

Please, remove your child from the school. Let that school get on with the way it chooses, and which other parents would appear to find desirable, and find somewhere else that has your values.

Clearly the OP has not been to a Christening or Funeral in the Church here.

Erm, because I care about the school and the children, because I have the time because I work part time, because I like children and I enjoy it, because I'm good at it, because I have a specific skill to offer.

Just because I don't particularly like a lot of the headteachers ideas doesn't mean I should give up on doing something worthwhile.

Do you always like everyone you work with?

Iprefer, I’m surprised they didn’t mention short shorts but did mention tracksuits. It makes me wonder whether they have mentioned 3 specific items of clothing they have previously had an issue with.

Because I can’t really see why tracksuits would be included unless there has been some issue with kids using them as some sort of fashion one upmanship.

I'm a Catholic and couldn't care less what people wear to church.

However, there is a difference between a strappy top and a T-shirt. One covers the shoulders and one doesnt. Traditionally shoulders are covered in church.
Maybe the school should have mentioned vests, as that is what a strappy top is usually called when worn by a male.

(Last Sunday in church my DS was wearing shorts as he always chooses too, and DD was wearing a 'pretty' party dress with straps not covered shoulders. Both highly inappropriate for the weather. Personally I had smart jeans and two fleece jumpers)

Either you kids are hard as nails, or your Church is much warmer than ours, isit

Right, so who decides what's appropriate?
the school or the church

So the school have specified no short skirts and strappy tops, is it then ok for the boys to turn up in short and tshirts?
I think you meant to say I'd it ok for the CHILDREN to wear shorts and t-shirts?

The school could have phrased it better by saying shoulders and upper arms must be covered, and skirts/dresses/shorts go to knee level.

The school are not bu and you are. As others said, experience. Probably the inappropriate items they've had a lot of in the past. We had to specify it with crop tops at ours!

I've already said it's nothing to do with what my kids would wear.

Personally my children will be warm and covered up for church. I don't like the sexist undertones in the message.

With regards to the head, well they won't be there for much longer anyway. The school has had huge problem since they've been in post.

I'm not going to remove my children from a school because I don't like a text. I'm not going to remove my children from a school because I don't like some of the headteachers (and I'm certainly not the only one) ideas.

I'm not sure how it went from me not liking this text to me removing my children from the school.

It does seem strange! I know I wouldn't be happy if that was my child's school, maybe speak to a few other parents and see what they say? If you're taking it the wrong way someone is bound it tell you. I understand tracksuits like you said but don't understand the rest! x

YABU. Totally. Can people please stop finding problems with sexism when there aren't any?!! I bet they had problems in the past.

Yes boys might have worn short skirts and strappy tops, but I think it's pretty obvious what the text meant.

I can only say in all of the years of me being in the school I haven't noticed any short skirts and strappy tops.