Teacher telling girls to wear shorts over pants if their dress/skirt is too short

[Justcheckingimnotmad]

Hi,

My daughter's last day of school yesterday (she's 8) and as she was getting dressed in the morning she said her teacher had told her that she had to wear shorts if she was wearing a dress.

I discussed this with my daughter, i.e. would it be ok if she wore swimsuit or tankini bottoms instead? Her pants are covering her private area so why cover up what's already covered up? Did she know why she'd been told this? (She didn't).

Anyway, I gave the teacher the benefit of the doubt as I know innocent comments can be misinterpreted by kids.

After school I talked to the teacher and she said that she had told her class that if, on the last day, they were wearing dresses too short then they should wear shorts so they don't show their pants on the climbing frames. She laughed and said it wasn't school policy.

AIBU to be fuming?

[OneStepSideways]

Can I please ask a question of those who agree that pants should be covered by shorts. Would it be ok if instead of pants the child was wearing tankini bottoms or a leotard

I think the point of shorts is they have legs, so they are more secure than knickers when a child is climbing. A leotard with legs would work or tanktini shorts (though wouldn't be as comfortable as cotton).

[lapenguin]

I think it's a sensible idea... Kids need to learn what is and isn't appropriate to show off and in what settings. Underwear is to cover their private parts and has a hygiene element too, but that doesn't mean they should be shown off while doing handstands
If your dd was 16 and doing handstands in a short skirt would you still think its okay that she flashes her underwear while doing so?
And no i don't think a tankini or a leotard would be appropriate either as it is at school. If it were a dance or gymnastic lesson then that's fine for that situation, or if they were at the beach or at a holiday resort then fine, but you can't tell the difference between them and underwear without closer inspection so a no go for school.

[MissLingoss]

How would a little girl manage the toilet if she was wearing a leotard under her uniform? She'd have to take everything off!

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

As a teacher can I add that not all underwear covers what it should. I once taught a girl who wore a very short sundress and her big sisters knickers and yes I could see everything. Luckily I keep spare clothes in my cupboard including cycling shorts which I gave her to put on. I would never intend to upset a child and I am not obsessed with modesty, the number of children who come commando on PE day is always surprising. It could be something like that and the teacher spoke to the whole class.

[Amazing12]

Birdsgottafly I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s the job of the adult caring for your child to do exactly that regardless of school policy. The school environment is designed to prepare children for the work place hence mirror the same norms. I personally don’t see anything wrong if she is fondling out about modesty now as she will in time anyway and it just might be the right time now I guess.

[LakieLady]

If they need extra clothing in order to behave as normal children do then the uniform isnt fit for purpose. Making a big deal of being able to see girls' knickers is the thin edge of a patriarchal wedge. Its the first stage in holding girls responsible for the behaviour of others.

Totally agree. It also makes girls feel self-conscious about their bodies far earlier than they need to be.

In this weather, shorts, over knickers and under a dress, is one layer too many. It's as much as I can bear to put on a loose pair of pants under my baggy linen dress, and I only do that in case I fall over and embarrass myself.

[LakieLady]

even if the girls were in an all female environment showing your underwear isn't appropriate surely

At my single-sex secondary school, not only was there no issue about showing your underwear, but we had communal showers and stripped naked before and after in the communal changing room.

Maybe things really were more liberated in the 60s.

[WiddlinDiddlin]

Surely the answer is.. the return of the 'school knickers'...

Thicker material, that covers more skin like shorts - that do not require knickers underneath.

In dark colours as well! So no possible chance of them being see through.

[TillllllThen]

Its school, not a disco or the beach, OP. Why girls go to school in dresses and skirts so short is beyond me. Its just a sign of respect.

[TillllllThen]

p.s. re. teacher's comment: if you can see your daughters pants at any particular moment in the day, her dress is too bloody short in the first place!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jeez. Has no-one any common sense any more? It all seems to be "entitled me" to do what I want, dress how I want, yada yada.

[TillllllThen]

And then "fuming" when a teacher points out the school rules on dress are being ignored.

Give me strength.