Short Skirts

[malibuloving]

So DCs school has a new headteacher coming in in September. The uniform has stayed the same apart from the blazer getting a makeover and becoming a bit posher

However, the uniform used to be fairly optional as long as a blouse/shirt, school jumper and black shoes/trainers were worn you didn’t have to wear the blazer. Now the new head has sent booklets home to all families with information.

He’s changed the skirt rule. The former head was a proud feminist and said girls and boys can wear skirts or trousers, it was totally up to them and the skirt used to be fine as long as you couldn’t see their underwear! I would say 99% of the students really did respect this rule end wore suitable length (for school) skirts.

Now the new head has abolished trousers for girls and skirts for boys. Girls skirts must come below the knee and if seen higher, an hour detention is the immediate punishment. His reasoning? ‘X is a professional site in which all students must aspire to learn and we must all endure we don’t distract other students by our attire’ He’s evidently stating that shorter skirts distract boys and that girls must be responsible for boys behaviour.

I also have a DS at the school and it says on his booklet it states that if boys are seen with their trousers hanging down so underwear can be seen, they are put in for a 45 minute detention?

Aibu to think this is blatantly sexism and to think about complaining? I’m not usually one to get on the schools’ back as I know they’re underfunded etc but this is ridiculous in my eyes and the eyes of DDs and peers.

YouOkHunz, you really need to calm down. And maybe try thinking about what you've written.

I agree with him about skirt lengths, but don't stress about the ban on trousers for girls.
He may THINK he's above the law, but he's not.
I'd sent him a polite email congratulating him on his new role, & reminding him that in UK law it is illegal to forbid females from wearing trousers.

I'd would be straight to the governors now.

That is indeed absolutely 100% sexist and the head should be hauled over the coals for this. Because what he's saying is "she wore a short skirt? She asked for it".

If no luck with governors then local press.

messolini9 you agree with the sentiment that girls distract boys by wearing shorter skirts and so the onus is on girls to alter their clothing? What a rampant hateful misogynist you are.

malibuloving

As I see it you have two points that you can make

Girls not being allowed to wear trousers (although this will bring in rules about allowed styles)
and
The difference in length of the detentions.

Your point about distracting the boys is null as its not what the extract that you have posted says, sophistry, possibly, but it would undermine your argument to use it.

@CassianAndor

I agree it’s a dangerous attitude to have with the global climate like this, rife with sexual assault cases.

CassianAndor
I'd would be straight to the governors now.

The governors would kick it back down to the Head as the OP would have to follow the rules with regard to complaints.

Alright thanks all, DH is working from his home office today do will get him to write an email to the head questioning him when he gets a spare minute.

If that doesn’t work I’ll go to the governors

Boney and the Head is obliged to not discriminate on the basis of sex. That is against the law and something the governors need to know about.

Will the head also insist on female staff wearing skirts too ? That would be an interesting convo in the staff room ..

CassianAndor

I'm not saying that the head isn't wrong, I am saying that there is a complaints procedure that the OP needs to follow to get the best results.

messolini9 you agree with the sentiment that girls distract boys by wearing shorter skirts and so the onus is on girls to alter their clothing? What a rampant hateful misogynist you are.

& you are hilarious, @CassianAndor!
Also wrong, but you keep pushing your Straw Man Argument - it's not making you look like you have comprehension difficulties AT ALL.

I'd make as much noise as I can about girls being forced to wear skirts. Absolutely no reason why girls shouldn't be allowed to wear smart trousers, and sending ridiculous and harmful gender stereotype messages.

Skirts also encourage you to embody in a less assertive, less powerful way. Pencil type skirts force feet and knees together, make you take shorter strides and take up less space. They're colder and more uncomfortable in winter even with tights... tights which ladder frequently, and add extra cost to girls/parents of girls. The I'd always the risk thay girls soon learn to kep a constant look out for, of boys pulling up their skirts.

As a feminist I think girls and women should be allowed the option of wearing skirts, but as guardian of children's learning and growth the headteacher shouldn't be enforcing an item of clothing that is loaded and disempowers.

In fact I feel strongly enough about it that if I couldn't get them to change the policy i would strongly consider moving schools.

messolini9

you said: I agree with him about skirt lengths

He said: X is a professional site in which all students must aspire to learn and we must all endure we don’t distract other students by our attire

I'm understanding both him and you perfectly.

At my oldest dd's school we recently got a letter stating the girls are not allowed their ankles on display as this can be distracting they dont seem to mind how short the skirts are as long as your ankles are covered

Adolescence is a difficult time. Boys DO get distracted by girls but it's NOT the girls fault. It's a time for boys to learn personal responsibility. This doesn't mean it's ok for girls to wear skirts hardly covering their bum for school though. I've seen some girls whose blazer is longer than their skirt.
It's school and a uniform is to set a standard and look smart.
Girls should absolutely be allowed trousers.

I'm understanding both him and you perfectly.

Sadly you're not, @CassianAndor, & your interpretation of the Head's selected sentence is deeply sexist:
"X is a professional site in which all students must aspire to learn and we must all endure [sic] we don’t distract other students by our attire."

Any sensible, non-bigoted reading of that sentence would pick up on the telling 2 words "all students". And thus deduce that he is talking about boys AND girls. Meaning that both sexes must ensure their uniform is standard enough not excite comment or attract attention.

The fact that the Head's a misogynistic twat who believes he's above the law is certainly not evident from that specific sentence.

If you had understood my post "perfectly", you might also have noticed that I took absolute exception to the trouser-ban for girls.

Disliking very short skirts in a professional context doesn't make a person sexist. Dictionaries are available online if you're still having trouble with the definition.

girls are not allowed their ankles on display as this can be distracting

So perfect for today's 1890's schoolgirl, @chickychoccyegg!

I would definitely complain. No problem with the skirt lengths (although a bit of leeway would be nice for those that hit a sudden growth spurt, to give parents adequate time to replace, especially if you aren’t allowed to use cheap supermarket items) but otherwise fine.

Banning girls from trousers/no tights is much more problematic though - most of our local secondaries allow Muslim girls to wear skirts and trousers together, for starters - I don’t support any uniform rule that might prevent a child of any background (limited finances/religious restrictions/sensory processing issues et al) accessing an education.

(All-trouser rules can be distressing for ASD girls with sensory issues, btw)

Ideally, all schools will list a variety of uniform options without making enforced differences between sexes - the number of male children choosing to wear skirts will likely be tiny anyway.

messolini9 Please explain how the sight of a girl's knees is distracting to another student?

I would argue this. Excluding trousers for girls effectively excludes a number of ethnic minority girls - who either don’t want to expose their legs (much hairier legs than white girls for example) or can’t for cultural / religious reasons.

@CassianAndor - I am Indian and as a schoolgirl was forced to wear knee length skirts (no tights in summer per the rule). My legs were as furry as a gorilla’s. It ‘distracted’ me and other students though the latter probably because they wanted to bully me.

He’s evidently stating that shorter skirts distract boys and that girls must be responsible for boys behaviour.

Did he actually say this? Do you have proof?

And why 1hr detention for girls and only 45 mins for boys?

And yes, of course girls should be able to wear trousers or skirts.

exactly @messolini9 cant say whats so distracting about ankles anyway but there you go 😂