Sexist school uniform policy?

[Bmidreams]

I was just wondering what other's thoughts were on this new uniform policy at a secondary school?

All students can wear trousers but it is fashionable for girls to wear skirts there, and most girls choose to do so.

New policy says that students can now only wear a new type of school skirt that has the school badge on. One skirt costs approximately £20.

Trousers can continue to be any type from any supermarket at approximately £8 each.

Would you consider this policy sexist? AIBU that I think it is?

I'll leave aside the covid 19 issues of not introducing expensive uniform at this time, more uniform probably needed as it will need washing every night etc.

In my kids school, girls can wear any white top, boys have to wear a more expensive school logoed top. Sucks doesnt it

No, I don't think so. Girls don't have to wear skirts so if they can't afford it, wear trousers.

More likely they've had ongoing issues with inappropriate skirts and this is a response to that.

The skirts with badges is probably to stop them being turned over at the waist multiple times, so there’s a standard length and the uniform looks uniform. Trousers can’t be altered in the way. Girls have a choice to wear both, I assume boys if wanted to could wear skirts.

Nope. It would only be sexist if skirts were compulsory for the girls. But they can wear £8 just like the boys so they aren't being financially discriminated against in any way. They still have skirts as an option but it's clearly a choice.

Don’t be daft

My gut feeling is no, not sexist because

• girls can wear trousers
• this has probably only been introduced because the girls / parents of girls have not been following uniform policy on the type of skirt their girls wear.

Plus, why would it need washing every night?

It would only be sexist if the girls were required to wear skirts. Since they can choose to wear trousers....

Our school has the same policy, it's basically so girls don't wear super short pencil skirts etc of course they still roll over the waistband to make it shorter anyway. I think it would only count as sexist if the girls had to wear the expensive skirt whilst the boys got to wear the cheaper trousers.

No, obviously.

Plus, why would it need washing every night

Covid. All clothing should only be worn for one day then washed at the moment.

I don't think it is obvious. Hardly any girls wear trousers. Now girls are having to pay more than double for what they normally wear.

It is advised to launder clothes every night due to covid.

Our secondary has the same policy, ludicrously expensive and hideous skirt introduced last year (by new head, typical!) We don't see a lot of girls wearing skirts any more.

She's talking about secondary and they aren't back in so covid is irrelevant here.

Do the boys roll up their trousers against the uniform policy?

pointy that was probably partly the aim. Skirts are a pain in the arse to police.. Male staff feel like they can't say anything if a skirt is too tight or short and as is ever the way, teenage girls try and get away with what they can. Trousers are much easier

Girls can wear cheaper trousers if they wish so no, not sexist.

so why not go back to the school with a proposal that the girls can wear any skirt and that you can sew/apply a school badge at x inches above the knee?

@pointythings yes it is hideous! It's intake is from such a low socio-economic area too.

I can't see how this is sexist. If they said girls cannot wear trousers at all then that's another thing.

This is the case in a lot of schools. It's to stop them A) rolling them up too short and B) wearing skin tight bodycon skirts. I've seen so many girls walking around in mini skirts that look fit for a night club. It's dangerous, they're still young even if they feel grown up.

Sorry but where do you live that hardly any girls wear trousers?

Can the boys wear the skirt?

If not, then yes, it's sexist.

I’m not really a fan of any uniform to be honest. But uniform should be ‘uniform’ I suppose, so it makes sense that they control what can be worn. I would guess that currently there is not much variation in what type of trousers that are worn so no need to implement a more restrictive rule there. But I would imagine that if the girls start wearing
skinny school trousers rather than the £8 supermarket ones, they will tighten up the rules there too. So yes, I guess I actually agree that at the route of it there is an element of sexism in controlling what the girls wear and the idea that some skirts and trousers are ‘inappropriate’. The question is always why are they inappropriate, and the answer is usually something like ‘it distracts the boys/makes the male teachers uncomfortable’.

Our school doesn't allow skirts until year 11.

I've worked in 2 schools where girls choose not to wear trousers. I don't get it.