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.

Any Y10 knows how to fold up a waist band while keeping the logo visible.

Next will be logos on trousers, so you won't be able to say it's unfair.

The reason for the skirt is because of the issues with rolling them up and the constant battle for the teachers. Your dd has the option to wear trousers for £8 which means it’s not sexist. Get a real problem ffs!

No, because they can wear trousers. If they choose to wear a skirt (I can think of preference, but not really many actual needs to wear a skirt) then they can buy the one with the logo on so they don't roll their skirts up ridiculously high.

It’s unfair but not sexist.

Skirt shouldn’t be £20, but can be because they're popular.

Summer holidays cost more. Demand. Unfair.

But late now probably, but if you gave DD £100 and said it was hers to keep but she had to buy 5 skirts or 5 trousers, what would she want to wear then?

@Bmidreams

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.

That's their choice, it's not the only option. It's becoming more common now to have skirts with a badge on to stop staff having to police skirt length. Girls are pressured by peers into wearing their skirts short, many girls are extremely anxious about fitting in. This gives them an opt out clause.

What annoys me are people saying a school skirt is expensive at 20 quid but are probably wear named clothes and have expensive trousers

The girls can wear pants at a cheaper alternative.

My kids go to a private school and the skirt is a kilt. It’s expensive. Over the years there have been lots of arguments on the school facebook page for girls to be able to wear trousers but the most those who most vehemently oppose this are the mothers of girls because they think they look ‘nice’...

My children have left school now, but the uniform has changed from skirts to kilts for girls. Kilts are of course unisex so a sensible option, school is on South Coast of England.

@Whenwilllifebenormal why the vitriol? I have many real problems, this is just idle musings. I didnt say it was my dd either.

Just joining in with the consensus - it's the girls choice to wear a skirt, not compulsory therefore it's not sexist.

The pupils at DS's school also have a choice. Almost every girl in our school wears trousers most of the time as it's practical.

@TheBusDriver

What annoys me are people saying a school skirt is expensive at 20 quid but are probably wear named clothes and have expensive trousers

When you buy uniform you dont just buy one skirt. You buy at least two. So that’s £40. If you have multiple kids at school it can cost ££££ just on skirts alone. Then add in the rest of the uniform - blazers, shirts, PE Kits, jumpers, shoes. x how many kids you’ve got it bloody expensive.

So yeah that’s why people moan about uniform prices.

Dd's school did similar after repeated requests to parents to ensure skirts were in line with the original uniform specifications. Most girls do now wear trousers.
I don't think you'll get anywhere with sexism on this. If anyone tries to push that they'll ban skirts and say trousers only for everyone.

They have a policy to wash uniform daily?!
Unless it's on a 60' wash it's not going to make a difference except to your water bill and the environment.

Are you aware that there are sexual predators in the world? And that young girls can be followed and snatched?

how does the wearing of short skirts turn people into child snatchers?

Of course it's sexist. Girls in short skirts shock horror making all those poor little boys and male teachers unable to concentrate.

Whilst I wholeheartedly believe girls should be able to dress how they want outside of school without fear of predators or giving off the wrong impression....I, as a female teacher, find school children in short and revealing clothes to be inappropriate for the classroom.

Often the clothes restrict how they move around, stops them running and interacting freely; as someone already commented, many younger girls are often unaware of how to sit without exposing themselves; they also spend lots of time pulling at their short clothes, being distracted by the uncomfortable fit and self conscious about their appearance.

It really would be better if they could do all of that experimenting with clothing in their own time and just wear something practical and comfortable to school.

When you buy uniform you dont just buy one skirt.

Well my daughter is apparently that rare breed of a "trouser wearing secondary school girl" but we've never bought more than one pair of trousers. They get washed on a Friday. Granted this might have to change if we're all told to wash school uniform every day.
Unless your secondary school child is particularly messy, one skirt/trousers should suffice.

My dd's school dealt with the problem of constantly having to police the length of girls' skirts by introducing a trousers only rule.

So now they are policing the tightness and length of the girls' trousers.

No one ever checks the tightness and length of the boys' trousers even though they are technically subject to the same uniform rules. So a boy whose trousers are too short by the end of term won't be sanctioned but a girl will and will be asked to buy a new pair because her ankles are showing.

It's a nightmare for me to find trousers that fit my very very skinny but long legged 11 year old dd . I have to buy super skinny fit ( which are technically banned at school ) and even they are baggy and hanging off of her. She gets teased for having baggy trousers but also worries about sanctions because she has to wear them a little bit short because the next size up would look ridiculously baggy.

This week she asked me if she could try to make her legs fatter by eating more food.

I think it's the attitude towards policing girls' uniform that is the problem.

I know the skirts are short, and its more shocking in the warmer months when the tights come off. Ive seen the whole of a girl's arse before thanks to short skirt and thong, and I did think, thank god it's just me that's seen this, a middle aged woman and mum with no interest.

I was just coming from the perspective that the preferred uniform of girls is now more than double the price than the preferred uniform of boys.

No I don't think it's sexist. School is probably fed up of people breaking uniform rules.

If there wasn't a trouser option then yes, but trousers are fine and more comfy anyway.

The point about peer pressure is a good one. I always rolled my skirt up at school, not because of boys as most people assume, but because other girls were bloody nasty if you didn't fit in and I didn't have the courage or the confidence then to say no. I always felt uncomfortable, and having an opt out would have been great. We weren't allowed to wear trousers until a year after I started, there was some ribbing still if you didn't get the 'right' fit, but way less than with skirts.

How is wearing a skirt dangerous

Are you aware that there are sexual predators in the world? And that young girls can be followed and snatched?

That's ridiculous - I was attacked on my way to school by a sexual predator when I was 14 and guess what? I was wearing trousers. If someone's going to attack or abduct a child they aren't sitting their waiting for the one in the shortest skirt to come along before they pounce!

My dds both go to an academy secondary in a poor area and not a single girl wears the trousers. The skirt is a kilt and they wear knee socks and they still wear it. My 13 year old would never wear a skirt out of school.

So to follow the norm for girls will cost double what it would cost for boys to follow the norm.

So a girl who's parents can only afford the cost of trousers gets to be labelled both weird and poor!

School uniform rules annoy the hell out of me. Any student should be permitted to wear the approved garments, regardless of sex.
Whilst a number of professions require a smart appearance (suits), not all do. Perhaps it is about time educational institutions realised this.

Dcs school skirts are compulsory for girls and are supposed to be a specific brand but are plain and in reality lots of people buy cheaper versions.
I do think it’s sexist as it costs more to kit out your dd than your ds but having had both boys and girls at the school I’ve definitely spent more in trousers overall as I replace them if they get too short or get holes. Dds skirts just get shorter as they get taller without looking ridiculous and there are no knees in skirts to wear out.