To think we should do away with girls/ boys uniforms?

[MerryMarigold]

Can't we just have a gender neutral uniform? Trousers, jumper, shirt, maybe tie
My daughter literally NEVER wears skirts outside of school but obviously ALL the girls wear skirts to school even though trousers are permitted.

A. It would help those struggling with what they identify as wouldn't need to make any massive statements via uniform.

B. The cost of girls uniform (usually) is ridiculous and much higher than boys. My daughter's school has a specific skirt and specific blouse (skirt is 30.00 alone!) where whereas boys have generic grey trousers and generic white shirts.

It seems schools have bought into/ contribute to/ emphasise this very distinct boys/ girls gendered clothing. I hate it!

I think school uniform should be the same for everyone, and probably some type of tracksuit - practical and hard-wearing and unisex

..like an orange jumpsuit?

Why is the gender neutral option ALWAYS the 'male' option? If we were going to do away with gendered uniform, why not make dresses the default for all schools?

Personally I quite like the Spanish system where they all wear shorts and knee socks, because it looks cute. But if you're really asking, yes it would be very unreasonable to remove the option for children to wear skirts and pinafores.

Also if we're being really honest, I hate the way school uniform trousers look!

like an orange jumpsuit?

That’s not a bad shout! We could chain them together so they actually walk straight in the corridors, then could ‘break’ could literally be rock breaking, mobile phones wouldn’t be seen in class, they’d be behind a wall somewhere, the benefits would be endless

But there is the option of a trouser for your daughter- you are saying she wont wear it cos all the other girls want to wear skirts.

So you want to stop everyone else from wearing a skirt so your daughter doesn't feel uncomfortable wearing trousers.

Anyway mine wears trousers- but has the option of skirt/ pinafore.

Maybe get your daughter to wear trousers and if she starts more of the girls will start wearing trousers?

Joggers would be a nightmare with reception kids - you need a tie waist option for varying body shapes but there's no way reception kids can tie the tie effectively - I mean I struggle with not getting a knot at crucial moments with tied things - so it's a potential recipe for many changes.

Shorts are more practical as you can at least buy for waist size within reason but many parents would object to shorts in winter.

I'm rather unconvinced by leggings for school because they're not very hard wearing, DC has averaged destroying a pair a week between trashed knees (although tights also suffer) and mystery mini holes on the seat (how??? although I suspect wriggling or play equipment...)

@StopGo

YABU because gender neutral/uni sex clothing automatically defaults into everyone to wear male clothing. The police are currently looking in to gender neutral clothing but the reality is women will be required to wear male trousers, jackets etc.

This!!

If boys want to wear frocks and skirts then let them.

If girls want to wear trousers let them.

Course it would be skirts they would do away with, it would never be trusted would it……

trousers

What have you chosen the "boys" uniform to become the gender neutral norm? Why not choose the skirt as the gender neutral uniform?

SleepingStandingUp
I find the most practical day for my primary children is PE days when they go in joggers/shorts t- shirt and a zip up hoody.

Normal uniform has too many layers, I rarely see children in polo shirts and jumpers any other time,
jumpers off because they're too hot means they get lost more easily or they pick up the wrong one because they're all the same,
often it's hard to get the trousers and skirts to fit correctly so you have those horrible bunched up waists and those stupid fiddly clips to fasten them,
Skirts and dresses aren't always good for climbing around in,
the trousers are thin and not very warm in winter they go through at the knees easily,
School shoes get wrecked playing in the playground.
Then there's the other things some primary and many secondary schools have like blazers, ties, shirts, blouses etc that are completely impractical.

Err no
Skirts and trousers and perhaps shorts should be available to all.
Remember those brilliant young men the other year turned up to school in their sisters’ skirts as a protest for only being allowed to wear trousers. Ridiculous.

There should be a list of options and children choose regardless or gender.

To those of you saying you'd rather get rid of uniforms, I'm not sure you know what you would be faced with instead! I grew up in a country with no school uniforms and I still have loads of friends there with school aged children.

• it takes a lot of time to get them dressed in the morning, endless debates etc etc
• they want to fit in with their chosen crowd so you end up having to debate their sartorial choices also.
• you would end up spending significantly more money compared to the cost of most uniforms. They want brand name things and also request a variety of choice etc etc
• another thing to get bullied for
• more valuable items get stolen

Plus uniforms - also in professional settings - are great as it's a clear signal to get into work or school mode, and it helps you to feel a part of a cohort. Equally you feel a clear line between your personal free time after school or on weekends and holidays. They save time! You can easily buy second hand which is great for your budget and the environment!

It's good sometimes to not have that massive emphasis on your personal tastes and choices, but instead to just conform for just this part of your life

I have mused that they should make kilts part of the school uniform. Yes I’m Scottish before anyone asks.... but I think they’re so smart looking. And if everyone wore them, then everyone looks the same. I don’t know if many pupils would ever agree or like this idea, but it’s just my musings. And they can wear long johns in the winter!!

My children's school uniform policy doesn't mention boys or girls (never has done since my eldest started) so feel they already do this. My eldest normally wears trousers or culottes and my youngest, dresses and skirts. They both have a mixture in their wardrobes and I wouldn't want to see uniform or skirts and dresses option gone. Theirs is practical, cheap, smart and no hassle deciding what to wear each day.

Boys can wear skirts too so I'd keep skirts on as an option but not specify that they are for girls only.

Jackets, trousers, shirts are gender-neutral in modern society. Skirts are not really currently but that may be as much to do with practicality in some situations. Nurses uniforms are not dresses any more as they were harder to work in, not because they were forced into 'men's clothes'.

My daughter’s secondary school has just turned its uniform gender neutral. For the first time the girls can wear trousers, but now boys can choose to wear the kilt.

Most options have been relabelled “fitted” (I.e. the girls uniform) or standard (previous boys uniform)

They proposed to do away with the skirt, for PE, I raised an objection (I assume others did too) and a new, longer skirt is now available instead.

I’m very proud of my daughter who campaigned for this change, the head sent her emailed argument for the change out to the governors.

My dd's work has a unisex uniform. Everyone is issued the same.

By gum, they are not designed around the female form, I can tell you.

Why is the gender neutral option ALWAYS the 'male' option?

Trousers aren't the male option though. They are the gender neutral option. If trousers are 'male', how come most girls and women wear them at least some of the time (and many of them pretty much all the time)?

Personally I'd get rid of uniform altogether. Trousers are less of a pain than skirts from a 'staying within the uniform rules' pov, because of the lack of issue with length. As for the inequality/identifying thing, yes - it's easy enough just to have one collective list of accepted uniform garments. That's what my dc's school does.

Why shouldnt girls who want to wear skirts be allowed?

Hmm my daughter likes wearing dresses and skirts and never wears trousers to school so why should that change just because your daughter likes trousers?

Either do away with all uniform or give the choice.

What’s wrong with giving girls a choice between skirt or trousers? DD likes both depending on weather.

I hate trousers. Dd is tall and slim so they never fit waist and length. As most schools allow dds to wear trousers or skirts and in my experience most choose a skirt, maybe ask the pupils what they want rather than dictating.

YABU. I don't see the harm in allowing girls to wear skirts in school provided they have the option of trousers in winter. The OP's idea that uniforms should be "gender neutral" wouldn't help girls, it would just take a little bit of choice away from them.

A few years ago a school in NZ introduced a gender neutral uniform with options of trousers, shorts or kilt. They then added longer shorts and culottes.

www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/21/new-zealand-school-abolishes-gendered-uniforms-offering-same-clothes-to-all

Option 1: get rid of all uniform. I haven't heard a single argument that is makes me even waver my opinion

Option 2: no logos, just plain clothes that could be cheaply purchased from supermarket. Let it be trousers, skirts, tshirts, jumpers. Maybe pick a colour scheme and let parents/kids choose (for example: grey bottoms red/white tops)

Why not just do away with uniforms. It's not the army.