School uniform

[Charlescav]

I find that skirt as an option for a school uniform is both discriminatory and also inappropriate for winter.

I appreciate that teenagers (girls) want to show off and wear very short skirts but if trousers was the only option then firstly they would be warmer and secondly girls wont be discriminated/different to boys.

AIBR or AINBR ?

What the fuck are you on?

Do you think that it’s appropriate for him to wear shorts during winter in Scotland?

Surely the discrimination is that there is an item of clothing that is restricted to one sex. Every piece of uniform should be available to all students. There is no need to limit options.

The fact that your son could wear skinny and your daughter couldn’t, isn’t discriminatory?

That’s my whole point of this thread…

It was his choice. If he was cold he could change his choice to trousers. He never did

Both genders have access to all clothing - how often do you see the news reports in summer about boys wearing skirts to school because shorts aren’t allowed but skirts are? It happens every year.

Why do you care so much what other people’s kids wear? Make your own kid wear trousers if you like.

I don’t “make” my kid wear anything. She can wear what she wants, if she’s cold then maybe next time she’ll dress more appropriately.

Of course it’s your son and your choice but I don’t think that a primary school kid is able to understand what it right and what not.

My kids may want to eat ice cream and run barefoot in the garden when they have tonsillitis and it’s freezing cold outside.

The fact that this is what they want, doesn’t mean that I will let them do it.

That’s a bit irrelevant to the thread, it’s a parenting style matter but it shows how differently people think.

Surely its discriminatory towards boys because they have less options (at secondary school at least)
Both my DSs hated that they had to wear trousers all year round no matter how hot, but girls could wear skirts.

And I agree with PP that skirt/dress and tights can be just as warm as trousers.

Well he survived wearing shorts and still wears them now. Why would I fight with him when he can learn the natural consequences of his choices?

@Charlescav you are right, the options should be available to all children. They are at my kids' schools. I assumed that was the case here.

They are in the school I teach in too, the options are trousers or skirts and these are available to both boys and girls.

Can you explain how skirts are easier to manage periods than trousers? I'm trying to figure it out. Unless wearing tights I'd prefer to wear trousers than a skirt when on my period.

A lot of people make a massive fuss about the cold. Not everyone is the same though. My son always wore shorts to school every day of the year and didn’t own a pair of school trousers until he moved school and shorts weren’t an option. I wear a T-shirt most of the time and don’t even own a proper coat.

People are different. Not wanting to wrap up in a massive load of coats and scarves, turtleneck jumpers and duvet coats isn’t a character flaw.

I sense from the way you write that maybe English isn’t your first language - are you used to living somewhere hotter so it seems colder here?

Wearing skirts for school is totally normal for girls and it is not about wanting to show off their legs. That’s a really sexist attitude and not a nice thing to say, even if, as it seems, you are a woman yourself.

I can assure you, primary school kids understand that wearing less clothes mean they are more likely to be too cold in winter, and wearing too many clothes means they are more likely to be too hot in summer.

There is no real consequence of wearing shorts in winter, aside they might feel a bit cold until they go inside.

The choice should be skirt or trousers. It would be discriminatory to not allow skirts as well.

I'm 6ft tall and have been since the age of 12. Back then it was really hard, nearly impossible to find long length black trousers that didn't cost the earth. Skirts were a god send for me as they actually fitted. Thick tights I could get (though had to size up so they fell down a lot)

For some religious women trousers are a no go entirely and therefore they'd be unable to attend any school that didn't have a skirt option in their uniform.

Equality would be better promoted if both genders had access to the same clothing.

You yourself said that they do. There is nothing discriminatory about having the choice of skirt or trousers.

if you're concerned about how warm your daughter is, make her wear trousers. Your job is then done.

Everyone should be able to choose between trousers, shorts or a skirt.

Although my preference is for no uniform at all, I hate them. I see the far right are trying to introduce them in France - that is the pro-uniform mindset IMO.

Similarly I’m 5ft2 and my trousers often dragged on the floor and soaked up pavement water to my knees, which was far colder than wearing tights, boots and a skirt.

My daughter can wear either a skirt or trousers to school.

She chooses to wear a skirt and to be honest it suits her much better. It's about half an inch above the knee, box pleated. In this cold weather she will wear opaque tights, 100% denier. Looks really smart.

Not much difference to trousers when she's got those thick tights on.

Imagine trying to tell girls they can only wear trousers 😂😂😂

My DC's school doesn't have the option. The girls have to wear skirts. My DD hated it and would have much preferred trousers. I think that really is discriminatory.

That will be their school blazer (the suit jacket).

At my daughter's school, there are no lockers, so if you wear a coat aswell as your blazer, there is nowhere to put the coat and you have to just carry it around all day. If it's wet from the rain this is pretty annoying.

Once in the school building you aren't allowed to have the outdoor coat on, just the blazer.

Apologies if you got it wrong but English is my first language and I am a woman, mum of two to be exact, one DD and one DS.

Sorry if I came across as sexist, that surely was not my intention. Temperature is my main concern.

Absolutely the pain and sometimes the skirt is rolled up too high and not even wearing tights but ankle socks in this cold. My girls are in the catholic school and her allowed to wear skirts or trousers with the appropriate length

My children's school is either skirt or trousers, the vast majority of girl's wear trousers. If they wear skirts then they have to wear tights. The uniform is a single list of items, the only things that are sex-specific are religious items.

My eldest (left last summer) wore trousers, I often wished she would have worn a skirt as it was so difficult to find trousers that were long enough,