AMIB to ask high school to rethink banning skirts for year 7?

[MaggyMays]

AIBU… My daughters about to start high school and they have decided to introduce a new uniform policy with no skirts allowed for just the year 7’s. The years above them can have the choice! This seems grossly unfair. I'm sure its not following the guidelines correctly. Has anyone else come across this?

yeah - our place allows for school tailored shorts
Not hot pants

@elvive the OP said it's being phased in. Girls in Year 8 upwards will still be able to wear skirts.
I think any uniform or significant changes to the school should be phased.
A school I know of changed from being an all girls LA school to a mixed Academy.
Some of the older girls weren't happy and did try to rebel against the typical academy rules/uniform etc bought in - which obviously they shouldn't have been doing but the academy trusts response would be frequently the "well you choose to attend this school so follow the rules" argument.
Except they (and their parents) choose an all girls comp with a casual uniform - NOT a mixed Academy with formal blazers/ties.

I'm getting confused. At my dc school, almost all girls wear very short hot pants under their skirts, which you cannot see but they prevent pants from flashing when climbing stairs.

Smart school skorts sound good.

I've never seen flappy wide shorts in school.

They manage it at my DD's school. Not sure what the secret is. It's a church school so perhaps the parents are more on board, I don't know.

@elvive what's so terrible about leggings though? They are comfy.
When out of school many girls wear leggings but with a long top over them (so you don't see their backside).
But of course schools insist on shirts - which don't cover their bottoms.
Perhaps schools should offer a choice of a tunic style top which could be worn over leggings.
It's the whole style of uniforms that's just wrong. There's much better styles of clothes that could be used - ones that are comfortable and actually flattering - but for a bizarre reason schools are so set on the shirt/tie/blazer/check skirt combo.

My DD wears cycling shorts under her skirt.

The school my kids go to has a very particular skirt and trouser style. You can only get them from 2 shops. This means that the trousers are universally unflattering. Which I still would have preferred as a kid, cos we weren't allowed to wear them at all.

Dd won't wear them. She wears a skirt, which I'm guessing she pulls up. She has a 26" skirt. The length is currently fine, as she is yr7. If she still has a 26 inch waist at 16 and is the height I was at 16, then she'll be in trouble, as skirts must seem to be one length.

Personally, I would prefer a more relaxed school uniform. I've probably lost hundreds of teaching hours over the years arguing about uniform. I would also prefer staff to wear skirts that cover their arses too (note to short, female staff: you may not have long legs, but if you have to pull your skirt down as you walk, it's too short), but then I had to wear a suit when I started teaching and watch for any flashes of thigh or cleavage,so I'm still a bit uptight. And don't get me started on summer attire.....

Will students who want to dress modestly according to their religious beliefs be allowed to, in an abaya or suchlike?

Shorts underneath doesn't mean the skirt is short! My DD wears cycling shorts under her knee length skirt.

@LaughingM at my secondary we had several Christian Brethren girls. Their religion didn't allow females to wear trousers - just long skirts.
So would they be exempt at the OPs school I wonder?

what's so terrible about leggings though?

Some leggings are so thin they're barely more than thick tights, and they really do show every detail of what's underneath.

My DD's school is the only local one with no blazer or tie. They're the smartest school around.

And they wear leggings for P.E which they wear all day.

@Riversideandrelax I like the sound of your school 🙂

The disadvantaged kids parents will be able to afford normal clothes if they don't have to pay out for extortionate school uniform.

My DS went to a non-uniform school - they all just wore jeans and hoodies - mostly from Primark & H&M. It's very different to non-uniform day at a school with a uniform.

I would mind this in my DD's school as some of the girls roll them sooooo short it's beyond ridiculous. I'm not sure how it's meant to look smart. I feel for the school because it must be impossible to keep on top of. I know some local schools have changed to leggings and trousers for girls. I wore trousers at school. We did have the option. I would have LOVED to have worn leggings! Comfy!!!

My children’s school introduced culottes for girls (alongside trousers as an option). Great for not being able to roll up. Gave the girls confidence when on period and for the younger ones cartwheels still possible. A fab compromise.

I can imagine :( I do feel for teachers.

Pretty much every job that used to have a strict dress code doesn’t anymore. Long gone are the days of collar, tie, briefcase and long black umbrella. Yet school still insist on an archaic standard of dress. I am a real traditionalist but school uniform today is not fit for the 21st century. It is expensive, uncomfortable and in many cases unflattering. A logo sweatshirt and polo shirt should be enough. And don’t get me started on the £80 PE kits many schools have.

I was in town the other day and the older girls skirts were no more than belts! Ha I feel ancient saying this and we did the rolling over of the waistband too.
With trousers though, you'll get girls wearing see through legging type which will be another contentious issue.

Just ban school uniform and the girls will all wear really baggy jeans and t shirts! End of problem!

Sounds really sensible. Well done that school. Its the comfort element for me, and they sound like they have nailed it.

I know blazers.... handy as have lots of pockets but definitely would be more comfy in a hoody wouldn't they :)

It's not an issue at college or uni or even outside of school. Having had kids at a no uniform school, it is far less stressful. They aren't constantly rebelling against the rules and most of the girls wore jeans or leggings and hoodies. There were basic rules, no midriffs, no football shirts, no dicey slogans - but it was rarley an issue. Less stressful for staff and students. Issues around labels and fashion was only really an issue at the start of yr7, it soon settled down.

I wish they would get rid of skirts where I live. The fashion is for girls to roll them up ridiculously short. My teenage stepson says he feels really awkward going up stairs at school because there is literally underwear on display and he’s worried that he’ll be accused of looking deliberately.

Tailored shorts as a summer option for both sexes would be a better - and fairer - option.

You wouldn’t wear a skirt with bare legs to an office job so it doesn’t seem appropriate to school either. Get them used to the real world. Plus you have all that fairness malarkey nowadays where some boys will say they want to wear skirts. Best to have an androgynous uniform.

I don't get the hysteria over skirts. I went to high school in uk many years ago (20 odd years) all girls wore black dress trousers out of choice. School were happy as it stopped upskirting, skirt rolling, girls accusing male teachers of things when they were asked to roll skirts back down.