AIBU to think it isn't fair for school to ban skirts and dresses

[helloall987]

My kids attend an all through school they start at 4 in reception and it goes up to 18. There is a primary and a secondary site.

From September they have changed their uniform to trousers and shorts so no school dresses, skirts or pinafores allowed. All children boys and girls to wear black trousers or shorts. No school shoes either just black trainers. The two reasons they cite are modesty and a gender neutral approach so there is no distinction between girls and boys. This is for primary and secondary school pupils. My DD loves wearing pinafores and patent school shoes. I just think think that with this policy the idea of "feminity" is being taken away.

Most parents think it is a great idea but there are a few of us who want to contest it.

Well why not make all the children wear skirts then? Why does it have to be trousers?

Because trousers are more practical. There’s a reason why skirts and dresses have never taken off for men…

But better still is simply get rid of uniform.

Surely getting well fitted skirts is nearly as bad as trousers. I've never had a skirt that fits well without alterations.
Back in the depths of time the no trousers was relaxed at my middle school, I wore black cords. I wore trousers/ cords/ jeans at school after that until 18. I started work in trousers. My current job is work polo, jumpers and..black jeans.

Actually, re sagging trousers - in my son’s school the boys are frequently told to pull their trousers up! It’s to do with the fact that it’s not appropriate to have underwear on display in a professional environment and that applies equally to girls hitching their skirts right up or boys pulling their trousers right down.

In the 6th form the uniform policy is quite relaxed but says ‘no visible underwear’, and yes that applies equally to the boys and girls.

Because society says males can’t wear skirts. But people don’t get their knickers in a twist about that!

trousers are now something that everyone can wear and rightly so

... interesting that when I worked in a non uniform school, the girls wore trousers (usually jeans) or shorts in the summer.
Skirts and dresses were a rarity..

I don’t mind

Nope- trousers are not inherently more practical.

I favour no uniform and think the UK is really weird and behind on this issue. If you are going to have a uniform then this seems pretty sensible I guess.

They are for climbing, cartwheels, rollie-pollies, etc.

Everyone can rightly wear- but you seen keen on forcing girls to wear.

But a uniform is all about forcing people to wear things - it's baked into the whole concept.

Trousers are not particularly a male item of clothing. Unlike ties actually - it's insane that we get school girls to wear ties.

Trousers get ruined knees from football.

Skirts for everyone!

Er yes, and secondary school children are doing that all the time?

And smaller children can do those activities in skirts but they're unlikely to be doing them in a school playground in anything because the surface is hard, so it'll be in the gym, in PE clothes.

My Y6 DD’s uniform is a mid calves kilt so my views might be slightly skewed 😅 I just checked her secondary school uniform booklet and it says knee length kilt, 10cm from mid-knee max.

I don't have an issue with uniforms at all, in honesty I find it makes my life easier. I do favour my daughter's school's policy though which is they generally don't care as long as the kids are wearing school colours. I think their only hard and fast rule is no crocs 😆

I'd have been pro trouser as a teen, but I actually think uniform skirts are more forgiving on a range of body shapes and whilst growing than uniform trousers are.

Plus o think for every "your skirt it too short" there will be your trouser is too tight.

At my son's school the boys had to wear knee length shorts from P1 to P7. It was only when they moved to secondary that they were allowed long trousers.

Exactly. When DD was at her non-uniform primary jeans, jogger, leggings or shirts were the order of the day. Occasionally a dress if it was very hot.

Of course they are.

Yes some of them dress totally inappropriately

Look, I agree re the principle.

But in practise it's girls who seem to cop most of the flak.

And, to top it off, they now get the option of skirts taken away.

I don't think banning skirts and pinafores is the answer.

If the schools think policing trousers and shorts will be easier... Well it may be in the short term....but there will always be transgressions. And I bet that girls will beat the brunt of whatever that happens to be...

Same here - I managed 12 years of school without uniform and never missed it!

I think it’s a shame at primary but a help to teachers at secondary.

Well yes, both are 'modest'. It is how other people seem to view these kids in skirts or tight trousers that is the problem.