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.

In Northern Ireland most schools have a traditional boy and girl uniform of trousers and skirts and we are happy with this. My 15 year old girl would have hated to wear trousers even in primary.

YANBU OP.

My DD would hate this, she much prefers wearing her pinafore dress with tights or gingham Summer dresses. I much prefer wearing dresses too, so think it’s ridiculous.

Just walk around a high street or shopping centre at a weekend. Teenage girls all wear shorts, leggings or jeans. None wear dresses or skirts. Just so old fashioned.

Our dress code at work has relaxed since Covid and majority of young people wear jeans and trainers. Really don’t see what the fuss is about.

All the women under 30 at work seem to wear those wide legged trousers or culottes.

But who is causing the most hassle over uniform? It's rarely the boys is it? So seriously the girls only have themselves to blame

The amount of wailing and outrage that went on when the secondary school went to pleated skirts and trousers only was ridiculous "my child can have there arse hanging out of their skirt if they want to" "don't look if it offends you" it was pathetic

I think it sounds great. Practical and comfortable. In China, school uniform is usually a tracksuit and polo shirt which is even better. These are clothes that kids can run around in.

Femininity, yes. It's blatant sex discrimination against girls. And it's outrageous to try to characterise this ban on traditional female dress 'gender neutral'.

What is needed is parents to protest against this imposition on girls and curtailment of their rights and threaten legal action. Can you get together with some other parents to organise something?

You could draw the issue to the attention of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. This is not the first time it has come up here on mumsnet involving other schools so it is a matter of general concern and not just an individual parent or family that it affects.

Yeah, I think she may well make it shorter!

Sorry to have offended you so massively with my personal views on a thread where people are expressing personal views.
I made a generic point followed by a lived experience point of my own. Tends to be how AIBUS go in my view but obviously my own experience is irrelevant here

OPs school includes primary aged children.

My kids school had a grassed area and play equipment, they're not all hard surfaces only.

And trousers are more practical for play on hard surfaces as at least they offer some protection for knees.

Yes, it has. From the OP:

"The two reasons they cite are modesty and (...)"

Sorry I didn't remember that, thought it was someone else on the thread who brought it up.

To think that 30 years ago I was in 5th year and we had to campaign to be allowed to wear trousers.

Exactly. On non-uniform days the secondary school girls all wear jeans, joggers or leggings.

Tracksuit for school uniform was a fashion in the UK at a certain point. Maybe early 2000s then for some reason went back to formal uniforms.

Your daughter will have loads of opportunity to wear pretty dresses and patent shoes outside school. She's not going to "lose her femininity" because she is already a girl.

I can't get het up about this, feels like a real non-issue.

Good argument for allowing trousers for girls, but you've made no argument for not allowing skirts or dresses.

On the fence here as secondary, yes it's probably the only way to avoid skirts shorter than blazers but as parent of a very narrow but lanky girl, dresses are a LOT easier to fit to stay put than trousers, shorts or skirts...

The trousers don't fit properly when you do that. I reserve it for when it's minus temperatures outside. Skirt and tight work well all winter and then thinner tights in spring, summer and autumn.

It's rarely noticed on the boys....but the boys do it..the girls are held to a different standard.

The point around the unform is that the skirt is supposed to be a certain length, the trousers are supposed to be worn on the waist. It's a uniform.

I'm going to gloss over the blame bit.. blame for what exactly intrigues me slightly .. but annoys me more.

Lots of people are happy to centre men sadly whether they realise it or not, and assume typically feminine things are lesser. Anyone who has worked in a primary school will tell you girls who choose to wear dresses or skirts (can wear trousers) play as much as boys and aren't hindered by what they wear.

It doesn't really matter what individual people see in their personal workplaces or their house or what they themselves wear. It's very clear that dresses and skirts have a place in society in terms of what girls and women wear. Nobody should be either forced to wear them or prohibited from wearing them. How is that not the most obvious thing in the world?

Yes, but if DD’s non-uniform primary was typical, they would tell you that left to their own devices, most girls will wear leggings, jeans, joggers or shorts.

When we have non uniform days I notice the same. Other than a few who wear princess dresses most pick variations of trousers.

now according to some on here that makes them masculine!

How exactly is it sex discrimination against girls? I don’t follow this argument.