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.

Yes, this.

I never wear trousers. I don't own any trousers. I hate wearing trousers and always have. It's a ridiculous idea. There's no reason to ban dresses or skirts. If it were truly "gender neutral" the options would be available for both sexes

Obviously nobody was saying that primary school girls are wearing ridiculously short skirts. I thought that was clear by the context, but I'll make sure I specify teenage girls from now on.

Yes, and you get all the faux naive, patronising comments about "but trousers are gender neutral"

In my case, zero time. I couldn't give a shit about socks, shoe style or trouser type, whether shirts are tucked in or not tucked in. I just don't like seeing kids exposing themselves.

As with any school uniform policy you have a choice, comply or move schools.

At some point we do need to start telling girls that alongside doing all the things boys do, they can do it wearing the same amount of clothes too!

It is beyond sexist. I hate wearing trousers. At my daughters all girls school they have the choice and out of about 1000 pupils about 10 wear trousers.

Why can’t gender neutral uniforms mean skirts for all?

It's not the individual teachers - who have to enforce uniform, have no say in the policy and mostly couldn't care less. If parents don't like the uniform requirements they're free to take their children elsewhere.

Why? How is restricting choice for girls a positive, empowering thing to do?

The Equality Act... sigh. It is in no way disadvantageous for girls to wear shorts and trousers. It's no sort of discrimination. They may or may not prefer the trousers, but there is no disadvantage of any kind.

Trousers and shorts are culturally gender neutral in the UK, as people of both sexes regularly wear them. It is the daily usual to see women and girls wearing shorts and trousers.

Skirts and dresses are fab, for whoever wants to wear them. It's just not school uniform at this school.

Girls' play becomes restricted as they move through juniors as they wear silly shoes and those ridiculous A line checked dresses. They can't / won't run, climb, crouch down or cross their legs in case someone sees their knickers.

Also can't bear seeing school dresses with shorts, leggings, trousers or tights underneath.

Trousers and trainers are practical. Patent shoes are great for parties.

I should have added:

Isn't it interesting that whenever "modest" and "gender neutral" clothes are mentioned, it's ALWAYS girls' clothes, never boys'.

Shorts are not the same in the summer as a skirt

And are as open for "super short" as skirts

I agree with this. Maybe it’s changed now but I could never get trousers to fit me as a teen. Very small waist and bigger hips. It was even difficult finding jeans to fit. I much preferred skirts and dresses and would have hated to have to wear trousers. Only started to find jeans to fit when I was 18 and over and even then the waist size would be enormous.

Well bully for you! What a shame every girl and woman can't be like you.

'Asking students not to have their underwear or crotch showing does not make a teacher a perv'

I was referring to a pp who said the poor menz at school would feel 'uncomfortable' if they saw an underage girl in a short skirt. If that is the case the problem is clearly the man.

As way more woman than that choose trousers - the vast majority do - that strikes me as peer-pressured conformity. Pretty common in schools.

Most children hate their school uniform. Do a quick straw poll. It's not popular amongst the users. And yer still we persist.

I agree with you OP. I find dresses far more comfortable than trousers. When I get bloating, and girls are far more likely than boys to get this. trousers are much more uncomfortable, even painful, compared to dresses.

@Soontobe60 to be honest, as a freshly separated mum of 3 teenagers whilst working full time, it didn't occur to me that she wouldn't wear them. I trusted her. They did most of their own washing and ironing anyway so it wasn't until I was forcing her to tidy her wardrobe that I found the original trousers tucked away 🤷‍♀️

Personally, I'm curious what people mean by skirts are 'not practical'. I've worn mid-calf length skirts with 4 kids, hiking, gardening, rock climbing, working in an active job. All four of my kids, even the boys, at some point gone running around and tumbling in the grass in a skirt when they were little.

Completely agree, although you missed out cycling- apparently it's impossible to cycle wearing a skirt.

I'm a secondary teacher and parent of a girl + a boy, and I am all for it tbh! I am sick to the back teeth of seeing girls on the corridors with the cheeks of their bum showing. Girls have been rolling skirts up since uniforms began, no amount of consequences seem to make any difference so I say lets rethink uniforms completely. Going fully non-uniform is also rife with issues, last time we had an own clothes day, we had girls in teeny vest tops and some had actually used temporary tattoos on the tops of their boobs. Bring on trousers, joggers, ski-pants!

Not at all. Girls generally like wearing skirts as uniform. Trousers make girls look boxy and look unfeminine. I couldn’t have paid my daughter to wear skirts to school. I might actually have moved her school because of it

Just to add- I hate the narrative that 'it makes boys/men distracted or uncomfortable', this is a complete old wives tale.

Exactly! It’s the I like wearing trousers so obviously everyone must’ as I speak for all womankind.

no reason why both boys and girls can’t have the choice of skirts/trousers. That is truely gender neutral