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.

As a curvy teenager I would've hated this, could never find a pair of achool trousers that fit me well without gaping at the waist or fitting the waist but being tight across the hips and thighs, I always wore skirts

Yes I agree

in primary school though surely it’s different especially infants

Stupid point.

My children's church school used to ban trousers for girls because "girls look prettier in skirts". The UK is unfortunately quite backward.

Surely it's more practical for when they're running around playing etc though

It really is. A uniform is worn to be practical and to represent an organisation or a body of people – not to be personalised or sexualised. That's the whole point of a school uniform, or any uniform.

Presumably because kids flash their pants to everyone when tumbling around or sitting cross legged. A lot of girls in my primary now wear the pinafore type all in ones with shorts rather than skirts

Why can't it be either or though?

Would you feel comfortable being the only adult in a room with 14 year old boys (I'm assuming you're a woman), with their arse cheeks on display?

I don't disagree with your stance that schools should be less concerned about policing uniform and I think blazers and ties are stupid items to expect children to wear, but it seems to me that this school has found a way to minimise the amount of time it has to do this with a sensible uniform policy.

I actually only spent the ages of 10-13 wearing a uniform, so I actually think that once they've reached 6th form they should be able to wear what they like, it still wouldn't be appropriate to show underwear though.

I was 15 in the late 1960's and our mini skirts were incredibly short (I was recently shocked by a group photo of us!). In school, however, we had to abide by the length rule, which was to kneel down and your skirt had to be no more than 4 inches from the floor. Rolling them up would result in detention and a stern letter home so we didn't dare do it.

We always wore skirts or school dresses in the 80s to school, no trousers

headmistress was stuck in 50s

Wearing skirts and dresses do not mean immodesty

I think the school is trying to eliminate the problem of girls feeling peer pressure to roll up skirts to just barely cover their bottom. Personally I would like the uniform to be jeans, non branded trainers and a non branded plain polo or hoodie in the school colours.

It does mean sexualising a uniform though, which is an issue.

Ridiculous that skirts/dresses are "sexualising"

Totally agree, I think a lot teens at my place would go for it tbh. I'd go leggings/jeans/joggers, with a polo and hoodie, and allow trainers. I waste so much of my day being told I have to police sock colour, sock frills/no frills etc., why not just let them come in comfortable?

'make girls look boxy & unfeminine'?

I mean...surely this attitude is part of the problem? Why are we STILL teaching girls that being 'feminine' trumps practicality & comfort? In fact, it's so important to Be Feminine that it's worth changing schools over?!

But now many parents would complain at that anyway “how dare they check shirt length” “pervs” etc.

Too many parents are willing to bend the school rules (before adding in children pushing their luck rolling up etc) so having something that is harder to abuse is easier.

I cringe daily at how many girls at my local secondary have their bums visible. Literally bum cheeks...pants...it's totally inappropriate

Schools are sick of trying to sensitively police that and trousers are far more practical

I'd definitely go for this over a regular uniform just with trousers not skirts. If we genuinely care about comfort then this would be the way to go.

Why is the reasoning nonsense? No one is pretending there’s no difference between boys and girls! If you think the only way to “be a girl” is by wearing a skirt that’s an extremely outdated and dangerous viewpoint. A girl is a girl in trousers as a boy would be a boy in a skirt. It’s about having a practical and comfortable clothing. Girls shouldn’t have to “look pretty” in nice skirts and dresses. They should be comfortable and able to do a cartwheel without flashing their knickers! The message to young girls should be that they can do anything that a boy can do. Of course there are differences between the sexes but they should be treated equally at school

It should be comfy clothes anyway to encourage being active ..leggings...joggers

Skirts encourage girls in the whole short as possible thing...then they are anxiously pulling them down all the time..I see this !! They would be more active and relaxed without skirts

Thanks

You seem nice

If trousers were so universally brilliant for accommodating the full range of female body shapes, there would be no demand for dresses or skirts.

Why does this school's policy require that they take options away from girls, rather than giving them to boys, eh?

At different times in my life, my wardrobe has solely consisted of skirts, or trousers, or been balanced between both. During my teenage years, one of my mother's main bugbears was that I wanted to wear trousers and she couldn't find any that fit! I switched to skirts because of that. Then I switched to dresses, because of the discomfort waistbands caused me during some parts of my cycle. Menstrual bloating and cramping is hardly rare for teenage girls, surely?

Not sure what I've done to incur such wrath from you today
Maybe have a cuppa and chill.

I think it's a great idea, the number of times I've walked up the stairs, glanced up and seen bum cheeks is completely inappropriate. We need students and teachers to be spending a lot less time thinking about uniform and i think this would be a good way about it.