Should skirt length matter in secondary schools?

[Holdonforsummer]

My daughter is 15 and in Year 10, she attends an all-girls comprehensive secondary school and they are obsessed with the girls’ skirt length. The skirt is like a tartan kilt and is supposed to be ‘on the knee’ but most of the girls roll their skirts to make them a bit shorter (think mid-thigh). I’m a bit on the fence about this but her school go on and on and on about it. They stop girls all the time, give detentions for short skirts, have assemblies about it, and have even been known to measure skirts and give girls long ones from the list property cupboard to wear instead. Yesterday, my daughter had just finished 5 hours of mock exams in 28 degrees and was walking home - outside school property - and was stopped by a teacher threatening detention even though she had left school. She came home furious and fed up of the whole thing. I can’t decide whether the girls just need to toe the line or whether behaviour from the school is bordering on a sexist, misogynistic obsession. YABU: the pupils need to obey the skirt rules, YANBU: The school should calm down and stop obsessing about skirt length.

Presumably a school wouldn’t be allowed to send a girl home in the same circumstances these days.

I have worked in 3 all girls schools and they were very strict on rolling up of skirts so it’s not to do with boys getting distracted at all.

On the school run, we see a lot of kids walking to the local secondary school. I’ve never seen such short skirts in my life. The girls wear them so short, you can see their bum & they are always tugging the back of the skirt down or walking with their hand on the back holding the skirt self consciously.
I don’t really get why you would do that to yourself, but I guess it’s a trend and kids at that age like to fit in.

I do remember rolling my skirt up at school , but it never that short.

It sounds exhausting for the teachers to have to constantly keep on top of idiotic students who won’t follow a simple rule.

I actually think this imagined by you- do you genuinely believe it's Teachers v Parents? This topic really does demonstrate what has gone wrong with our education system if people think the polarity of culture wars is important. It's not really addressing the substantive issues that exist in schools, why not put your efforts in wanting education to be enriching not just about, Inputs, outputs and want children can't do.

What not, "want".

Bit confused by your post - are you saying that British parents DO want to get rid of uniforms? Because that’s not my observation, and certainly not on MN where despite the substantial complaints about inform and rules, the majority still think it’s a good thing.

I don't know what all British parents want to do about uniforms, just as I don't know whether teachers feel that strongly about getting rid of them. The whole issue is another example of the idea of schools delivering an 'education' that is just about being ready for the world of work.

This!

Im sure it was agreed so it’s non negotiable now.

Right, got you. Yes, that’s a good point. - and one that, so far as uniform goes, seems utterly daft given that many will go on to sixth forms and colleges with little or no dress code - and then uni, where there is obviously no dress code to speak of. And never mind all the other countries in the world that manage this without school uniform.

However, the “education” our kids are getting under the current curriculum
seems pretty poor to me both as an education or preparing kids for work.

It isn't about distracting boys, it is about decency and following the uniform regulations.

Yes, I would argue that the overall focus of the education system is wrong, however that isn't to say that there are not some very good teachers but they are limited by funding which is an economic reality and has been for a long time.

I would say there shouldn’t be a need for uniforms - although the bullying problem needs a solution first - that punishes the bullies not the victims

but even with no uniform I woukd
have an acceptable length on a skirt - it’s should not be possible to play “guess the colour of the knickers”

It’s frustrating that this is still an issue decades on. My school insisted on skirts for girls and trousers for boys, then spent the entire time nagging and punishing the girls for their skirts being too short. Every year we petitioned to be allowed trousers and every year denied. Surely the solution if you want girls legs covered is to allow them to cover their legs with trousers?! Or just allow skirts above the knee and focus on grades??!!

Here we are decades later and girls are still being told that what they wear and how they look is the most important thing to everyone, so is it any wonder that younger generations are so focused on clothes and looks?

Honestly the girls round here literally have their arse cheeks out. It’s not ok.
So yes, they need to enforce it or it just gets ridiculous.
walking up steps behind these girls is seriously obscene.

My school was like this. I always find it shocking how short skirts are. It’s ridiculous.

Boys getting visually distracted is natural especially when they are teens. A teenage boy is full of hormones and if a girl is sitting there with with a very short skirt and underwear showing a boy is naturally going to look.

Many of the girls at the school my DC attend petitioned to be able to wear jumpers instead of blazers as opposed to compulsory blazers with optional jumpers. Their whole argument was pretty much that they didn’t want their bras being visible through their school shirts but blazers and jumpers was too hot.
Perfectly reasonable however those same girls are now complaining they are being told off for wearing skirts that show their bum cheeks. The lack of blazers has really highlighted how short most of the skirts actually are as most of them tuck their jumpers into the skirts. It’s their right to wear short skirts apparently and if bum cheeks are visible then it’s everyone else’s problem not to look.

Which is why schools shouldn’t allow pupils to dictate terms.

Sorry, someone asked upthread if the ankle length skirt I mentioned is uniform in the sixth form at my daughter's school - it is.

There are several schools in the UK where this is the same - another poster mentioned Rugby, not my daughter's school but similar set up.

Yes. Girls with long skirts get teased. Our local High School have a logo on the bottom of the skirt so it can't be shortened permanently, but the girls still roll them up.

Girls with long skirts get teased.

What about Muslim girls? Are they teased?

You do presumably come down hard on the teasing if you hear it, and don't say that girls with long skirts are 'frumpy'? Because girls should be able to wear what they like without being teased.

Yes I think the "teasing" thing generally doesn't happen as much as people think.
Most teens these days really don't care what their classmates wear.

As someone who had kids who went to grammar schools the girls in DS's school dressed normally and had sensible skirts. So did DD and the girls at her school

They really, really do!