AIBU to challenge the school’s wording about pupils rolling skirts up?

[GreenSalon]

Weekly newsletter today from DC’s secondary school contained a paragraph on uniform including the fact that there have been complaints from the public about “pupils who choose to wear skirts” rolling them up to wear them extremely short. It finishes with asking parents to speak to their children about why this is “not a good idea”.

Now, apart from the fact I assume that they must mean girls, is this not clearly implying that short skirts = making themselves vulnerable and if is, then if anything bad happens as a result it is their own fault? I thought we had moved beyond this kind of nonsense.

I only have boys at the school not girls but want to write to the head to point out how utterly sexist this is. DH agrees with me pov but thinks I shouldn’t write. AIBU?

It doesn't look fantastic though.....

I’m in my thirties and my school had the same issue back then - I would never have been allowed out with my ass nearly hanging out though!

my sons school and the school my daughter is starting in September now have a pleated skirt only rule so they can’t be rolled up! But they seem to get pulled up to look short anyway!

We live a a “naice” middle class area and by y10 there are 95% of the girls (v large school) rolling their skirts.
A big majority of those are so short that you can see bum cheeks. Peer pressure to fit in with popular girls would be my guess.

Sometimes you just need to overcome peer pressure and buck the trend. Didn't happen at the grammars my DDs went to. People should raise their sons and daughters to dress appropriately for school.

Yabvu. This is not sexism; it's about carrying yourself with dignity and teaching girls self-respect. Walking on the street with your ass practically on show is not dignified.

This. Why are schoolgirls dressing for the male gaze, in such a sexualised way, and why do people like the OP support and defend it, and criticise the school trying to stop it?

"feminism"

Ludicrous, isn't it?

But you really don’t know how I come across in real life. Have an opinion on the question by all means. That’s why I posted. I’m happy to hear other viewpoints. But there really no need to make insinuations about what kind of person I am.

If the Op did have adult daughters, and she spouted the same nonsense about “feminism” and in relation to this issue, it’s very likely she’d be put in her place as she has been on this thread

Disagree by all means. But why is it necessary to use phrases like “put in her place” about me?

because that is what I think would happen. You would be told explicitly “mum, what are you talking about?! As you have been on this thread. Roundly.

My son's school is trousers for all. No skirts at all.

You were seriously thinking of challenging ie wasting teachers precious time with having to respond to you over this silliness, and I guess that pees me off a bit!

This year our school got rid of skirts completely and everyone wears trousers - it has saved a huge amount of time battling over skirts being rolled up, and we don’t see bum cheeks in the corridors . Girls weren’t happy at the time but seem to be mostly over it and I had stopped thinking about it.

I took a group of girls to a women only hands on STEM activities event this week and ours were the only girls in trousers out of about 150 girls . They were also the only students not having to worry about their incredibly short skirts as they got up and down from the floor, bent over activities etc.It really brought it home how impractical the really short skirts are for any activity that isn’t standing about looking on trend in your uniform and made me feel grateful all over again for the decision.

How the fuck did you manage to turn this into “poor men” ?

I rolled my pleated skirt over in 1973. It was only from mid calf to slightly above the knees, you got the cane if you were caught. Obviously not advocating that.

Yes they need to sort it out but I imagine schools are inundated with emails from parents about everything.
This is not a hill to die on as a parent.

Is it really challenging patriarchy allowing girls to wear skirts as short as they want? No matter how impractical or inappropriate it is?

The school didn’t say anything about the male gaze, about modesty , about distracting boys and male teachers or any of the other bs that DOES get my back up. They asked parents to explain to their children why it is a bad idea. Which they can do ( I have) without mentioning any of that .

You'd be challenging the patriarchy by supporting the school. Don't support the wearing of hyper sexualised clothing we see on so many girls and women.

Only if you are not allergic to the disposable pads and have periods that are only moderately heavy. Reusable plus truly heavy periods still means bulk.

Women/girls should be able to wear whatever they want without being accused of 'asking for it'. They (we) should be able to walk through town stark naked, and still not fear being sexually assaulted, as males should be entirely capable of controlling themselves. And if they are not capable of controlling themselves for some reason, they should not be allowed out unsupervised. I believe this absolutely.

But.

I still don't want to see anyone's arse on the street. It's not appropriate, and it is completely fine to demand basic standards of dress code are observed, as agreed by a society. Not because I want to rape them, not because I'll be having naughty thoughts about them - any more than if I saw a man walking down the street in a g-string. I'm really not worried I might be overcome with lust and throw myself at him, I would be repulsed. As I believe most people would, at least in the UK. Which is the same reaction if I see female bottoms. Just put them away girls.

(From an ex-avid skirt roller - but only ever to mid thigh at most!)

Boys would get distracted though. It's a biological fact.