AIBU to think school skirt bans undermine choice rather than equality?

[BadBadCat]

AIBU to think banning school skirts reinforces the opinion that to be equal, women need to be more like men.

I don't fully understand the reasons behind banning skirts in the drive for equality. I can only think that there are other reasons behind it that are not being made explicit by schools- maybe to eliminate up-skirting issues, to avoid having to deal with girls wearing inappropriately short ones, to eliminate the issue of transgender boys wearing skirts etc.

However, in my opinion, removing the choice of a skirt, which has been the traditional wear for women and girls and enforcing trousers, suggests that men's traditional attire is superior to women's. I'm all for girls wearing skirts if they choose, but I think it should be a choice. Schools saying they want to ensure comfort for all is disingenuous in my eyes because girls who feel uncomfortable in skirts can wear trousers if they wish.

It seems to me another removal of women's rights,

What do you all think?

There are many places where a woman’s uniform will include trousers rather than skirts. I don’t think that undermines women or their rights, trousers are more practical for more physical subjects and if it stops teenage girls flashing their arse cheeks it can only be a good thing.

I don't think that trousers are superior to skirts, just more appropriate in school full for hormonal teenagers.

It’s amazing how things change.

25years ago we were begging to be allowed to wear trousers at school, and it was seen as being rather controversial to allow it!

I agree pupils should have the choice.

Are the schools not saying why they’re banning skirts? I agree with you they should have the option.

Better than having skirts that are so short your arse is on show. Teachers have better things to do than be the skirt police so it's simpler to just say trousers for everyone. Our school used to try to get round it by having branded skirts but that just made it more expensive for girls and they all just folded them up to be super short anyway.

Which schools are banning skirts which country ?? Kingdom??

No, because I don't think a woman wearing trousers is being more like a man. Wearing trousers is a perfectly normal thing for a woman to do.

It's tricky. I do agree with you about choice, but from the pov of a headteacher friend I can see that everyone in trousers is a nice simple solution to the problems you mention.

They don't want boys wearing skirts but don't have the guts to say so

Who’s banning skirts? If this is just your local school maybe they’ve got a specific reason? Ours aren’t banning them. Bonkers that you think wearing trousers makes you more like a man.

Would you rather all the boys wore skirts @BadBadCat? Trousers are unisex and making girls wear skirts as part of a uniform is sexist. There are many girls who do not want to show their arse cheeks and are more comfortable in trousers. The girls wearing skirts too short for them are the problem to be resolved. I support a gir/woman's right to dress as she wishes, but a school is not the place for that. Just like a teacher shouldn't dress like that either.

There’s always been school rules about various things - learning to live with rules we don’t like is practice for the world of work and life in general.

I see this rule as protective but I
think the school can’t win here despite the fact that trousers for everyone helps prevent nasty ‘upskirting’ pictures.

It also protects vulnerable girls from being peer pressured into competing in the race to reveal as much of their bodies as they can get away with.

I remember teenage peer pressure and it was hard to resist.

How on earth are trousers a man item? Women wear them too

I dont think you understand the concept of a uniform. Its not a choice. You wear the uniform. Police officers, fire brigade, paramedics, carers, all lacking 'choice' about what they wear.

All the time, money and energy that's wasted on school uniforms and most of them still look awful

Can't we just teach them to dress appropriately with a bit of personality like most kids in Europe?

Surely the whole point of uniform is to undermine choice? I really disagree with school uniforms, most other countries (USA, Canada, most of Western Europe and Scandinavia) seem to manage just fine without it.

How many of them are women in skirts? Not a single one @BadBadCat nothing to do with being more like men.

It’s much easier for schools just to ban skirts rather than than have endless arguments with girls over length of skirts. I think it’s fair enough. They have enough issues to deal with, why not pick their battles.

My secondary school got rid of uniforms while I was in 2nd year. Not a single girl wore a skirt to school after that.
Unfortunately a change of head teacher years later returned the uniform but girls were always given trousers as a uniform option. They of course also now have the arse cheeks issue.

There’s no real reason to wear a skirt. It isn’t more practical (the opposite really) and I’d argue it also isn’t more comfortable than trousers. Teens have always and will always roll the skirts up so teachers constantly have to fight it which must get annoying. At my DD’s school the skirts are measured on the way in so most girls now wear trousers.

I think there should be choice. I'm all for girls wearing trousers if they want to, it's not they are a 'man item', it's that traditionally in the past girls wore skirts and men wore trousers.

I'm well aware that trousers are more practical for some jobs and tasks, of course they are, but sitting in a classroom learning English is fine for a skirt!

If we are saying girls need to wear trousers to protect them from boys looking up their skirts then that is where the issue arises for me. The boys behaviour needs to be addressed, not the girls attire modified. This makes me angry.

Girls and boys also need to be taught about self-respect, and educated about what is an appropriate way to dress for school and their careers going forward.

I don't believe children should be taught to follow all rules blindly, without questioning either. Of course there are rules in place for good reasons which children should follow, that isn't to say new rules should never be questioned.

I just thank the gods I'm going to be seeing the knickers of fewer schoolgirls as this policy spreads. Bring it on!

I don't see any females wearing skirts as short as the schoolgirls do unless they are school skirts, even the schoolgirls themselves. It's only the school skirt they feel the need to roll right up until their bum is on view, why is that?

Why do they need this choice? The boys don’t have that choice so it’s not making women more equal. It’s just making the uniform the same for everyone. And you’ve still not said what schools are doing this?

I think it just keeps things easier to manage for the school. There is a big problem with girls rolling up their skirts to inappropriate lengths, this takes time to police, so keeping it uniformed "excuse the pun" is more time effective.

Also, I've heard a lot of mums are making their girls wear shorts under their skirts for school - So in this case, trousers seem more sensible.

My DDs went to a girls school and they wore skirts. No trousers available and they hated the idea of ill fitting trousers! Yes, it takes away their choice and school at 11 is not the office. It does reinforce that they need to look like men. Why should they not wear skirts because of leering boys? Teach the boys! Getting longer skirts is one answer but I hate girls being pushed into trousers if they would rather not.