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?

I would guess it's to stop girls rolling their skirts up and /or to make the uniform more uniform as it were. School uniform is not there to promote free choice. Children can choose what to wear when at home.

But OP is cross that trousers ARE being enforced.

And re. the pizza comparison, which is vegetarian, skirts or trousers?

Ha ha ha ha

teenage girls would rather die than wear a coat!

and the rucksacks actually have the effect of pulling thr e skirts higher - the skirts sort of ‘walk’ up and are trapped by the bags

They do have a choice. They can choose a school that permits skirts.

I actually find your own attitude very misogynistic linking skirts traditionally to women. Really?! This isn't the 1900s...

Everyone in trousers makes it straightforward.

Uniforms mean that kids are not competing on what they look like and therefore they can only compete based on their attitude, effort and personality, which are far more important than looks.

Where on earth do you live that skirts are banned in schools but Nurses wear skirts? Or postal workers. The 50s?

And blazers or jumpers? Weird expert level on how bags affect skirts there

I think no uniform is the best option. It works well for most countries.

Perhaps if they didn't roll their skirts up so short that the whole world can see their undies they'd still have a choice to wear a skirt
I'm wearing my jeans today. I do not look like, nor am I trying to look like a man.

I always hated wearing school trousers - they never fit well. I still struggle with trousers - petite and skinny. My dd will be the same (starts school next year). I’ve always preferred skirts.

They probably could wear skirts if they wore them as they were supposed to be worn. But too many do not and roll them up.
So they don’t get to wear them anymore.

Ours (boys and girls) have a choice between shorts (tailored loose fitting), trousers (tailored no skinnies allowed) or a skort. Because all the kids in skirts were rolling them up to show off whatever they have underneath and it was upsetting the neighbors and making the school look like St. Trinian's. Now if they try they get an almighty wedgie, and nobody, girl or boy can show off their booty or their bulge with extra tight trousers or shorts. They look quite smart and all the trousers, shorts and skirts can be bought in a supermarket.

You choose the school. When yoh do that you agree to follow the schools rules/ code for conduct / policies. If you dont like that schools uniform policy then pick a different school.

Here are some nurses celebrating international nurses day earlier this year- last time I was in hospital lots of nurses were wearing skirts, some were wearing trousers.

When was the last time you saw a nurse or traffic warden in a skirt? I don't even think an actual skirt is part of NHS nurses uniform? They have these tunic dresses but I've not seen one for decades.

If you are having a school uniform then by definition @BadBadCat- there is no choice in what you wear.

there are whole sections of the female adult population who never wear skirts, just a look on style and beauty section threads will bring up lots, women who never wear skirts or dresses trying to work out what to wear to a wedding or black tie event (the answer is always “fancy jumpsuit or bright coloured trouser suit”).

One of the issues this year is the limits on how many branded items schools can insist on for uniform and pressure to make uniforms cheaper. If a school can’t have a set branded skirt, then rather than have long detailed instructions about exactly what length and shape of skirt, saying “black or charcoal grey straight leg school trousers” is much easier for everyone.

Well, I currently choose to wear a dress most days for work- one item and a pair of tights to think about, don't have to worry about hems trailing on the floor, no waistband or belt to constrict the waist, no tops to tuck in, no co-ordinating a top and bottoms, no socks, no VPL etc.

If someone told me trousers would be much more practical I would be questioning that!

Another issue that has been discussed recently in a lot of schools, how much younger girls stop running around type playing at break and lunchtimes. Boys often play games like tag or football at break/lunch for a couple of years later than girls have stopped active playing. Skirts and awareness of not showing their underwear while playing has been one of the reasons given for this change. Many schools are trying to get girls to stay active, and clothing concerns has been part of that discussion.

That might not have anything to do with your schools decision, but it adds to the chatter about how the clothes we put girls in limits them.

Yep. I think it's harder to make a uniform style trouser that is comfortable for all shapes of girls. Perhaps it's the same for boys, I don't know. What I do know is that I find pretty much any tailored trouser or jeans uncomfortable. The only trousers I wear are joggers or leggings. I would hate to have the choice to wear a skirt taken away from me.

i think you might be in the minority. Most women wear trousers regularly. As others have said, in schools where they have no uniform, or on non-uniform days, girls tend to choose jeans, joggers or leggings over dresses/skirts.

Girls are in general less active/sporty at all ages. The real drop comes when they move to secondary school. I suspect that's more to do with the older girls having virtually stopped being active in the playground therefore not role modelling active behaviours. Keeping girls active is a huge issue and I don't think skirts are the main issue.
Interestingly, Women in Sport advocates students (girls really) wearing PE kit all day on PE/Games days to eliminate issues around using changing rooms etc. Maybe schools should just change to a more activity based uniform for all.

It’s just factual that they are for a lot of jobs. Many schools don’t allow dresses as uniform anyway

No, lots of women wear dresses, the shops are full of dresses! There are endless threads on MN that discuss which dresses everyone is buying!

I didn't say I don't wear trousers regularly, I do. I wear jeans and trousers a lot- but jeans are not permitted for work, so dresses are more practical compared to tailored trousers for the reasons I mentioned above. I wear trousers sometimes for practicality like when gardening or doing housework, for fashion reasons etc.

Schools need to just enforce trousers as the skirts are so short now that the blazers have more chance of covering their bums than the actual scrap of material alleged to be a skirt. I was driving along one day and actually thought the girl only had knickers and a blazer on 🙄 it's undignified and cheap.

I think they should be allowed to wear skirts, it's an entirely gender appropriate type of clothing. I don't wear trousers (well, except for hiking trousers when actually hiking or climbing mountains) nor jeans of any description. Not all women/girls wear trousers. It seems odd to force girls to wear trousers. Of course, skirts should be appropriate.

If you want to wear skirts and dresses - why are you refusing to allow the boys to do so also ?

everyone or no one

and yes - if the schools get fed up of inappropriate clothing I can see why banning altogether is easiest. Clothing is necessary. Skirts are not.