in thinking that my daugther's school shouldn't change the uniform to trousers allowed for girls without asking parents?

[Littlemissbusy]

Just heard on Friday that it's likely that my DD's school will allow girls to wear trousers from this September (current only skirts for girls). I'm outraged that parent's haven't been involved in the decision. Just need to rant I think! I actually feel very strongly that trousers shouldn't be introduced - but just a strongly that it's just been decided!!
Any thoughts / experiences from anyone else. particularly anyone wear trousers are allowed - do any girls actually then choose to wear skirts??

Its the 21st century. Surely schools have bigger issues than whether girls should be allowed to wear trousers.

Girls are allowed to wear trousers or a skirt both at my son's school and the school I work at. Generally younger girls wear skirts and the older girls wear trousers.

They all look fine and the important thing is that they concentrate on studying and not what they are wearing.

Of course not! I was just thinking of an extreme example!

yes but allowing trousers isn't extreme so it's a bit odd to think of an extreme example to compare it to.

Do you really have nothing better to get you knickers in a twist about?

Littlemissbusy on Sun 29-Jun-08 21:31:14
'OK - so maybe it is trivial in the grand scheme of things. But part of my furstration is that it's a Pupils' School Council decision that's brought this about. The last big decision from school council was that children should be able to choose each day whether to have packed lunches or school dinners (rather than on a weekly / termly basis), and we had to send the children in every day with exact money in a purse - so I think I'm still smarting from that decision!! '

But if this is inconvenient for your family why don't you just tell your daughter this? (genuinely bemused).

I don't let my children chop and change over their lunches either- but I don't need other people to tell them, I can do that myself!

It seems to me that you are relying on other people to do your parenting. Why should other parents have to adapt to what's convenient for you (no trousers, no daily lunch hour decisions) because you are afraid of peer pressure? If you don't want your dd to have trousers, don't buy them. Simple as.

I remember winning the "trousers for girls" battle at our comp in the late 70s so it's not exactly new or a shocking change. As someone else said, more shocking that they don't have the trouser option already in this day and age. DS's school changed uniform a couple of years ago (introduced blazers where they hadn't had them previously) and we weren't consulted. They did make allowances for those going into their final year so they could carry on with old uniform. I don't see the school's uniform code as something I have a right to influence, but then again, am on PTA of both schools so tend to have advance warning of what's coming.

trousers were just being allowed whilst we were at school and we were grateful for it, being self concious teenagers we were, although black skirts weren't allowed as some took the liberty of wearing mini skirts.
Tbh, I don't understand why you're upset, but I hope ranting away helps.

If you don't like trousers being worn by girls, then send your daughter in a skirt it's not like they are saying only trousers, they're giving you a choice.

Trousers were brought in when I was at school because of the high numbers of Muslim girls in my area. I was made to wear a skirt until I was in Year 10 when I had a choice, but I was only allowed one pair of trousers so that I didn't live in them (I do now though).

YABU. If it's a mixed school, girls are less likely to be physically active in skirts than trousers ("I can't do the monkey bars because Johnny will see my knickers"). Trousers are warmer. Trousers make small girls less attractive to perverts (mmm.... honestly!) Girls can run faster in trousers etc etc...

Skirts are impractical and restrict movement which maybe doesn't matter to adults but should matter to parents of girls who don't want their daughters' life choice restricted by outmoded school uniform rules.

Of course your daughter can wear skirts: every single girl in my DDs' school does, except for one who wore trousers for half a term when our rules were changed and then decided she didn't want to be the odd one out anymore

Read this thread expecting a bloodbath, but kudos to LMB for at least taking the flood of (to be fair, reasonable) "YABU and slightly mad" comments in good humour!

Trousers are so much more practical. They are my first choice for DD. Especially as her palyground is so cold most of the year. It seems to have it's own micro climate. It can be really warm down the road and when you walk through the gates you are shivering.

I actually think they look smarter as the skirts look odd as they can all be different lengths.

Buck the system altogether.

Send her in in a gorilla suit.

I wish the dc's school would let the girls wear trousers - I prefer them! Actually there's a school near us where trousers are compulsory (for girls and boys).

I think that it's not an unreasonable thing for a school council to decide on either - lets them feel they've got a bit of control over a relatively unimportant thing. The dinner money thing would irritate me more. Why not join the pta and lobby the school against these decisions if they bother you? If it's a fee paying school the money-payers views will count more highly than the student's.

Why should the school consult the parents about every little thing?

If you don't like the ethos of the school and don't trust it to educate your child well then choose another.

They aren't there to make sure that the parents are happy every step of the way they are there to educate children in the best way they and the government see fit, adding trousers to the uniform list is a very minor change along with deciding which books to purchase for the library and which colour to paint the school hall. Perhaps you'd like a say on those matters as well?

In which case get yourself elected onto the governing body as soon as possible and the world of school decisions can be yours.

YABU.

However - can someone explain to me exactly why they are yelling SEX DISCRIMINATION SEX DISCRIMINATION??

How many boys wear skirts? Is that sex discrimination too? What do you think would happen if a boy wanted to wear a skirt to school? Would he be allowed/encouraged?

Nope? Thought not.

Girls actually have MUCH more freedom clothes wise than boys do. I think if anyone is suffering in that respect - it is the lads!!

At DS's school the girls can wear trousers or skirts - most wear trousers in winter and skirts in summer in secondary. I did notice at the end of year assembly on Friday that a couple of the older girls looked almost indecent in short skirts. In primary they wear pinafores and tights in winter or trousers.

The trousers can look smart. Esp the nice, made for girls, boot-cut ones.

Oh yes, I know what you mean! There are a couple of girls in ds class who wear skirts that are BELTS!! Honestly, they have their knickers on display all the time!

I don't know what kind of parent thinks 'Hooker' is a good look for their nine year old girl!

So the school consulted its pupils on two issues concerning their personal freedom - what to eat at lunchtime and whether they wanted to add another smart option to their smart uniform. Admirable involvement of children in minor school decisions, building confidence, increasing sense of belonging and control of children - what's not to like? FGS - it's not as though they are alowing them to wear jeans and T-shirts. If they were forcing them to wear one or the other (thus forcing parents to spend money changing over from skirts to trousers or vice versa) then you would have a point - but as everyone else has said, most schools offer this choice anyway. And IME most girls choose to wear skirts.

The luncthime food issue - just keep a little jar of change on standby if and when you/your children decide they want hot dinners instead of sarnies. What's the bother?

As far as I can see neither you or any other parent is having any change foisted upon you so what consultation were you expecting, exactly? A full meeting (out of hours so working parents have to opportunity to attend, thus forcing the head/teachers to come back to school in the evening)? Or a parental questionnaire? The latter would not be too much hassle - but I think the point behind all this is that your school is trying to give its pupils a degree of say over certain things that happen in the school. Isn't that something you approve of?

I don't want my daughter to cut a fringe. But if other children are allowed fringes, she'll be subject to peer pressure. I want the school to ban fringes! Because it's too much trouble for me to tell my daughter that it's me that doesn't want her to have a fringe.

As people keep telling you, OP, the school is not imposing trousers on you. What they are imposing on you is the need to inform your daughter that it's actually you that don't like trousers. Big deal.

Ah just spotted a school girl walking past - they have the option of no skirt or trousers - oh sorry there is a skirt she just rolled it up to her bum as most of them do when out of sight of parent

Trousers are much less sexual and apparently the girls get trouser inspection at school - to make sure they are not to skinny or flared.

If you want your dd to wear a skirt it will be more difficult with her peers wearing trousers - but think of the advantages.

I am not sure it will be more difficult for the dd to wear skirt if trousers are allowed. In dd's school both are allowed and most girls look at the weather before they decide what to wear.

(Or, in dd's case, look at what is actually available/clean/not outgrown/not too ridiculously worn out or faded.)

It seems entirely pragmatic and there is no difference in status between trousers and skirts.

Dresses are also allowed, though it's mainly the younger ones wearing those as the pattern does look a bit babyish.

Goodness Cory - girls that look at the weather and let that detirm their choice of clothing? That is a new one for me - teenage girls with sense [grins]

Mine and most in this area take no notice whatso ever of the weather its all about the in thing....

I left school last century in 1994. We were allowed to wear trousers!

Seems an odd thing to be bovvered about