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??

My Dd wears trousers to school because she hates tights, they are a nicely, tailored pair, and she looks lovely.

So there.

Woonderful news about the change of plan! Thank goodness the school is clearly:
a) unreasonable, b) mad c) out of touch / from a different century. Sounds like it is just right for you.

I do wish my great-grandfather hadn't run from left Sweden in dubious circumstances....I reckon I'd fit right in.

I can't believe that the school has changed its mind over this utterly ridiculous complaining from parents.

I also can't believe that some parents clearly want their daughters to remain in some sort of pre-feminist world.

Barmy!

The one element that has really surprised me on this thread is the whole "feminist" and equality thing. If we think that female equality is achieved for our daughters by allowing them the choice over whether to wear trousers or a skirt to school, then everyone is madder than you think I am. Of all the things to campaign for in order to achieve sexual equality, wearing trousers or not to school, is not the one IMO.

YAB very U.

I'm not bothered from an equality point of view to be honest. But think tha girls should be "allowed" to wear trousers from a non-cruelty point of view. They're warmer in winter. Plus there's research that shows that girls who wear trousers to school are more active in the playground as not as inhibited. Therefore less likely to be obese.

If you don't want your dd in trousers then send her in a skirt. How odd that you think you should have a say in what the other girls in the school wear though. Especially when there are so many benefits.

Actually, LMB, I'm with you on this one-Well a teeny bit anyway!

I wouldn't mind the girls in trousers if they were properly tailored but it's those cheap, nasty, stretchy, black things I don't like. All flared at the bottom and way too long. At ours, the infant girls wear navy smocks with navy tight in winter and the junior girls wear navy skirts with grey tights. No skirts above the knee allowed. Looks very smart.

But...I'm in total agreement that trousers are far more practical and that this is just my crazy aesthetic preference!

Nobody is suggesting that female equality is based solely on clothing; of course it isn't. However, the choice to wear trousers was given to us today because in previous years a few women were willing to put themselves forward, facing ridicule and harassment, in order to find a way for women's clothing to be less restrictive so that we COULD participate in activities that were traditionally denied us. Why on earth would we want to wind back the clock?

Speaking as a "feminist" (quotes and all) can I point out that ahem you're the one actively campaigning for trousers not to be available to girls.

But clearly, you're better "feminist" (quotes and all) than I am. May I ask what battles you have, instead, reserved your energies for fighting on behalf of the sisterhood?

Littlemissbusy on Thu 03-Jul-08 19:03:44
"The one element that has really surprised me on this thread is the whole "feminist" and equality thing. If we think that female equality is achieved for our daughters by allowing them the choice over whether to wear trousers or a skirt to school, then everyone is madder than you think I am. Of all the things to campaign for in order to achieve sexual equality, wearing trousers or not to school, is not the one IMO. "

Nothing to do with feminism as far as I'm concerned.

More to do with the fact that the parents and children who wanted another choice had to give way to parents who simply were too lazy to make a parental decision for their child alone. I wouldn't want to have to tell my child that 'you are not allowed to wear trousers, it's not because I or the school don't want you to, but because Amy's Mum wants her to wear skirts'. The natural question is 'if Amy's Mum wants her to wear skirts, why can't she tell Amy so?' And I wouldn't have an answer to that.

It has quite a bit to do with health concerns. Much less risk of getting a chill, an UTI or developing arthritits later in life if you keep your legs warm. The incidence of arthritic/rheumatic diseases is quite high in this country and it may not be a coincidence.

I am glad my dd does not attend your school as she gets bad muscle cramps when her legs get chilled.

One reason why Swedish and Norwegian turn up at school with their legs well covered is that they are expected to spend breaktime out of doors in all weathers, not skulk in the ICT suite "because it's too cold".

At dc's school the children are regularly kept in at breaktime because of bad weather. I see this as directly linked to the ridiculous flimsiness of much of the school uniform and I think it is a very unhealthy attitude.