School girls not allowed to wear trousers

[LewishamMum]

Just read this in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/03/sex-discrimination-schoolgirls-skirts-girls-trousers-equality-act-2010
Are there really any schools that don't allow girls to wear trousers? Finding it difficult to believe this is a problem now, at least in the state sector!

Or local Catholic state secondary makes girls wear skirts.

Went to an all girls Catholic school in the 90s. We weren't allowed to wear trousers. I see students from there in the local shopping centre and while the uniform is still pretty much the same, I've not seen one girl wearing trousers .

Dc go to non-religious school in NI, no trousers for girls.

Crikey, remember complaining about this in 1978 at my secondary school. Who on earth thinks this is ok? When I started teaching in 1989 I remember a staff meeting debating about whether female staff should be allowed to wear trousers. This should not be happening still.

I went to a school that allowed trousers but literally only saw a girl wearing trousers once while I was there.

My eldest dd recently wrote a discursive essay on 'Compulsory School Uniform' and during her research found a ridiculous number of schools that insist on skirts for girls. Some primary schools also insist that girls must wear mary-jane style shoes all year round. Twats.

Both the obvious secondary options for my daughters don’t allow trousers.

At least 2 schools round here don't allowed girls to wear trousers. Both normal state schools, one girls only, the other is mixed.

No trousers for girls until 6th form at my son's school. We're in Surrey.

Local school doesn't allow trousers for girls. parents are bending over backwards, attending church temporarily, fulfilling the entry requirements - known locally as the nearest thing you get to private without having to pay! And we tax payers support this crap!

My dd went to a Catholic high school the girls were allowed to wear trousers but only one style which had to be bought from the school suppliers. The trousers were hideous and only a handful of girls wore them, usually ones in year 7. The uniform is still the same 10+ years later and the girls are still wearing skirts rather than the allowed trousers.

Seems to be a religious thing. What does that say about Priests who have avowed a life without sex?

Children should not be exposed to these men in the 21st Century.

Mind-boggling that this is happening in the 21st century; the state is enforcing gender stereotypes.

if it is ok for private schools to say no trousers for girls, why is it not ok for state schools to say the same thing?

whatatod0 Due to the cost of private schooling we should expect the purchasers to be literate enough to know what they are buying. With state schools, where you have a non-informed purchasers, and people who just fall into it, it's more important to ensure that equality is there.

Also of course, the threshold for interfering in the private rights of individuals is greater than the threshold for interfering in the public rights.

So weird how backwards it's gone, my 1980's comp had a single uniform policy undifferentiated between male and female.

So weird how backwards it's gone, my 1980's comp had a single uniform policy undifferentiated between male and female. It's all marketing and appearances - look like success, is the important thing! Glossy brochures, excessively fancy uniforms - they mean nothing really - but people are superficial and books are judged by their covers whether we value that or not!

I’m in London. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen a girl from the local Catholic school in trousers.

Nope no trousers at my daughters girls catholic grammar until 6th form.

My DD's school is still skirts only for girls. They've moved on from skirts and knickers for PE to skorts, though

I went to a catholic school and we were allowed to wear trousers.

I visited a private school recently with a view to sending our DD, but uniform was a skirt for the girls and it was compulsory. I won't be sending her there.

Local school recently reverted from free choice to skirts only for girls when it became an academy.

Oh and of course, the skirt is a special kilt that can only be bought from one special supplier. Boys can have any old supermarket trousers

Not religious, and not in the wealthiest of areas.

Isn't there a difference though between an all girls school saying the uniform is a skirt (IME most catholic secondaries are single sex), and a coed saying the boys can wear trousers, but the girls can't?
The second instance would be discriminatory, but I don't think the first is.

Our school allows trousers for girls but not skirts for boys.

I think schools that insist on skirts for girls like to think of themselves as traditional and old fashioned and that skirts look smarter.

Not sure it’s particularly a Catholic school thing. Most private schools in this area only allow skirts for girls. Perhaps some state schools think they are being more like private schools by following their school uniform rules. I have certainly noticed state school uniforms are getting more like the private schools - introducing kilts, uniforms with logos on, sports kit with logos on.

It’s cost me a fortune with my twins LOL!

Local grammar does allow girls to wear trousers though they are a specific pair available from a variety of local suppliers. They are completely and utterly revolting and in 10 years of having DC attend the school I never saw any girl wearing them.