Is this indirect discrimination?

[DCIJackieDeering]

this feels to me like indirect discrimination, but wanted to run it past other before I complain.

DD is at a normal state secondary. It’s having a uniform clamp down, which seems to be having a disproportionate effect on girls as the main issue is skirts. There are rules about the length of skirts and the fabric they can be made from. Girls can also wear trousers if they choose.

Today anyone who was not wearing the appropriate uniform was put in isolation or sent home. This was mainly girls because there are more rules about the girls uniform than the boys.

The focus on uniform overall is ridiculous in this school, but I’m particularly annoyed because it mainly seems to be disadvantaging girls.

I’ve already got some points about the discriminatory practise of the girls uniform vs the boys as the boys trouser can be from anywhere, but girls skirt only from school supplier, but wondered about the way the exclusions are impacting disproportionately

In case you were wondering, my DD hasn’t been excluded, but is angry about the way they’re being treated

If they can wear trousers too then I don't think so. I do think the focus on skirt length and shoe type over actual learning is a bizarre thing of modern education though.

Maybe not discrimination, but sounds like Nazi Germany...

Can the girls trousers be from anywhere too?

Maybe they feel they have to have a skirt option but they want to discourage it.

So the girls get a choice of skirt or trousers and boys only get to wear trousers.

I don't think that's discrimination against girls.

Girls trousers can be from anywhere as well

We may have made a few comments to DD about Hitler Youth….

im just annoyed that a large number of year 11 girls missed a days school due to their skirts. I fail to see how this policy has any educational value whatsoever

this may be outing, but apparently DD’s class were told they had to wear black ankle socks as white ones would draw attention to their ankles. Who knew they were being educated in Elizabethan Britain 🙄

I never understood the obsession with girls' skirts at dd's school. Yes, skirts that are excessively short look awful, but as far as I'm aware, they don't actually prevent girls from learning. So much bizarre policing of what girls wear.

WTF????
I think the policy is not inclusive from financial point of view as skirts can only be from a certain place but as there is trousers option it makes complaining difficult.
However the comment about socks is absolutely ridiculous. I just can’t get how someone can even think this way 🤔

It sounds a bit ridiculous with the socks but I think the girls have options so I don't think it's indirect discrimination.

In theory trousers get grown out of faster because skirts have a bigger range of acceptable length, so one might make the argument that it's more expensive to buy boys' uniform!

What fabrics aren't allowed for skirts?

I hate overly picky uniform policies. But this policy seems to be "girls and boys can both wear trousers from any supplier, and girls may also wear this specific skirt". While the skirt rule may be unnecessarily strict, I don't think that it's indirect discrimination.

Are the boys allowed to wear white socks? I'm assuming not since you said the class was told, rather than just the girls? Again, it's pointless time-wasting fussiness about uniform. But not really unfair from a sex point of view.

The socks thing wasn’t a discrimination concern, it’s just one of their daft rules.

i could live with the daft uniform rules until now as we only have a few more months to go, but got really annoyed when so many girls were excluded from lessons today

But they/their parents choose to break the rules.

If more boys than girls break the rules then.more boys would be sanctioned. Nobody would complain.

If more girls rhsn boys break the rules...

Godwin's law proved in 2 posts.

I don't think it's something to get into discrimination about (although the boys might complain), as the girls have the option to wear a skirt, as well as the trousers option and their trousers can be bought anywhere, as for the boys. Presumably the skirts are from a supplier so that they can all conform to the required length and whatever other specifications. I would be more concerned about discrimination if the girls weren't allowed to wear a skirt and the school declared a misnamed 'gender neutral' policy of trousers only.

I think it’s discriminatory, but sex discrimination in clothing and grooming rules has a long history of being allowed by the courts, so sadly I suspect you won’t get far trying to fight it that way. If you can document the staff talking about what the girls wear in terms of it drawing attention to them sexually you might be able to bring enough bad press there way to get them to change the rules.