Girls allowed ankle socks, but boys not at school - is this indirect discrimination?

[TooHotKeepCool]

At my DC's school, the girls are allowed to wear ankle socks with knee length skirts. However, the boys must wear knee-high socks with their shorts. If the boys want to wear ankle socks, they must wear trousers.

Please can someone tell me from a legal point of view if this is in line with the Equality Act 2010 and if it's indirect discrimination?

Thank you for your help!

Presumably this is little bots in shorts. The socks end up wrinkled down anyway

I think it would be good if schools offered all options to all children.

Very unlikely to happen.

I agree with you OP. It really isn’t fair that in very hot weather girls can be cooler in skirts and ankle socks yet boys have to wear long ones.

Ds was horrified to find that none of the secondary schools in our city allow shorts for boys.

My God, some folk have too much time on their hands.

I’ve never seen a boy choosing to wear long socks with shorts unless playing football or rugby. Short socks definitely make more sense for both boys and girls.

@ufucoffee

The school hand book didn't state what the summer school uniform is, just a list of what was required all year.

@Comefromaway

I don't think it's fair that boys largely only get to wear shorts when they're in primary school. If I had girls, I think I'd be annoyed if they could only wear shirts and not shorts.

Then team together with parents of children of both sexes to get a change in uniform for both. Relax it.

That's a good point; if you don't like the uniform, campaign with the PTA to get it changed. If you really think it is worth the bother.

I have to say think short trousers and long socks look quite smart and are normal as school uniform, for small boys, at schools near where I live.

Kids always moan about school uniforms, I bet most of us hated ours (including stupid hats back in the day, velour except in the late Easter and the summer term when we had straw hats), but school doesn't last forever so why worry?

And this is why school uniforms are such a dumb concept. Just let kids wear whatever they want.

There are schools without uniform and a lot have what I would call 'modified' uniforms nowadays, eg guidelines for dress but not strict rules. That seems to be a fair compromise.

The idea of a school uniform is that everyone is the same, no competition. I daresay many parents appreciate that, it makes life easier.

I hated my school uniforms but I think some kids look really nice in them. I wouldn't choose or reject a school on the basis of a uniform.