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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Girls wearing trousers at primary...

101 replies

tiredandbusy · 06/10/2011 22:07

Hi!
DD transferred schools to one that's nearer (we can walk), smaller etc this term (yr4). She's always worn mostly trousers to school as well as skirts and summer dress. She was told by the girls at her new school that trousers weren't allowed but I dismissed it as absurd.... no teacher mentioned it...

Today, I asked the head and and was told that yes indeed the governors set the uniform policy and girls are not to wear trousers. Her reasons included not finding a style that suited all girls....? (boys are clearly all of identical build), no other girls minded, and we all have rules we have to live by...

I tried to reason with her politely that my daughter was more comfortable in trousers when that was what she decided to wear, warmer, quicker to change after swimming, less scraping of knees, no knickers showing when playing and cartwheeling.... She just dismissed these like I was being overdramatic and said that the kids can't just decide for themselves what to wear - I suppose it isn't really life or death but grey trousers ARE a part of the uniform - just restricted to those children with penises - and it is this I feel is unfair. She just wants a choice.

I was invited to write to the governors to request a review of the policy - I might suggest to DD that she do this??

Am i making a mountain out of a molehill?

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Mokemum · 07/10/2011 16:41

And putting on tights after swimming is a nightmare. All the girls were trousers on swimming day!

budgieshell · 07/10/2011 17:10

Both my DD's wear trousers for school the eldest has leg splints because she has CP. Trousers cover up the brightly coloured plastic that is not quite the school colours (neon greens,reds and blues). Luckely this is ok at their school but non of the other girls wore them until we started now quite a few do.

Have you spoken to other parents about this? How do your daughter friends feel about it? Maybe they would love to wear trousers too.

I remember trousers for girls being introduced when I was in my final year around about the time girls from other cultures where wearing trousers under their skirts anyway.

WinnieMac · 07/10/2011 17:43

nickelbabe, you don't have to wear tights, you know. Over-the-knee socks are fine.

netherlee · 07/10/2011 18:07

Yes but is it a bad thing to teach girls at this age that (short of illegal) they have to do as they are told.

I didn't enjoy wearing a skirt, some of my friends hated it (like strandednomore DD) but we all survived and grew up respecting authority. Nowadays its usually the length of skirts kids rebel against.

SheWhoMustNotBeFlamed · 07/10/2011 18:37

My dd is at a small private school. Uniform is grey pinafore for the girls. I mentioned to the Head that my dd would prefer trousers and she said 'no problem' so long as she was wearing the full boys' version of the uniform. In fact, she said it would be illegal to prevent her.

PointyBlackHat · 07/10/2011 21:00

To all those who are saying 'rules are rules' - if we all lived by that adage, women still would not have the vote.

Where the rules do not meet the criteria imposed by common sense, the rules should be changed.

If my school tried this, I would be taking it to the media, and the courts, under equality and discrimination laws. As hullygully said - end of.

netherlee · 07/10/2011 21:08

I did say "short of illegal" and I honestly don't see it as such, especially as we now have warm tights that didnt exist 20 years or so ago. And knickers and tights are enough for modesty at that age SURELY, even if it flops up the whole way for a few seconds.

BabyGiraffes · 07/10/2011 21:21

Slightly late reply to nickelbabe, my dd just started reception and even at 4 years old is not keen to flash her knickers at anyone. There's nothing wrong with her but she is very very private.
Having said that, she will NOT ever wear trousers... which is just as well because her school uniform is also quite strict and pinafore only. No idea if anyone has ever challenged it. I had no uniform at school at all (abroad) but would probably have refused to attend school because I am the opposite to my dd and will only put on a dress if I absolutely have to (as in, never)
I think children should be treated as individuals and if a girl would rather not wear skirts and dresses, then that should not be a problem.

Mokemum · 07/10/2011 21:41

We did have warm tights 20 years ago - I wore them and I hated them!

Wholeheartily agree with PointBlackHat.

This issue is apparently no big deal - but it is a big deal - it's a big deal to the staff & Governors who insist that girls should NOT wear trousers - it is very much a big deal to them otherwise why insist upon it as a RULE, why waste time making it an enforceable rule. If it wasn't a big deal to the school they would allow all children to wear trousers - so who is the idiot insisting on the no trousers rule and why weren't they more concerned with something more important - like educational standards?!!!.

Harecare · 07/10/2011 21:51

Netherlee - Children should do as they are told, but another valuable lesson is that if you have a strong argument and you make it well and get support you can get rules changed. We started a petition in our secondary school and they have allowed trousers ever since. We did as we were told, but we protested in the correct and acceptable manner.

Tights and knickers are enough for modesty, but they are more awkward to get on and off - especially for reception children. Tights aren't as thick as trousers - in the winter you can wear both for warmth. Skirts catch on things more. Knees graze more easily through tights than trousers. I'd actually prefer DD1 to wear jeans, but that isn't an option.

I wear trousers every day except if I am going out as they are far more practical. At school kids need practical clothing.

auntpetunia · 07/10/2011 22:53

Next do really nice culottes would they be a good compromise? DD loves them gives her the freedom like trousers but looking like a skirt.

Lonnie · 07/10/2011 23:03

I find it interesting that you are all up in arms about the school that says no troussers for girls but no comments on the school that has banned skirts what is the difference?

I have 3 girls they have worn skirts through out their primary (2 through 1 in year 3) all of the schools we have had a child attend (4) girls were permitted troussers (even in the private one we used for a while) my girls chose to not do so.

For swimming they would have pinafores when younger but as they got older skirts were no more issue than troussers were. troussers can be as complex to get on as tights with damp skin.

I have a son whom is 9 He goes through more trousser knees that the 3 girls do combined of tights. None of mine have suffered from thrush dd1 however easilly gets cystitis if she wears troussers.

Now I am in no way saying that a school should not allow a girl in troussers however for "me" the girls not being permitted skirts however for me is as wrong as saying no they cant wear troussers.

CardyMow · 08/10/2011 00:09

I would have liked to see the school that could get my DD to NOT wear trousers. DD has refused to wear skirts or dresses since she was old enough to express a preference - certainly it was before her second birthday when she stuffed every skirt and dress that she owned into the bin!

DD is now 13yo - and hasn't worn a skirt or a dress since she was 2yo. My dd's response to this rule would be that she would just go in her knickers then, because there's no way in hell she's wearing a skirt.

TOTAL sex discrimination - would ANY of you ladies be happy if you went to work, and got told that even in the middle of winter, when it is below zero outside, you were only allowed to wear a skirt, while your male colleagues were allowed to wear trousers? I BLOODY DOUBT IT. So why should it be any different for a child?

CardyMow · 08/10/2011 00:15

If they school are saying trousers only - then that is fair as the uniform is the same for girls and boys. Maybe they went that far because of This boy who was protesting against the uniform rules at his school - which stated that girls could wear skirts in the summer but boys couldn't wear shorts.

Lonnie · 08/10/2011 00:17

Why is it fair enough? treating people equally doesnt mean treating them the same.

CardyMow · 08/10/2011 00:31

Because trousers, if a default is needed, are warmer than a skirt. And there is NO sexual bias in saying 'The uniform for our school is black trousers, white shirt,red jumper'. If it is the same for ALL pupils, then there is no bias, no discrimination, no unfairness.

However, a school stating that 'girls are not allowed to wear trousers' or 'boys are not allowed to wear shorts' are being biased, discriminatory and unfair.

josephinebonaparte · 08/10/2011 00:51

Can't believe this us still happening in 2011 and that some posters on this thread don't see it as an issue. All children should be allowed to wear trousers.

Lonnie · 08/10/2011 01:24

I disagree that troussers are warmer than skirts and tights. In my DD1's case it would cause her to be ill is that acceptable as long as we do not have a sexual bias? Skirts are a piece of clothing that some people chose to wear. All I am saying is that both should be a possible option disallowing either is not acceptable.

josephinebonaparte · 08/10/2011 08:20

What about tights under trousers

TastyMuffins · 08/10/2011 08:37

Surely they should take trousers off the list for boys too, shorts are far more practical.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 08/10/2011 08:49

Both should be allowed, they are at my DCs school. I sat through both harvest festivals at our primary yesterday (KS1 and KS2) and noticed that while few girls were wearing trousers in KS1, the older they get, the more likely they are to be wearing them, some of the Yr6 girls are pretty grown up, I can fully understand why they would not be wanting their knickers on show when they have to sit cross legged in assembly and when they are playing, but why should they wear tights in summer? At the other end of the school, a lot of the Yr R girls struggle with getting tights on after PE, and no way is a skirt and any sort of socks warm enough in winter.

budgieshell · 08/10/2011 15:13

I just asked my 8 year old DD what she would do if she could not wear her trousers for school and she said " thats not fair, I would just go in disguise as a boy and say pst it's me".

Lonnie · 08/10/2011 16:23

I know of a school where the boys are only allowed shorts no troussers and no it is not private./

MigratingCoconuts · 08/10/2011 16:46

All the other twaddle about knickers, fatness and thrush is not only ludicrous, it's irrelevant

That's the best statement on this thread so far!!

fivegomadindorset · 08/10/2011 16:53

We had this problem with DD last summer term, the girls are allowed to wear trousers but not shorts in the summer, she has not worn a skirt since she was 2, thinks she is a boy, wants to be a boy in fact. My brother who is a governor helped sort it, but HT was adament that DD would wear a dress and that by buying one and hanging it up in her room she would be persuaded to wear one

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