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Secondary education

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Original poster

Teenage daughters not allowed to wear school ties!

71 replies

mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 02:18

My younger son is starting in year 7 at the same high school as my other three next month, his sisters are starting year 10 and year 11, and my older son is starting his first year of sixth form, which has the same uniform.

Their uniform has until now consisted of a sweatshirt and a choice between either polo shirt or shirt with school ties being optional. But the school has changed the uniform for September so that all those starting in year 7 must only wear polo shirts and that although older pupils still have a choice between shirts and polos, older girls should no longer wear school ties although ties are still optional for boys.

My older lad occasionally wears a polo but prefers wearing a shirt and tie, as do both girls, who want to continue to be able to do so. My youngest lad is happy to wear polos but I have also bought him some proper shirts.

If the girls continue to wear ties, they won't be visible under their sweatshirts so I don't see why girls shouldn't be able to wear them when boys can? Most pupils currently wear shirts rather than polos so why ban those for new starters too?

OP posts:
YourKidsYourRulesHunXxx · 09/08/2014 02:33

Women don't tend to wear ties in the world of work anyway. Whether you agree with this is another issue

Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 02:52

I agree with you, and to be fair to the school, ties have been optional for both sexes til now, but most pupils have chosen to wear them.

My eldest three have friends round most evening, and most start off wearing ties but take them off after a while so are just in open neck shirts, although mine usually keep theirs on after school after taking their jumpers off.

OP posts:
Hakluyt · 09/08/2014 08:49

I think it is ridiculous that girls wear school ties, and harks back to a time when education was seen to be the preserve of boys.

MuttonCadet · 09/08/2014 08:52

In "the world of work" very few men wear ties anymore.

Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 08:59

I just don't see how it can be fair that boys have a choice to wear one or not but girls don't.

Can a school order girls who are wearing ties next term to remove them? What if they refuse? If a teacher sees a boy and a girl both wearing a school tie it would seem unfair to allow one to continue to wear it and not the other.

OP posts:
HPparent · 09/08/2014 09:15

I imagine the school is trying to relieve the uniform burden for parents (in terms of expense) and students by phasing out the shirts and ties. You are lucky. At DD2's school both girls and boys have a to wear a formal suit, which is uncomfortable and expensive, though the girls have open necked shirts and no ties.

If you feel that strongly about it write to the Head or the Governors.

Hakluyt · 09/08/2014 09:46

Storm in a teacup.

Leviticus · 09/08/2014 09:50

Why does uniform need to be the same for both sexes? I don't buy my clothes from menswear. I just don't get it.

eitherwaythatway · 09/08/2014 09:50

FFS. I'd be annoyed too, OP.

Hakluyt · 09/08/2014 09:54

Why would you be annoyed because your girls don't have to wear a particularly bonkers piece of men's formal clothing?

Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 09:56

The school have said that girls wearing school ties will be asked to remove them and they must wear an open neck shirt or polo shirt instead. My eldest girl just said that she would feel silly wearing just a shirt when her brother is wearing a tie, and her sister agrees. Maybe I should ask my son to stop wearing his tie to school so that all of them look the same?

OP posts:
Dumpylump · 09/08/2014 09:58

What Hakluyt said.......and, if the ties the girls want to wear "aren't visible under their sweatshirts", then I don't see what the point of insisting they be allowed to wear them is anyway!

Trills · 09/08/2014 10:03

Women don't often wear ties to work, no, but what is the POINT in making a rule like this gender-specific? It is so petty. Especially when it is optional. Why not leave the option open to everyone?

Llareggub · 09/08/2014 10:05

I couldn't care less about tie wearing but it would annoy me that the school are making arbitrary decisions based on sex. Having said that, I bet the uniform kit asks for girls to wear an all in one swimming costume whereas the boys don't?

Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 11:33

Their ties

OP posts:
Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 11:40

Their ties aren't neces

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Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 11:40

Their ties aren't necessarily

OP posts:
Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 11:41

...visible

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Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 11:41

Unless they tak

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Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 11:43

Their ties aren't necessarily visible unless they take their jumpers off but

OP posts:
Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 11:43

Their ties aren't necessarily visible unless they take their jumpers off but

OP posts:
Original poster
mountainavalanche · 09/08/2014 11:45

But most pupils prefer wearing them.

Sorry bad connection.

OP posts:
HaroldLloyd · 09/08/2014 11:46

It isn't fair but I can't imagine why you would choose to wear a school tie.

If they really want to wear the ties, I would just let them and if the teachers are unhappy speak with them, though I also don't see why they would be bothered about a girl wearing a tie.

So YANBU.

HaroldLloyd · 09/08/2014 11:48

DP is still compelled to wear a tie for work, yet the woman in the office can pretty much wear what they like apart from jeans. So vests etc on hot days when he is a sweaty hot mess.

But they could also wear a tie, if they wanted. Which is the principle I suppose.

Gennz · 09/08/2014 11:49

??? what is the issue? Confused

Do your daughters WANT to wear ties? I wore a tie at school until 6th form, they are a pointless, ugly and unhygienic article of clothing.

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