School uniform rule - girls not allowed trousers

[Fisharefriendsnotfood]

I'm wondering if I can call on the collective wisdom of you good people to help me construct my argument in the best way.

Dd (5) and yr 1 attends a local R.C primary school that I am more than happy with. She suffers from recurrent thrush and this year I noticed that when she wore tights under her pinafore it seemed to exasperate the problem. I checked the school prospectus for details because I have never seen a girl in trousers at the school and it states that girls must wear a pinafore or skirt as school uniform..

I then emailed the head and explained the issue and asked for clarification on the rules and she said that the last time the issue came before the chair of governors they decided not to introduce trousers as part of the girls uniform. She was very sympathetic and pleasant and said that if I got a doctors letter perhaps she.could allow it.

Now, there is no way dd would wear trousers if no one else was and I also feel that this would high light the issue / invite questions into something that is no one else's business.

So if you are still with me, I want to get the issue raised again with the chair of governors because I cannot think of any valid reason in this day and age why girls should not wear trousers if the want to. I have to speak at a parent voice meeting and if I can muster enough support the issue will be on the agenda of the next governors meeting where I can present my argument.

Where to start? Can anyone offer pointers?

Sorry for the essay

Interestingly, a school in Norfolk recently banned skirts altogether as some girls were choosing to wear them inappropriately short.

Hmm...I suppose some girls will prefer to wear a skirt. We all remember the girls who hitched them up to their knickers - I suppose we can't deny that some girls do desire to be viewed as ornamental.

I wish they didn't.

I used to be a skirt hitcher at school.

To be fair, it was the 80's and I wanted to look grown up. Basically I hadn't a clue back then.

Well done Fish!!

Update...the board has refused to change the rule. Am utterly deflated. Can't believe this is 2014

So sorry to hear that Fish. Thanks for the update. What did they give as the reasons?

Oh blimey. Did they give reasons?

The only thing I can say about wearing school skirts is that I owe my sewing skills to the taking up of the hem of my school skirts ...

I haven't got the official letter yet but the head said they didn't think the am girls would look smart and it wasn't traditional enough

I didn't think they could enforce uniform at primary level anyway? I really can't believe this. No schools in my area have this sort of rule in place. Utterly ridiculous.

So the head is saying the boys look scruffy? If he's not, then how can he say the girls won't look smart? Madness. DD's school doesn't allow trousers for girls (RC, trad) and it does my head in. We're leaving so I'm afraid I cba to fight it (there are so many other issues with the school that trousers are an afterthought!) but good on you for taking this up and following it through. Can't believe they turned you down.

I do not get this notion of children looking smart for school. I think they should look comfortable. But I am American so don't really understand the school uniform business anyway. But to insist that little girls wear skirts to "look smart" and be "traditional" is particularly galling. It's been traditional for women to wear trousers, smart and otherwise, for decades now.

I don't know what to say - I'm aghast that in this day girls are still being forced to wear skirts.

I'm happy to say that I checked the uniform for the school DS1 is starting at, and girls can wear trousers (although summer uniform is listed as just a dress for them.... I would hope they wouldn't be in trouble for wearing shorts like the boys though)

In my experience it's mixed schools that enforce it and girls schools who are happy for the girls to wear trousers (small sample, but still). It rather flags that it's men that are doing this to the girls in this case (girls schools tending to have heads who are women rather than men)

I haven't read the whole thread but I totally agree with the OP. I'm a teacher and I think it's absolute BS that girls aren't allowed trousers in some schools. I have a son and I teach in an all boys school- if I had a dd who wasn't allowed trousers I'd be complaining to anyone I could. It's 2014 and I can't believe this rule exists in some schools. Archaic.

That is very disheartening OP. Do you have a mind to try and fight further?

Chunky - all the mixed schools I know allow girls to wear trousers (and the summer dress is often optional).

Its incredible how out of date some schools can be. I only read the up to date rules on sub-fusc for Oxford (the clothes you have to wear for matriculation, exams and graduation) and both men and women are allowed to follow either the traditionally "male or female" codes.

Fascinating. Your daughter is only five, and already you are challenging school rules.The most significant phrase was I am determined to get the rule changed.The ban on trousers is surprising, but relatively insignificant, certainly not worthy of letters to councillors, M.P.s and Ofsted.
With regard to thrush, which seems to have dropped out of the later arguments, your daughter would be perfectly warm in a pleated skirt, cotton petticoat and knee length socks; far warmer than cotton trousers. How do you think people coped pre 1960s? Older girls with periods prefer loose skirts; more concealing and easier access. And you have obviously never taught a class of older girls clad in skin-tight trousers; unpleasant odours.
This is your fight, and has little to do with your daughter's condition. You will doubtless win, but at what cost to her?

Wow, Goblin. So many assumptions and general unpleasantness in one short post.

What's wrong with challenging school rules? If they're outdated and sexist then they damn well should be challenged.

Would you go out in snow or a gale in a pleated skirt, cotton petticoat (WTF?) and knee length socks? I know I wouldn't.

Older girls with periods prefer loose skirts? Again, not my experience - I feel much more comfortable in pair of dark trousers during my period.

And as for 'unpleasant odours' - erm, what?!

If you don't start challenging silly school rules when your DC starts school when do you do it?

How disheartening - I remember this thread well, and can't believe they've made such a backwards-looking decision.

Time to get back onto your MP about extending sexual discrimination laws to children I think. A petition on change.org? Celebrity support? Caitlin Moran on Twitter? Dunno. Bet there's loads of people out there that care enough about this sort of discrimination to kick up a bit of a stink.

I think I'll write to my MP anyway. I'm not in a position to do much else at the moment.

How would we go about trying to get mumsnet behind a campaign?

i was thinking that, OP

goblinlittleowl rofl. Very funny , great comedy post

After all, it had to be a joke, right ?

Older girls with periods prefer loose skirts; more concealing and easier access.

What a strange thing to say to a group of mainly women, all of whom at one point have been 'older girls'.

Loose skirts are no easier when mucking about with tampons - if anything then the bunched up fabric is more of a pain because you have to hold it out the way and it can obscure your view!

Way to establish a set of ludicrous and crippling norms early, great.

I'd be in favour of a campaign about this, and any other sex discrimination in schools.
"Equal schools - equal rules"!