Sticks head above parapet ... DD and hockey skirts

[FrauHelga]

DDs school have a rule that the girls can't go into town after hockey unless they put joggers on. Boys are allowed to go into town in rugby shorts. She has a major issues with this and saunters out every day in her skirt.

I fear a confrontation with the PE teacher is looming. I will be asked to come in and see them.

Anyone care to help me form a coherent argument?

I suppose it depends on what they wear underneath. Do they have gymn pants/shorts? If not, any outfit that flashes actual underwear I can understand not being suitable off site.

Of course it isn't suitable on site either, but since the rules are already changing there isn't a great deal more to ask for.

If they do - or the skirts are longer than mine was - I don't get one rule for boys and one rule for girls.

Many posters are also afraid to come on these threads and suggest that it is inappropriate for school girls to walk around town in their PE kit, which is a tiny skirt that barely covers their knickers.

Do women who consider themselves feminists love the way Miley Cyrus dresses. Do they think she is a good role model for 10 year old girls?

Well apparently I've done both today.

I'm not sure what relevance mc has here?

Fair enough, I should have said 'too many men are predators'. Not all.

The rest...it makes for an interesting argument. I know when I was a teen I used to wander outside knowing I ran risks, because I was not going to be locked up. Many women and girls I guess would not do so - my parents certainly locked me up the first time I was followed. The risks were and are there (hit close too often) and covering up - or at least not wearing skimpy stuff - is a way of mitigating it. "You pay your money and choose your risk" I guess.

I do not say skimpy clothing 'forces' attacks... just that if that happens skimpy clothing does not help. More coverings do give you extra time, if only to recover from the first shock...it may not make much sense if you haven't been there - ?

It's practicality versus theory...

I do agree, at least in part. It's massively difficult to navigate and probably not for thus thread. Yes there is a massive difference between reality and theory a lot of the time.

It's just the sweeping men are statements that set my hackles off - just like the equivalent women are ones

Apologies for that one. Go on then. Unreservedly, I apologise to any men reading for that sweeping statement.

will go back to lurking

Presumably dads watch the hockey matches? And presumably they're representative of men in the community. So it's okay for them to perve over the girls then? Bizarre double standard.

I think the argument that the school chooses the uniform, and either it's appropriate or it's not, is a good one.

The argument about swimsuits doesn't stack up really - would they be allowed to wear their school swimsuits on the beach? Presumably the answer to that is yes.

If the uniform PE kit is not suitable to be worn in public then it is not suitable to be worn for PE.

^^ That

It's not appropriate, or seemly for young girls.

I came to say what Sashh said basically. If it isn't appropriate why have they got the girls wearing it in the first place?

I'm not a big fan of daft hockey skirts but I can see that it may be ok for a hockey pitch more than wandering round Sainsburys.

probably the same argument for a leotard? You need to see the leg positions for gymnastics - but you wouldn't wear a leotard in the supermarket

Maybe there's an argument for hockey skirts over trackies?

I would ask them why they have an item of uniform which they feel is unseemly for the girls to be seen in?

What earthly sporting reason could there be for girls to wear skirts while playing hockey Laurie? And if it is an advantage, in sporting terms, to wear skirts, then why don't the male players wear them?

oh, I have a question, will the 'cover up' rules change when they all have skorts - ie is there a tactit admission that the old uniform is unsuitable so they think this is 'needed' as an interim measure?

Frau Your daughter sounds excellent btw

I agree with the others who've said that if it isn't decent enough to be worn in public then it isn't decent enough to be part of a uniform!

Also, wrt practicality of skirts in hockey, from my memories of school hockey the only practical thing would be a suit of armour something which cushions vulnerable shins, eg. jogging bottoms.

I don't know what is going to happen when she has a skort - I will get her one as soon as possible and see if it makes a difference.

I'm with those who have asked why the skirt is appropriate for playing hockey but not for walking around town

See what I'm wondering is whether they think that the skirt isn't suitable for playing hockey, hence phasing it out. But they can't come out and admit that. So they are sticking with an old fashioned rule that you just don't wear it off site.

I'm with your daughter.

Surely the fair resolution would be either to have girls wear shorts like the boys, and/or for the boys to have to put on joggers when going off the school site?

If the current hockey skirts aren't suitable for wearing out in public, why are they considered suitable for wearing around school at all?

Oh I see.

If you don't come to FWR often, you don't know if it's a new poster to the topic or a regular who has made a "men are predators" type comment

So you assume it's a regular. Is that right?

Queen, have you seen the twitter feed about what women/girls were wearing when they were raped? It's heartbreaking but it includes jeans, pyjamas, tracksuit etc. Skirts do not cause sexual assault.

I hate this kind of body-shaming of young women. Almost ubiquitous in schools, though.
And I agree that it is dangerous to suggest that men rape/abuse women because of how they are dressed, as this implies responsibility on the part of the potential rapist to dress a certain way to avoid said rape/abuse. It also hints at men as victims, almost, of an unstoppable sexual urge - they see a pair of female legs, they are so overwhelmed by lust they can't help abusing. Which is obviously nonsense, but sadly nonsense lots of society believes.
Rather than teaching girls to be ashamed of their body, schools should teach boys not to see girls as sexual objects. IMO. But they don't really.