So, following on from the school skirts being too short thread, you'll never guess what I was told today

[BerylStreep]

A friend told me today that the headmaster in her DD's primary school has issued a directive that all girls must wear tights all year round, and has personally briefed each class explaining that girls' legs should not be seen, and nor should their pants ever be visible. He was explicit that this was so that boys wouldn't see their legs or pants.

I'm and at this. So parents of girls are put to additional expense of buying tights, and girls are forced to wear hot tights during summer months. The message being given clearly to primary aged girls is that their bodies are sexual (including legs - horror), and that they are responsible for ensuring that boys don't get to witness such sexuality.

My friend wants to complain, and has asked me to help her write a letter of complaint. Can anyone help me compose a letter of complaint?

I'm tempted to advise my friend to write to the head in the first instance asking him to clarify the situation and the rationale for the policy, and await his response before she makes a formal complaint.

The head is completely bonkers btw. He is obsessed with appearance, having regular shoe inspections, and would single out any child for humiliation if they weren't wearing completely black shoes, and sends the VP on a regular basis to interrupt classes to conduct sock inspections - sometimes twice in the same day .

Any thoughts on what I should suggest in a letter of complaint / who should be copied into the complaint?

I would be bothering with the letter. And I would be sending the information to every single authority I could think of, including local and Ofsted.

Just taking them out of the school really is not enough. It is essentially silent acquiescence to not take a stand..... The fact is, it should never ever ever have been an issue in the first place.

I completely disagree jellie - the DD in question has one more year to go and could find it hard to settle and make friends at a new school, even if there is one with space, and the HT would continue to get away with his crappy attitude.

It's a catholic school, makes sense now.

Fugghetaboutit - what the actual fuck does that have to do with it?

It makes no sense, it sounds more like a muslim school . It's a wonder the Head doesn't get the girls to cover their heads too. It's dreadful.

Or an orthodox Jewish school where all the teachers HAVE to wear skirts and tights (I taught in one) and I'm not racist I just don't like sexism only applying to girls.

All the female teachers and girls of course

Apparently at our Catholic primary girls must wear shorts under their dresses If they want to do handstands/cartwheels.

I am about to write and complain about this and a number of other issues.

Quite a lot. Most religious schools are oppressive and sexist to girls and women, as are religions in general. Not difficult.

Fugghetaboutit and ppeatfruit WTAF??!

On a thread with its roots firmly in the equality for all/no victim blaming camp, I am astounded to read comments with their roots firmly in the religion-blaming camp. And i am rarely astounded. Bloody hell.

I agree with CornChips

What if all the girls wore skin coloured tights? Wooly tights hardly do anything cover up do they? I mean still show the shape of their leg if that's the big problem. It would be cooler and easier to wear baggy fitting lose leggings then a short skirt over the top!

Is actually criticising this school not PC then SilentBob?

Sorry, that my opinion, I dislike religion for how it treats women.

a teenager wrote this letter to her head after a bollocking over her dress

fwiw my dcs go to a Catholic school and have no shorts under dresses rule. My dnieces go to a non faith school and have to wear shorts 'for modesty'.

So do I Fugget and however we may not like it many religions are anti women and their sexuality. I feel really sad when I see LITTLE girls covered up.

Sorry ppeatfruit and Fugget I agree re the girls covering up (by which I mean I am NOT happy to see this being 'enforced' in a school) I was just stunned by the 'sounds like a Muslim school' and 'Catholic? That explains it' vibe. I thought it was a touch stereotypical and homogenising of those religions, that's all.

Well you wouldn't see state schools enforcing such rules - whereby boys aren't allowed to heaven forbid be tempted by evil girls' bodies so girls must be punished and cover up. It's bullshit.

They do enforce not short skirts sometimes, but I mean the tights all year policy

My nieces state school enforces it's modesty shorts under dresses rule

The full school was gathered during assembly, and anyone who didn't have completely all black shoes were lined up in front of the whole school.

That is dreadful. What primary age child ever has that much say over their shoes?

I'd take out the cost factor. If you have enough tights for the he winter, might it not save needing to buy 101 white socks?

Can boys wear shorts? Do they need to wear tights for PE?

I can pretty categorically say most women I saw today exposed their legs ( but not their knickers, but at primary??!!)

Send a copy to the Cardinal too.

Tights do not last as long as socks though.
Fugg, this is a state school!

Sorry - been away having dinner. To answer some questions, boys are allowed to wear trousers or shorts. Girls aren't allowed to wear shorts. Apparently when the lecture came to my friend's DD's class, she piped up and asked if they could wear skorts. The Head laughed and asked what they were. She explained, and he laughed again, but didn't answer.

(she is such an earnest child - and I was impressed at her courage and creativity in challenging him)

In terms of whether it is state or faith school, we are in NI, so it is a slightly different set up here. There are Catholic primary schools, but they come under the control of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, so they are state schools, but under the control of the equivalent of a Catholic Education Authority if that makes sense.