Gender "neutral" school uniform

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/06/school-bans-skirts-make-uniform-gender-neutral-transgender-students/

Except it isn't. It just bans girls wearing skirts.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/06/school-bans-skirts-make-uniform-gender-neutral-transgender-students/

Should be clickable now. And yes I get the point that women wear trousers, but this is not gender neutral. It is making the preferred male option the default for all.

Yes, they should just have a list, and let anyone where what they want - banning skirts is as bad as banning trousers.

I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing to have one uniform for everyone though would probably favour more letting any pupils wear skirts or trousers as they wish. What has irked me most about this is:

There had also been complaints from the wider community about the length of school skirts, so this was another factor in the decision to ban them altogether.

Mr Smith said: "We know the current uniform is not necessarily worn as respectfully as it should be. "There were problems with decency and a number of issues raised by people in the community about how students were wearing uniform.

That members of the public were complaining about the lengths of schoolgirls' skirts is pretty awful, as is the head teacher referring to this as being about "decency".

Then they enforce the uniform rules properly.

No skirts higher than just above the knee ; no visible underpants hoiked above low slung trousers. Enforced from the point of view of looking neat and tidy and smart- as they should be in a work - place- nothing to do with decency.

IMO these trousers are quite ugly! But generally more suitable than skirts

How exactly are trousers "more suitable" to wear when being taught Maths, English etc?

Gender neutral doesn't mean just trousers, this is so totally idiotic it's really hacked me off. I did one of my teaching placements at this school, a long time ago now. I'm not overly surprised tbh, it has a very liberal middle class demographic as many students' families are associated with the nearby University of Sussex. It was one of very few schools I've been in that allowed long hair on boys. I used to think that was because they had some common sense, but they've obviously fallen down the rabbit hole since then.

The headline should be "school bans skirts due to inability to implement uniform rules and a perception that teenage girls are indecent". As people have already said, a properly gender neutral uniform would be to have one list of uniform that includes skirts, trousers and shorts, and allow students to wear whichever items they prefer.

This quote from the article is very clear:

One mother said: "My daughter and her friends are appalled by this. The school is creating a hostile environment for girls."

Your uniform skirts are seriously too short if bending over a little displays underwear. It's an issue of a too-short uniform skirt, or poor uniform adherence with girls rolling them up or otherwise shortening them. Why is the answer to ban skirts? Why not have an appropriate uniform skirt, and properly enforce uniform rules?

Very odd then that the girls and the teachers at the school my son attended, seem to manage to be taught and teach whilst the girls wear skirts.

All of your objections can be overcome by knee length skirts and opaque tights. And perhaps less of an idea that girls are temptresses flashing their knickers.

And perhaps less of an idea that girls are temptresses flashing their knickers.

Especially this. I find that kind of implication quite ire inducing, judgemental and a pretty unpleasant attitude towards girls.

There's a uniform at my school until reaching Year 12, the vast majority wear skirts and this causes no issues whatsoever.

The headline should be "school bans skirts due to inability to implement uniform rules and a perception that teenage girls are indecent"

This.

Perhaps Fettes College and Glenalmond College (Scottish private schools) should ban their boys wearing kilts?

OMG, if one of those lads teeters off their skateboard they might flash their pants and distract the female students from their studies!!

It's the same old, same old, isn't it?

The conventionally male option is the default, neutral option. And conventionally female clothing is indecent or inappropriate.

Because maleness/masculinity is defined by being not-female. The worst thing a boy could do is wear a skirt, whereas, for girls to wear trousers is to be "neutral" - being female is the anomaly, and must be gotten rid of.

Y3 girl was told today she should wear shorts from now on for playtime underneath her skirt.

I hope her parents told the school to naff off.

The worst thing a boy could do is wear a skirt

Even in the land of blokes in skirts being commonplace....

Scores of girls at Parkside Primary, which opens its doors tomorrow, are set to arrive for the start of term resplendent in Holyrood tartan after opting to wear kilts

But the boys – who were also allowed to choose the traditional plaid garments from a “school uniform menu” – have uniformly decided to ditch kilts and are sticking with standard dark trews

www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/education/boys-reject-kilts-at-edinburgh-gaelic-school-1-3046916

@AssassinatedBeauty since it was said directly to the child,no idea if she'll pass it on,but if she does I do hope the parents react that way.
Sad thing is,she was totally oblivious,guess she wont be for long.

I would like to see trousers as standard for all primary aged pupils. Secondary I'm more open to choice. In primary I played football with the boys every day but luckily girls were allowed trousers or I know I wouldn't have played. Kids need to be able to muck around outside in primary. Skirts are far more inhibiting that people really realise I feel. Even 6 yr old girls 'know' to be embarrassed about flashing their pants, let alone 10 yr olds. I worked on my cartwheels as the skirt wearers hung around the edges. I remember the gap between me and the boys, and the girls in the school yard. I actually had fun.

Even 6 yr old girls 'know' to be embarrassed about flashing their pants, let alone 10 yr olds.

Well the girl today couldn't give a shit,(and neither do a few others),until a grownup fucking brought it up and told her she should cover up.

That comment is even more ridiculous considering kids change together for PE in ks1 at least. So standing there in just a pair of knickers is fine,but god forbid someone sees a flash of knickers on the playground.

Rebel, I agree it's horrific to be humiliating little girls like that. But considering how people are, girls would have a lot more freedom in a pair of trousers.

You are very right, and this is not equality. Everyone needs to have the same opportunity to wear skirts or trousers. How do they not see this?