School brings in trousers only rule for all pupils - schoolgirls said to be in tears ...

[IwantToRetire]

Schoolgirls have been left "in tears" after a controversial new uniform rule was enforced at the start of the school year, with furious parents claiming some pupils were stopped from attending lessons.

The row has erupted after Co-op Academies Trust introduced a trousers-only policy across its secondary schools from September.
Some families have refused to accept the change, with pupils at Co-op Academy Failsworth in Oldham arriving for their first day back on Wednesday wearing skirts.

Parents claim that a number of Year 11 girls were not allowed into class, with other pupils affected when they returned on Thursday.

The policy also applies at Co-op Academy Walkden, Co-op Academy Swinton, Co-op Academy North Manchester, Co-op Academy Manchester and Co-op Academy Belle Vue.

Full article https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/schoolgirls-tears-being-turned-away-100800000.html

Any parent under pressure to buy a £1000+ coat for offspring because the 'other kids' have them who doesn't say 'sorry the other kids have idiotic parents, but I can't afford that' has made the rod for their own back.

A uniform wouldn’t stop that here anyway as the coat is whatever you like.

I think that's a fair and honest description of the situation, and people who've worked in schools have said pretty much the same thing here. What wouldn't have been honest would have been "It distracts the boys", even if that could be true. The real point is that school pupils putting on a sexualised appearance makes adults uncomfortable, partly at seeing it themselves, and partly because they know it affects the view that outsiders have concerning the school. If the girls would just wear the uniform properly, nobody would have a problem with it.

It's an interesting question why girls want to do this with their school uniforms. They're mostly going around in jeans and leggings when they're not in school, so why the urge to have ultra-short skirts?

Rebellion. Way back in the mists of time my school instigated a ‘floor rule’ for skirts: the hem had to touch the floor when you knelt down. Otherwise - detention. So we rebelled by taking it to the other extreme and wearing longer and longer skirts.

I recall that when I was at high school in the '70s, when we had mandatory hockey we'd wear our navy blue pleated games skirts with a pair of navy blue shorts under them in order to make sure that everything was covered. (The PE uniform was actually supposed to be navy shorts or the games skirt plus navy blue knickers but - certainly one we reached S3 - about 14 yrs old - we all wore the shorts with the games skirt.)

I often have a problem getting trousers which fit comfortably - I'm between 5ft 8 and 9, but my legs are only 31 inches: it's my torso that's longer.

To the trouser equation, I'll add that girls tend to have more of a bleed-through problem with trousers than with skirts in my experience.

No, I'm not looking (before anyone starts commenting) but particularly when I was a young secondary school teacher I'd have girls coming to me for help when they were caught out. (More specifically, they'd send one of their pals to speak to me.)

At the point when I was in perimenopause, I recall that I more or less gave up on wearing trousers to work and switched to thick skirts. Even running to the loo at the end of each lesson left me in danger of being embarrassed - and that was with HRT. (Yes, I did see my doctor.) Possibly because of my own problems, I'm in favour of girls having a choice.

So far as problems with short skirts and unsuitable trousers and leggings are concerned, believe you me that it did become very obvious in the classroom.

I can't recall ever being aware of girls rolling up their skirts. I've only ever worked in Central Scotland.

The midi was in fashion when I was at high school and the girls round our way don't need to roll up their skirts - they just turn up in mini-skirts. Some kind of elasticated concoction appears to be in vogue at the moment, though they're wearing them with black tights.

A health risk?? 😂

The only thing that would annoy me if they are in year 11 I would have already had the uniform from the previous year so would be annoyed I had to go out and buy trousers. Maybe they could start it from year 7.

This. I remember the skirt-rolling thing back in the 70s, at an all-girls school. Rebellion was that, and not tying your hair back, and not having the approved kind of shoes ( outrageous platform soles were in fashion just then).

We weren't allowed to wear trousers, but it felt as if they were fighting a rearguard action even then. I think most of us wore trousers when we weren't in school. I certainly did, and remember feeling very cynical when we were told that wearing trousers was "unhealthy".

Yes, in the 1970s wearing trousers made your legs hairy. And washing your hair more than once a week destroyed the natural oils. And we all want oily hair.

My concern for girls possibly being worried about bleed-through when wearing trousers would be greater if they were not rolling their skirts up to expose their knickers.

Indeed, the one part that isn't uniform already sees competition (and ironically ends up as uniform as everyone has to own the same expensive thing).

Non-school uniforms days see a battle where every boy needs to have the latest season's football top etc.

No, I'm applying the Equality Act to the situation.

Yes, they did roll their skirts up at my all-girls school whilst on the premises.

"Bigger" just means them falling down my arse instead.

There will be girls who find skirts more comfortable and weren't rolling them up. They have been made to wear trousers through no fault of their own.

Do the laws against rape force men to wear a particular uncomfortable garment for seven or so hours per day?

The girls worried about bleed-through are unlikely to be the skirt-rollers. The last thing a woman or girl who fears bleed-through is going to do is risk exposing her crotch.

Which is really bloody obvious, isn't it?

Which makes skirt-rolling seem even weirder, if it's only done three weeks in four. By people with regular cycles.

No wonder women who go out to work mostly choose to wear trousers.

Exactly.

One of the reasons why I didn't roll my skirt was because I'd had some of that knowledge imposed on me at primary school. That was also why I insisted on an all-girl secondary.

The "little temptresses" narrative is how many paedophiles self-justify their offending and is why so many of them get away with it. The reality is that cohort are naive enough to think that what Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter wear on-stage should inform their schoolwear decisions.

I imagine that the skirt-rollers are confident wearing tampons and don't fear leaks.

First two paragraphs correct. Which is why adults put in rules and expectations that prevent this. Its not working so now skirts have to go and be replaced by trousers. This is why I say 'you're not going out dressed like that'.

And does your mum listen to you?

Exactly, Its very tiresome when people keep bringing up european countries and saying they dont have uniform

No, they have a completely different consumer culture, brand culture and class culture. They also, largely speaking, have a much more respectful view of education. This is absent from UK culture

While I would love for there to be no uniforms, one of the facts is that the stats show that schools which have rigorous uniform rules which are enforced, have better outcomes. Thats not because of uniform, its not in spite of uniform, its not causal, but something about that contributes to the whole ethos of requirements and expectations about your education.

Yeah belts exist.

No she looks a mess and she goes out looking like Nora Batty. I cant do anything with her.

When the girls at my old school wrote the open letter (20 years ago) requesting trouser-only uniform they specifically phrased it as being a wish to have normal work clothes as opposed to a costume associated with fetish wear.

They were not blaming any of their own schoolmates for being the focus of male fantasies.