Comments on: Secondary school bans girls from wearing skirts

By: David Band

David Band — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:46:40 +0000

This is an interesting discussion especially after the news story about a bright 14 y.o. schoolgirl being sent home after her skirt hem-line was deemed too short. I personally feel it’s a matter of whether the girls look reasonably smart or not for school. I live in the south-east of London and on my journey using public transport to work, children of various schools, mostly state secondary travel at the same time as me. Most girls wear skirts and tights and only a handful actually wear trousers. However a few girls wear mid-thigh skirts and ankle length socks (similar or maybe slightly shorter length than the girl in the photo above). I feel that when those girls are wearing sensible calf length socks and the look generally smart than the length of the skirt isn’t really a problem. But – what I think is a little inappropriate is when girls take to wearing roll-top stockings above the knee and a short skirt. I found it slightly disconcerting the other day when both me and I would say a 12 year old school-girl almost bumped into one another as I was boarding and she was departing from the tram. We both politely said our ‘sorrys’ but I didn’t think it was right that this 12 year old girl was wearing these roll-top stockings against her short skirt because it made her clothes look provocative so from that point I can see why school take issue with this. However, I think it mainly comes down to common sense and I can see why shorter skirts are favoured particularly in the summer when the weather is hot as it can be uncomfortable wearing tights or even trousers. During my primary school years in the late 70′s/early 80′s I wore short grey shorts (1/3rd thigh length down) apart from in the few months of winter right up to the age of 11 so I can see how they can benefit during the warmer months. I think we just should take a sensible approach to this and individual schools should take concerns about skirt length at more than just face value.

By: girls skirts

girls skirts — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:36:51 +0000

Wearing skirts for teenagers specially in school is not so good. It’s just right to ban it because it will be abused by many vulgar boys. Girls should be responsible enough in their dress code inside the school to avoid bad things happen.

By: chelsie

chelsie — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:54:04 +0000

HOW DO PEOPLE SEND THERE KIDS TO SCHOOLE DRESSED LIKE THAT

By: Gareth

Gareth — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:31:31 +0000

A male perspective follows. What a lot of fuss. I was at school in the 1960′s, when short skirts were short! It wasn’t a problem, there were no behaviour or discipline problems, it was just the norm. If you are going to have a uniform then let the kids agree on why and on what it should be.

If girls are sending out ‘inappropriate messages’ then they will just find another way to do so – the remedy lies in part in giving them self confidence and self esteem – so that they don’t automatically value themselves by how sexually provocative they can be, and in part by recognising that sexual attraction, flirting etc is normal behaviour as kids grow into their teens – again educate them in socially acceptable ways to express themselves. In short, the school seems to failing the pupils by dealing with surface issues and not the underlying issues of personal development.

By: Hilary

Hilary — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:47:46 +0000

This is sending out the wrong message.

How can just wearing a skirt, have become ‘sexualisation’?
We already expect girls to emulate boys by wearing ties (probably the only time in their lives they will have to).

Now we are saying you must dress completely like a boy!!

What’s wrong with being a girl and wearing girls clothes! Sensibly of course.

Are we saying its wrong to be a girl?
It is a girls fault for looking like a girl?
Girls are too sexy unless we dress them like boys?

Where is this leading…. the burka.

Short skirts were frowned upon in schools in the sixties too.

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:20:34 +0000

As with too many issues in schools it is the enforcment of the school uniform policy that is weak; not the students. The issue of school skirts and their length and style is not a new one. I recall the issue of pencil skirts with splits at the side (essential if you actually wanted to be able to walk in the skirt)when I was at school in the early 1980s.
My daughter’s mixed school(state school)took issue with skirt lengths and this year introduced a complusory school skirt. Complusory style school trosuers are are to be enforced from this September. Their ‘consultation’ with parents was to write and tell us that a complusory school skirt was being introduced and that parents ‘who had been asked’ (unclear who was asked)were fully supportive.
The skirt, which at £16 each is more expensive than anywhere else and is only available from the school uniform shop. Is this not in contravention of the Government’s school uniform policy of enabling parents to choose where they buy uniform to suit their personal budget?
The school already has in place a strict uniform card scheme whereby any student not wearing full uniform gets this noted on the card and this leads to a detention.
Result of the new introduction? The girls all roll the skirt up to be shorter and not one of them has had their uniform card marked. Result for the students – they continue to roll their skirts up. Achievement for the school – less than nothing.
The next ‘issue’ on the horizon? Girls being told they can not wear coloured bras under their white shirts (although they have to ask permission to take their jumpers off – even in warm weather).
The only risk I can see for my daughter is observing true ineffectiveness and inertia in action. Or maybe I am just one of those a parents unbale to discipline their child?

By: Lee Ingram

Lee Ingram — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:39:41 +0000

incedently the mini skirt goes right back to Anglo-Saxon times with some burial findings of Anglo-Saxon early English having worm short skirts!
So it is actually part of England’s culture but nevertheless yes girls of school age should dress as children because that is what they are – school children.
But the reaction has gone to far here, if you can’t control the girls from making their skirts shorter then get new staff to enforce the rules properly for children to dress respectfully, but then also if a short skirt places a child at risk!? then also please look into why that girl is at risk and attempt to reduce that risk i.e. a culture change is also needed to stop children becoming sexualised before adulthood and a culture change is needed to stop the vile preditors from roaming our streets and then maybe we could get to a day when school girls can wear short skirts as nothing more than a fashion statement and not a sign of becoming sexualized to early and they would not fear preditors who deem it as a green light to attempt abuse as preditors would all be locked away.