At least 40 secondary schools in England have banned girls from wearing skirts, as protesters of new policy insist any teacher who finds a child’s leg “too sexual, should be sacked immediately for gross misconduct.”
According to the Sunday Times, schools are opting for gender-neutral uniforms to encompass transgender students, with others consulting on a ban.
Priory School, a secondary in Lewes, East Sussex enforced a ban on skirts and ordered girls to wear trousers instead in an effort to accommodate transgender pupils, after students had asked why girls and boys had to wear different clothes.
Headteacher Tony Smith said in September, “We have a small but increasing number of transgender students and therefore having the same uniform is important for them.”
But feminists have complained that a complete ban on skirts in favour of gender-neutral uniform is not the answer to the growing number of transgender pupils, arguing that children should be offered a choice.
Renowned feminist, the American author and former Bill Clinton adviser Naomi Wolf stated that: “I think that trousers-only for everyone is a silly way to go — unless you are going to also offer the option of skirts-only for everyone. I believe that if everyone is offered the option of both skirts and trousers, everyone can find his, her or their comfortable fit.”
Copleston High School, in Ipswich, has put skirts on a list of inadmissible items alongside “skinny jeans and facial piercings”. In Ipswich, a total of eight secondary schools prohibit skirts, which means the majority of female pupils in the town attend ‘trouser-only’ schools.
Skirts at Woodhey High School, in Bury, were classed as “undignified and embarrassing” for staff and visitors when girls sit on the floor for assembly and in drama classes.
I swear most people watch @GMB with the sound off. I do not want to ‘ban the skirt’ I’m simply supporting Schools who have taken the decision to make their uniform more uniform by making it uniformally trousers for everyone. Outside school, wear whatever you like.
— Natasha Devon MBE (@_NatashaDevon) July 3, 2018
Just read that schools are banning skirts to encourage a gender neutral uniform. I’m sorry, but this is stopping girls from being girls. That’s not being neutral that’s like a ban in identity. Bloody ridiculous. How on earth has British society reached this point?
— Sarie Weaving (@SWeavie) July 2, 2018
I don’t see why they need to ban skirts in schools. I get that we want to include transgender children and we should, at my school it was always a choice if we wanted to wear a skirt or not and no one would’ve thought anything of someone wearing trousers over a skirt. #GMB
— laura.🧜🏼♀️ (@PopcornDonuts) July 3, 2018
There has been a backlash from some schools, who are fighting to save the skirt. Students at Philips High School, Bury, have assembled hundreds of signatories to their petition in reaction to plans to make wearing trousers compulsory for boys and girls next year.
They argue that a ban on skirts is “sexualising” pupils’ bodies. Female students at the school also claim that they feel more confident in skirts and forcing them to wear trousers could “damage our mental health.” The petition states: “If any teacher believes seeing a child’s leg is in any way ‘too sexual’,” then “they should be sacked immediately for gross misconduct.”
It comes as Theresa May’s Tory government is planning to bring forward its consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004, which could enable people to change their gender more easily. A consultation paper is expected on Tuesday.
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Via RT. This piece was reprinted by RINF Alternative News with permission or license.