A British school announced to parents that it wished to ban girls from wearing skirts in what has been described as a “ridiculously sexist” new ruling.
Uniform Policy Controversy
A secondary school in Cornwall has sparked controversy after proposing a ban on skirts in its uniform policy because it believes dressing feminine jeopardises chances of success. Parents and students at Launceston College expressed strong opposition to the proposed ban, viewing it as “ridiculously misogynistic and sexist.”
An email was sent to parents with the new school uniform ruling, revealing that the girls would be wearing the same clothes as boys. The email sent to parents wrote that girls must now wear, “plain black tailored trousers of a traditional design,” steering away from the school’s, already strict, knee-length skirt rule.
The email insisted that girls would not wear “skinny trousers, jeans, chinos and trousers with pockets on the legs,” adding, “If a belt is worn it must be black.”
School’s Reasoning Behind the Ban
The school provided no actual reason for the ban, but it did suggest that banning skirts would give the students “the highest chances possible of being successful.” The ban on skirts provoked outrage among parents, particularly coming shortly after International Women’s Day.
The Secondary School in question, Launceston College in Cornwall, planned to go ahead with the ban after the Easter break. After a group of parents erupted on social media, the school announced it would reconsider the ruling, admitting they would need a consultation on the matter.
In the social media group, parents were outraged at the “sexist” ban, with one suggesting that parents should ignore the rule and send their children to school on mass.
The same parent cited the cost of living crisis as a reason not to follow the ban, arguing that they already spent money on skirts and couldn’t afford to buy a new school wardrobe for their kids.
Another parent insisted that the idea was “ruining” the lives of the students without good reason, revealing their concern on the matter. “To say I’m concerned is an understatement,” they wrote.
Unexpected Backlash
The school did not anticipate the backlash and suggested that parental feedback gave them the idea in the first place.
The school insisted that “following feedback from parents, students, staff, our community, visitors to the school, external professionals,” they decided to introduce the ban.
Launceston College already enforces strict guidelines regarding skirt length and style, allowing only pleated skirts of specific lengths as part of the uniform.
After the parental backlash, the school sent out another email claiming “Uniform expectations won’t change after Easter,” allowing girls to go back to old school regulations.
Consultation Plans
Principal Jenn Burn announced plans to engage in a comprehensive consultation process involving parents, students, staff, and the governing body to address uniform policy concerns.
After the backlash, a spokesperson for the college admitted, “We are currently assessing what, if any, changes we would like to make to our uniform policy.”
The spokesperson thanked the parents for their feedback and apologised for the “confusion caused” by the initial email, with critics wondering why they thought it was a good idea in the first place.
The post Parents Oppose School Planning to Ban Skirts to Help Girls Succeed first appeared on Pulse365.
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